NZ Dairy Summer 2020

| 49 nz dairy Darfield 03 318 8516 | Oxford 03 312 4016 www.frewstransport.co.nz • GENERAL FREIGHT • STOCK • LIME & FERTILISER • GRAIN • LOG CARTAGE • BLOWER TRUCK Celebrating 100 years in business Proud to Support Theo Sneek Allan Chapman: P. 03 310 2545 M. 027 221 5264 E. allan@chapmanag.co.nz • Cultivation and drilling • Precision drilling • Balage rounds, squares, individual and tube • Full Fine chop silage services • Buying and selling of supplement feed • Importing of machinery Services : FORREST ENGINEERING Dairy Farm related work General Engineering • Palm kernal trailers • Hay feeders • Onsite welding and repairs Contact Grant 027 738 1896 www.forrestengineering.com grantforrestengineering@gmail.com Proud to be associated with Theo Sneek EXPERT EARTHMOVERS AND GRAVEL SUPPLIERS Root Raking Tree Removal Tracks & Driveways Dairy Conversions Dozers • Rollers Graders • Dump Trucks Diggers with Power Clamp Trucks and trailers Stump Removal Rotten Rock Suppliers Gravel Suppliers Mole Ploughing Ponds & Dams Effluent Ponds Land Clearing / Development P 027 295 6794 | E alexmasoncontracting@gmail.com | www.alexmasoncontracting.co.nz ON FARM » Theo Sneek “We have put in a new clause that guarantees the sharemilker an income even when disaster strikes.” F ederated Farmers’ North Canterbury Share- milkers Section Chair, Theo Sneek, is a vocal advocate for sharemilking and its advantages towards farm ownership but warns the importance of doing your due diligence. “There are risks in signing up too quickly and not understanding the farm totally and the cost struc- ture. People should have an independent discussion with their own advisors or accountants. Seek plenty of advice from family or people who they know and who are in the farming industry.” He says the importance of a good contract is vital and it should be an agreement that suits both the farm owner and the sharemilker/ contract milker. For contracts that are fair and have everyone’s best interests at heart, Theo highly recommends Federated Farmers’ contracts. “They are well established contracts that we have thought about over years. Fair contracts for the farm owner, and the contract/sharemilker,” he explains. “Some corporates have their own contracts and more often than not it is in favour of the employer.” Federated Farmers is well-established in look- ing after farmers so it makes sense to use their resources, trusting they’ll steer you in the right direction. Theo says he has seen a lot of people in the industry come and go because of agreements that have turned sour or that don’t allow progression and when they go, they don’t come back. He says sharemilking and contract milking offers great opportunities if you’re willing to invest and work hard and in return you should be offered a secure income. Theo has been part of the team reviewing the Federated Farmers’ contract over the past two years. “We have put in a new clause that guaran- tees the sharemilker an income even when disaster strikes.” He says this security takes out a lot of the risk and should encourage more people to give sharemilking or contracting milking a chance. Originally from the Netherlands, Theo’s own dairy career in New Zealand started as a farm assistant on a North Canterbury farm owned by Geoff Spark. After four seasons, Theo decided it was time to take more responsibility and signed a lower order share- milking contract on a 950-cow farm in Methven. When Theo’s brother Martin joined him in New Zealand the following season the brothers moved to Culverden, signing a lower order contract with Amuri Dairying. Establishing the business partnership of ‘Gron- Sharemilking – know before you sign Natalia Rietveld ingen Farms Ltd’ two years later, Theo and Martin took up their first herd-owning contract in 2010 – back to where it all began with Geoff Spark. It’s now been 10 years and Theo says their rela- tionship with Geoff is still strong and the business has steadily grown from 600 cows to now some- where in the region of 1800 cows milked across two of Geoff Spark’s West Eyreton farms. Theo says the success of their sharemilking operation comes down to a number of things but a good contract, an independent advisor and a good relationship with the farm owner has been key. For anyone looking into sharemilking or contract milking, Theo says do your research and make sure you fully understand what you’re signing up for. Federated Farmers’ north Canterbury Sharemilkers Section Chair Theo Sneek.