Water rules create fresh challenge

Lindsay Kay is worried about Heinz Wattie's move to import asparagus.

Farmers face a new evolutionary pressure -- working within nutrient limits -- and with scientists and industry bodies will need to evolve new farming systems, says a University of Waikato economist.

Associate professor Graeme Doole, an economist who specialises in the connections between agriculture and the environment and advises the Government on water concerns, told the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society's conference in Rotorua that the economic impact of nutrient limits that are now being implemented throughout the country will be a challenge for farmers.

"It is something that the industry has to deal with because generally about 75 to 90 per cent of nitrogen eaten by cows is lost in urine," he says.

"The impacts on water quality from the growth of dairy farming will need to be addressed and there will have to be a correction to the farming systems that have evolved over the past 200 years.

"Farmers have successfully developed efficient and highly productive systems of farming.

"The issue now is that they will need to evolve these systems to reduce their impact on the environment," Doole says.

"The national policy statement for freshwater management will bring about freshwater quality limits that will require farmers to have systems that can reduce their nutrient leaching and loss of sediment and microbes.

"It is not just about nitrogen.

"We have a multi-factor pollution issue and it's also about managing phosphorus, e-coli and sediment impacts on our waterways.

"We have to move away from this nitrogen fixation."

Dr Doole is confident that mitigation measures will be developed that will be cost-effective for farmers to implement.

Move upsets growersTen Hawke's Bay asparagus growers face an uncertain future after a decision by Heinz Wattie's to source product from Peru.

In November Heinz Wattie group marketing manager Caroline Jones said the decision to source from Peru, "the world asparagus capital", was purely supply-driven and not a way to cut costs.

"Over many years we have done everything we can to secure enough asparagus from local growers but they have been unable to supply enough for our total production requirements," Jones said.

This week, Heinz Wattie said "no definite decision" had been made over whether some local asparagus would be used.

Despite the cut, New Zealand Asparagus Council Hawke's Bay representative and grower Lindsay Kay said none of the growers have removed plants and Bay growers who supplied the company last season still had options.

Mt Erin Pacific cannery had "tentatively" said it may take the Hawke's Bay crop "but they need a heads-up on whether Heinz Wattie's are going to source cheaper asparagus and take the market by storm".

Mt Erin Pacific manager Chris Kelly said no decision would be made by the Whakatu business until discussions were held with major suppliers this month.

Asparagus Council chairman Tony Rickman said he doubted Heinz Wattie's claim and he considered it to be a cost-saving measure.

Kay said a Heinz Wattie's withdrawal would possibly mean the industry would be oversupplied.

Rounded up The autonomy of the newly announced Roundup distributor will deliver important advantages for farming supply companies and veterinarians, says its distributor in Australia.

Sinochem has said New Zealand distribution of agricultural supplies of Roundup had gone to Agritrade, which manufactures, sells and distributes products aimed at improving farm and grower production.

Agritrade (nzagritrade.co.nz) was established as an independent wholesaler in 2012. Some people among its 700 product-line inventory and sales team were inherited from PGG Wrightson subsidiary Agrifeeds.

Pest war intensifiesThe dairy industry has joined with the Next Foundation and the Department of Conservation to transform the way invasive predators are managed on mainland New Zealand.

The partnership will focus on improved ways to remove introduced predators such as rats, stoats and possums from large areas of land -- and keep them out.

Five major companies -- Fonterra, Open Country, Synlait, Tatua and Westland Milk Products -- have committed $5 million to the partnership to help accelerate the pace of research and development.

(R&D) capabilities and testing. The funding will add to the investment already announced by Next and DoC into the zero invasive predators (Zip) programme.

Next's chairman, Chris Liddell said that a core tenet of the foundation's philanthropic efforts was to accelerate large-scale environmental efforts.

"Collectively we want to be a catalyst to bringing together community, industry, philanthropists and the Government to solve some of New Zealand's toughest issues.

"Zip is a great example of an initiative that addresses a national issue that has common concern and requires a long-term approach to research and development for the greater good of New Zealand's future. We welcome the support of like-minded partners who share the vision of a predator-free future for New Zealand."

The Next foundation has been involved in active applied research and pilots in the Marlborough Sounds in partnership with DoC for several months. The partnership will further this work on a wider scale, including investigating potential solutions such as advanced lures, remote detection, and deterrent technologies.