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the country

South Island sheep and beef update

South Island livestock focus is the annual bull sales, which are in full swing.
Bulls on average are up on last year’s sale price, as farmers invest in their genetics, for on farm gain.
The last of the store lambs are being sold before winter sets in. Lamb finishers have been keenly snapping up the lambs as confidence builds for the outlook for winter/spring lamb schedules.
Store cattle pricing is subdued due to some areas not having a lot of winter feed and farmers waiting on cattle space. Once the backlog is cleared, there will be an increase in schedule pricing going into the winter for finished cattle, therefore lifting the pricing for store cattle.

Dairy

Our sector has got some interesting challenges ahead of itself at present and the key focus needs to be the long-term sustainability of our Dairy industry so we can continue to contribute our vital part of the country’s export income.
Dairy livestock markets reflect the generally low morale and uncertainty in the sector. Through April and May stock prices dropped by 20 to 25 per cent, reflecting the lower volumes and inconsistent availability of feed conditions. Now dairy herds have settled and as winter progresses, those who have decided to leave the sector will already have done so, and anyone who has quality stock to sell through that period should be met with a positive reception in the market.
It’s the time of the year now for all parties to take a well deserved break and get ready for the season ahead. Who knows what the 2019/20 dairy season will send our way, but our sector is full of hard working, resilient and innovative people that as always will find the upside in any situation.
Enjoy the winter break and good luck for 2019/20 Dairy Season.

Genetics

The bull sale season kicked off with the National Angus and Hereford sales held at Orlando Country and on farm in Kiwitea. It was a disappointing start to the season, because the success of on-farm sales has come at the cost of the Nationals with waning support and quality of bulls from breeders.
Although we had a slow start we have seen an upswing in the on farm sales, with most averages and clearances being on par or better than the good performances of previous years. Merchiston Angus saw a full clearance 43/43 sold at an average of $9,506, with the top price bull going to Shian Angus in Taumarunui for $31,000. This like many other sales was underpinned by strong demand from commercial farmers happy to spend upwards of $10,000 for top Genetics.

Lice can be a frustrating challenge for sheep farmer as they reduce fleece weights and severely damage the quality of the fleece, reducing the value of the wool clip¹. Off-shear treatment is the best time to manage lice burden. 

Signs 
The signs of a lice infestation include: rubbing against fences and  other objects in the paddock, wool left on fences, matted fleece,  organic matter in the fleece or discolouration of the fleece.

Identification
Lice can be identified by taking a series of wool partings down to skin level in ten sheep from the flock. It is important that these are carried out right across the body as lice can be found in high concentrations in localised areas on the fleece, so can be easy to miss. 

Control 
Lice control relies on a whole farm solution and plan, not just concentrating on the specific mob affected. For maximal control, sheep should be treated off shears. Use the correct dose rate and T-Bar applicator with application being in straight lines from the poll to the tail of the sheep. This insures that the highest effective concentration of active ingredient spreads right across the sheep. Other classes of sheep on the farm should be treated at the same time as they can act as reservoirs for re-infestation. If this cannot be done immediately, untreated stock must be kept separate from treated sheep.

Breeding ewes should not be treated within three weeks of lambing so that young lambs do not act as this reservoir for re-infestation. New Zealand farmers have used Magnum® for lice control in sheep for nearly 20 years. Magnum continues to deliver consistent results with all classes of sheep. It gives lice control off-shears for up to three months in strong wool sheep, and has a rain fast claim to give farmers greater confidence when using it. Magnum contains Diflubenzuron, an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) in a water base. IGRs prevent lice from completing their life cycle rather than killing the adult lice. Over 14 weeks the adult lice die of “old age”, and female lice are not able to produce viable offspring so the population dies away. 

If sheep with long wool have to be treated and can’t be shorn, Vanquish® is an ideal emergency lice outbreak treatment. Vanquish contains alpha-cypermethrin and can be used in sheep with up to ten months wool growth. These treated sheep should be treated again once shorn with a knock-down product. The same rules for application apply to Vanquish, but lice control treatment of sheep with long wool should not be relied upon year on year. Talk to your local PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative about the Coopers 10 Point Lice Management Plan. It is a good place to start when planning for lice control on your farm. 

SUPPLIED BY MSD ANIMAL HEALTH
¹ Wilkinson et. al. Growth of populations of lice, Damalinia ovis on sheep and their effects on production and processing performance of wool. Veterinary Parasitology, 9 (1982) 243-252.

Mark Leishman talks to Bidr General Manager, Tania Smith this week. This interview focuses on what Bidr is and how it works and the official launch of the platform at Fieldays.

What is Bidr and how does it work?
Bidr is an innovative rural trading platform, different to the likes of TradeMe in that Bidr has a partnership with Agents and Agencies. Agents will be trained to become accredited assessors, adhering to the strict listing policies Bidr has.

Bidr is an alternative sale option to saleyards.

Anyone can sign up for a Bidr account, view current and upcoming sales and register for auctions. All stock will be listed 48 hours prior to the auction starting.

Currently there are 3 weekly sales happening on Bidr. Upper North Island will run on Tuesday night, Lower North Island will run on Wednesday night and South Island will run on Thursday night.

Bidr also has the option to run feature sales for big OnFarm Sales or Stud Stock Sales.

Official Launch at Fieldays
A couple of pilot runs took place prior to Christmas with the soft launch taking place in March. This gave Bidr the chance to sort any technical issues.

Since the soft launch, Bidr has had 11 successful sales with a clearance rate of 72%. 

Bidr will have their official launch at Fieldays, the team will be set up in the Innovation Centre as well as in the PGG Wrightson tent.

Demonstration auctions will run every hour and people are encouraged to stick around to see the platform in action.

There will also be the opportunity to sign up on the day.

Ian Hopkirk’s time with PGG Wrightson, and prior to that Williams and Kettle, started in 2003. Before then he farmed in the King Country, while also contracting as a shearer, both overseas and around New Zealand. In addition, his varied career includes gaining a teaching degree, then working as a teacher for a few years, owning a Waiouru takeaway and training shearers. 

However, wool has provided a constant theme through most of his career, which is why his present role, as a Feilding-based wool representative for PGG Wrightson, is a natural fit.
He says the Manawatu is well suited to growing wool.

“Our hill country works for those growing crossbred wool, predominantly Romney based, though has a good mixture of downland stock finishing country as well, while also featuring pockets suitable for lamb finishers.

“Wool has faced difficult times. However, over-riding trends around environmental sustainability will turn this around, hopefully sometime soon. That will improve the outlook for all in the sector, and I advise wool growers to stick to their knitting, maintain preparation standards and stay true to sound breeding genetics. While of course the lamb meat market is a big driver, take care not to let your wool slip. At some stage it is going to swing back for wool growers and the industry will turn around. If you have let your genetics go, it will take a long time to recover them,” he says.

Ian’s commitment to wool extends beyond his job. In his own time he is a judge in competitive shearing and wool handling, while his wife, Jo, is a Golden Shears referee.

“It’s great to be able to give something back to wool, and particularly to be able to do so together, as a couple,” says Ian.