NZ Dairy Winter 2021

122 | nz dairy DAIRY SERVICES » Spraylink Spraylink looks after all spraying requirements on farm. Kelly Deeks C entral Waikato spraying business Spraylink aims to be one of the best operators in its field, prioritising reliability, efficiency, and exceptional customer service when taking care of all types of spraying requirements for local farmers. Michael and Shanekea Butler bought Spraylink from their local contractor in 2018. Michael, who had a career spanning more than 20 years with Matamata stock feed firm J Swap Contractors, had returned home to help his parents manage their three dairy farms and one run off block. Working with his dad until they got the farms into a position they could be run by a third party, Michael was looking for another opportunity when the chance to purchase Spraylink arose. “Dad has a good handle on the farms so we thought we’d have a go and see what we could do with a successful local business,” Michael says. “We’re not making changes, we’re sticking to the main things Spraylink has always done – reliability, good service, and having good staff.” Spraylink has doubled in size since 2018, from two good quality staff when Michael took over to now a team of four. “We’ve been really fussy with the people we’ve employed. We’re not just taking on anyone, we’re looking for the right fit for our team. Our latest team member is a young man with a bit of spraying experience, a farming background, and the right attitude. We’ve been really lucky.” Unlike other agricultural contracting businesses, which have to keep so many staff busy during the quiet winter months, spraying can operate all year Business sticks with T Series 6 cylinder 155-271HP BUILT IN FINLAND SINCE 1951 TO THRIVE IN THE TOUGHEST CONDITIONS IN THEWORLD. Proud ly supporting the Butler family & Spraylink as long term Valtra customers Find out more at waikatotractors.co.nz round, with one quiet month in February. Spraylink looks after all spraying requirements from pasture cropping to liquid nitrogen applications, as well as gun spraying for all those little jobs that no one likes doing. Over winter, Spraylink is working on pasture spraying with liquid urea and Progyp to promote winter grass growth. Spring is time for crop spray- ing and Spraylink works with maize crops, chicory, and turnips, and everything in between. Back to pasture spraying in the summer, and a mixture of crop and pasture spraying for autumn. Servicing from Hamilton to Otorohanga, Spraylink works on rolling to flat ground conditions and a wide variety of soil types. The Government’s new 190kg N/ha/year cap on the amount of synthetic ni- trogen fertiliser applied to land in pastoral land use could see some growth in alternative products, such as the Nrich Liquid Urea 19N as used by Spraylink. “We offer this product with only 19 units of N, which gives the same benefits of using a granulated urea,” Michael says. Produced by dissolving solid Nrich Urea in water under controlled conditions, Nrich Liquid Urea 19N is suitable for a wide range of farm types. As Nrich Liquid Urea 19N is a solution not a suspension, the urea is fully dissolved in the water and there is no particulate matter to clog nozzles or sprayers. “This is a product which could expand a bit more going forward.” And going forward for Spraylink, Michael says he and Shanekea don’t want to be the biggest, but they want to be one of the best. “We will always work on having good staff who provide a good service, and on being there for our clients when they need us.”