Bayleys Rotorua rural salesperson Ben Hickson said Wairakei Pastoral Ltd had been converting much of the block from harvested pine plantings to pasture-covered paddocks and hillsides during the past decade with the majority of this land having come out of pines in the past four years.
"Currently running dairy heifers, the land lends itself to all stock types — with strong wintering and soil characteristics. With underlying soil of mainly pumice-based loams, the block's pasture allows deep grass rooting sustained by free-flowing drainage," Hickson says.
"Soil fertility has been paramount for the pastures, and with Wairakei Pastoral's considerable resources, the unit has become highly productive in a relatively short period of time through the application of lime, urea and superphosphate. Throughout the conversion, soil from across the farm has been regularly tested to see that it is responding to fertilisation as planned.
Concurrent with this, tree shelter belts have been established and fenced to provide protection for stock. These strategic plantings will add to the property's aesthetics over time as they mature further in addition to providing shelter and privacy. As with soil improvement and pasture management, shelter, protection and shade has always been high on Wairakei Pastoral's animal welfare agenda."
The farm is serviced by large 15m wide laneways for efficient stock movements, with pasture separated into paddocks of about 2.5ha each, which are all segregated by high quality fencing. Trough water to all paddocks is sourced from an off farm bore via an easement to be created.
Hickson says the majority of the land is mowable making pasture management and supplement production a less stressful task – with the best of the land developed and grassed so that a fertiliser truck or tractor could operate safely.
Like all units within Wairakei Estate, the Tram Rd property has been run under a nutrient management plan created specifically for the block's soil type and topography to support not only environmental best-practice management, but also to increase profitability.
Building Infrastructure on the Tram Rd farm consists of: two sets of concrete floor stockyards – each with races and weighing areas, and water connections for washdowns. Hickson says that prior to the M Bovis incursion, Wairakei made a choice to destock the property. The farm been stocking up to 1600 heifers over winter, with an additional 1300 calves in the summer.
