Kiwi experience makes Loic a champion

Shearer Loic Leygonie when he was runner-up in the Senior final at the Wairoa Show in January. A fortnight ago he won the French Open final for the first time and will represent France in the World Championships in Invercargill next February.

A French shearer's son who came to Hawke's Bay five years ago with a dream of one-day taking on the world at shearing has realised stage 1 of the goal by winning the French Shearing Championships.

As winner of the final a fortnight ago, 24-year-old Loic Leygonie will represent France in the World Championships in Invercargill next February.

From Martel, Midi-Pyrenees, Leygonie first came to New Zealand to shear in late 2011, and shore three seasons in Hawke's Bay before taking the advice of employer Colin Watson Paul, of Hastings-based Shearing NZ, and shearing the latest season in King Country.

He knew Leygonie meant business when he first faced the milestone of 300 sheep in a day during his early stints in the Bay.

In his last real opportunity of the season, Leygonie missed by two. When others might have pushed the limits to get the tally, Leygonie hadn't wasn't prepared to sacrifice any quality and was prepared to wait till returning the following season to reach the goal.

Shearing alongside experienced New Zealand shearers, who have included World Record holders Stacey Te Huia and Doug Smith, he showed steady development through the grades in New Zealand, reaching 11 finals since his first as a Junior at Rotorua in 2012 to his most recent as Senior runner-up in Wairoa in January. It included a history-making Intermediate win at Aria in 2013.

"New Zealand is a good place to learn to shear," he said via Facebook this week. "There are a lot of good shearers."

Autofarm

It may be one answer to the ageing of the farming population, but robots ... and driverless tractors?

They're the possibilities canvassed at a conference in Japan, among agriculture ministers of G7 countries Japan, US, Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, and Italy.

The average age of farmers in Japan has crept above what we once knew as the retirement age and, worried about the future, Agriculture Minister Hiroshi Moriyama is looking to replacing them autonomous tractors and backpack robots.

It's spending $50 million this year to promote farm automation and help develop 20 robotic innovations, including one that separates over-ripe peaches when harvesting.

A senior analyst with investment and securities firm Mizuho was reported to have commented: "There are no other options for farmers but to rely on technologies developed by companies if they want to raise productivity while they are greying. The Government should help them adopt new technologies."

Mr Moriyama said: "Ageing farmers are threatening the sustainability of agricultural communities in Japan as the population globally is expanding and raising the need to boost food production to meet demand."

The Country

Every Thursday we bring you the best in rural content in The Land. From next week (May 5) The Land is changing to The Country, as part of our plans to bring together NZME's print, radio and digital rural content.

What does this mean for you?

The Country will still bring you the same great stories and opinion pieces, along with a new weekly column from the voice of radio's The Farming Show Jamie Mackay.

The Farming Show will also change to The Country and, from Monday, May 2, you can hear The Country on Newstalk ZB, New Zealand's most listened to radio station, Radio Sport, Hokonui and iHeartRadio, at 12-1pm weekdays.

You can also keep up with the latest rural news at thecountry.co.nz, the new rural section on nzherald.co.nz.