NZ Dairy Summer 2020

62 | nz dairy HAURAKI PLAINS MOTORS LTD Miles Shelley - 027 227 1121 Michael Duffin - 027 440 4681 1 Pipiroa Road, NGATEA - Ph. 07 867 7021 - F. 07 867 7023 www.haurakiplainsmotors.co.nz For all new and used farm machinery Graeme Wright Transport Puriri RD 1, Thames 3578 Phone: 07 868 1063 Phone: 07 868 1065 Email: gwcarriers@xtra.co.nz Ground spreading specialist - All Lime supplied direct; Cartage & Spreading - Suppliers of Post Peel, Sawdust & Sand - Carriers of Livestock, Metal, Fertiliser, Hay/Silage, Palm Kernel & Timber - Grader & Digger hire PROUD TO BE SUPPORTING POUARUA DAIRY UNIT M: 0274 954 037 | E: barksdigs@xtra.co.nz Steve Barker Ltd Digger Contractor - Ngatea farmdairy? Call us today for a FREE on-site design consultation. Authorised licensee www.chapmandairy.com Herringbone or rotary Silage bunkers Feed pads 021 780 477 shanan@dcw.net.nz www.donchapmanwaikato.co.nz 07 889 6168 Don Chapman Waikato Ltd is your local specialist in farm design and construction. ON FARM » Pouarua Farms N ow into their second season of full iwi operational ownership, Pouarua dairy farms on the Hauraki Plains are being looked at through a long-term lens, with the protection of the generational asset the number one driver behind operational decisions. Pouarua Farms chief executive Jenna Smith came into the driving seat 18 months ago, when Pouarua Farms’ sharemilking agreement with Land- corp came to an end. “Now under full iwi opera- tional ownership, by Ngati Maru, Ngati Paoa, Ngati Tamatera, Ngati Tara Tokanui, and Te Patukirikiri, we’ve got to live our values,” she says. “We want to return a dividend to our sharehold- ers, but that’s not the only driver. The primary focus is looking after the land, because it’s a generational asset.” Last season, Pouarua Farms’ H block, the young- est of the ten Pouarua Farms, was reshuffled to take on the group’s low BW cows, which were all mated to Wagyu for First Light Farms. “We were looking for value-add and also at lowering our bobby numbers. We’ve reduced cow numbers on one of our other blocks and created a 200ha support block, which now houses a new calf rearing facility and runs the 400 Wagyu calves. We aim to take the majority of them through to 90kgs, and take a smaller portion through to finish to see if that is a viable option for us. This season 900 cows have been inseminated with Wagyu, and sexed semen used on the rest of the cows across the group to ensure replacement numbers are met. In terms of breeding Wagyu and rearing calves it’s a first for Pouarua Farms, which is looking at opportunities to diversify. “We’ve got some under-performing farms here, so we’re looking at options to increase our per hec- tare profit. That H block is only 15 years developed, and like all our poor performing spaces is incredibly deep raw peat. H block hasn’t had the time to ma- ture, it’s incredibly wet when it’s wet, and incredibly dry when it’s dry. “Often to get desired soil fertility you’d have to have high fertiliser inputs at a heavy rate then turn it over, but that in turn causes shrinkage and increases the oxidisation. Wanting to lower our environmental footprint, we are looking for alternate options. Direct-drilling crops and low till farming methods are being explored. It might take another 30 years, but that’s one of the benefits of being iwi- owned, we have the time.” Long-term lens applied to Iwi farms Karen Phelps In another diversification move, parts of the neighbouring G block have just been cropped into sale maize, which grows well at Pouarua, which Jenna says should increase the per hectare profit for that area by about 78%. An exceptionally strong beef market last year meant the land taken out of dairy and put into beef gave 108% higher return than it did as a dairy farm. “That was a one-off because the schedule was so high last year. First Light offers a fixed price for the Wagyu, so we know up front what we’ll be earn- ing. For a high-performing dairy farm it probably wouldn’t stack up but for us, it more than stacks up.” “We want to return a dividend to our shareholders, but that’s not the only driver. The primary focus is looking after the land, because it’s a generational asset.” PHOTOS: Pouarua Farm chief executive Jenna Smith (top); Wagyu calves in the new calf rearing block.