NZ Dairy Summer 2020

| 17 nz dairy CHARTER D ACCOUNTANT E Pleased to support Kylie Evans P. 07 862 9090 F. 07 862 9091 www.hoogeveen.co.nz | office@hoogeveen.co.nz Specialists in Farm Accounting • Cashflow B udgeting • Fonterra Shareholding Advice • Farm Sale & Purchase A dvice • Equity Partnerships • GST • Livestock V aluation Options • Income Equalisation 0800 4 EFFLUENT www.williamsirrigation.com BDO is proud to support Bernard Stachurski. Vision and performance. Backed by BDO. BDO, 10 Young Street, New Plymouth 4310 T: 06 759 9034 E: newplymouth@bdo.co.nz Audit | Tax | Advisory www.bdo.nz Backing Innovation From Start-ups to Succession Planning. DAIRY PEOPLE » Kylie Evans/Bernard Stachurski Ayreshire’s ‘far better foragers’ • from page 16 “They’re far better foragers and they’re starting to out-produce the Friesians. The BW system has made most breeds very reliant on in-bought feed in order for them to survive. If you haven’t got hard feed going into them, other than grass, then you’re not going to get it out.” Comparing the production average of the national herd with his Ayrshires on a system one basis, under herd testing Bernard has found that while the two-year-old Ayrshires produce about 20kg’s less than their Friesian counterparts, there is no difference with the three year olds. “Our ten year olds are still doing 380-400kgMS, whereas we don’t have any Friesian 10 year olds. Ayrshires are a very social cow – they’re part of our family and we enjoy their personalities which cover the whole spectrum from as affectionate as a two-year-old kid to the more challenging.” Bernard and Robyn have four children – two girls, Charlie 15, Grace 14 – and two boys Joe 13 and Sam 11. Bernard reflects that while he and Robyn hope the family name will stay part of the farm, he is realistic about that. “I’m doing it because I want to do it, but that’s my life, not theirs. The reality is that I want my kids to do what they want to do and if that means doing something other than farming that’s fine too. I don’t want my kids farming here because they feel obliged to just because it’s been in the family for 100 years.” Cows in the lane at the Stachurski family farm at Waitui, near Inglewood. ‘Cracker of a season’ on the Hauraki Plains Kelly Deeks F ederated Farmers Hauraki-Coromandel Sharemilkers’ Section Chair Kylie Evans says local sharemilkers are in pretty good spirits leading up to Christmas, and despite an autumn drought it’s been a cracker of a season. The drought meant severely reduced pasture covers for the start of the season, with many people reporting average pasture covers of 1500 on June 1, rather than the 2000-2200 they would normally have. Kylie felt humbled as she help to co-ordinate the many bales donated by farmers in the Waikato to sharemilkers in desperate need. The huge soil moisture deficit and regular rainfall played out for the winter with pasture not being trampled into the ground by cow’s feet, an easier to manage calving, and less wear on the raincoats. “We’ve been able to utilise a lot more pasture and growth rates have been higher because the soil hasn’t been water logged. It’s been a cracker of a season,” Kylie says. Coming into summer, Hauraki-Coromandel farmers have been concerned with a rapid decline from peak production. The warm dry weather has caused pasture to shoot to seed earlier than typical, and stock are receiving high fibre, lower quality feed as a result. Kylie has been discussing with local farmers about different ways of managing that situation. On her Waitakaruru farm on the Hauraki Plains, where she sharemilks 480 cows in an equity part- nership, Kylie has been topping some paddocks in front of her cows causing the grass to wilt, so cows can physically fit more into their stomachs. She believes pre-topping is a useful tool. Topping drives the pasture back towards a vegetative state, where the plant allocates more energy into lush leaves and not seed heads for the time being. “The cows are still eating the seed head, so my production didn’t increase, but it will hold better going forward. Cows use less energy vacuuming mouthfuls opposed to picking, so this way the mower is doing the work for them.” She has chosen to top in front rather than be- hind the cows, aiming for profitability gains rather than production gains “I try to get a bit of a balance, there are costs involved in topping, diesel, breakdowns, and the time it takes. The cheapest way is to get your cows to eat the grass, but I like to think I’m just giving them a hand when it’s tough to pick. This year managing the surplus has been quite a chal- lenge, but I’m not complaining!” Kylie has been in the role of Federated Farmers Hauraki-Coromandel Sharemilkers’ Section Chair for almost two years. “I grew up in this area so the Hauraki District is where my heart is, I am happy to support the local farming community and relay their concerns to better inform Federated Farmers of what is impacting our lives.” “I try to get a bit of a balance, there are costs involved in topping, diesel, breakdowns, and the time it takes. The cheapest way is to get your cows to eat the grass, but I like to think I’m just giving them a hand when it’s tough to pick. This year managing the surplus has been quite a challenge, but I’m not complaining!”