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Failing to plan will put cashflow and profitability at risk as dry summer looms

As a dry summer looms, dairy farmers need a plan for their herds’ nutrition now to keep their cows in milk, protect their cashflow and secure long term business profitability. SealesWinslow Consultant Nutritionist Paul Sharp says the repercussions of a challenging summer, coupled with an unfavourable payout, extend beyond the current season. “Reduced in-calf rates, lower body condition scores at calving, and diminished pasture reserves can compromise cows' early lactation potential...

GPS mapping & automated POA saves Otago farmer time and money

With the fertiliser spreading season in full swing, a Central Otago dairy farmer has embraced the benefits of GPS mapping and automated data management, resulting in substantial savings of both time and money.Jeorge Barroga contract milks a total of 1500 cows across two milking platforms and a support block covering 500 hectares in Ranfurly.Given the extensive land area, fertiliser spreading has always been a significant investment and a big job each season, with a tractor driver employed to man...

The Power of Trust

 “If people like you, they will listen to you. If people trust you, they will do business with you.” Zig Ziglar. Legendary salesman and authorTwo people who have spent decades building businesses with trusted reputations are Heather Claycomb, owner of award-winning PR firm HMC, and Chris Williams, the director and CEO of King St, the largest marketing agency in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. They understand why trust is the oil that greases the wheels of transaction, and they know how c...

Farmers urged to closely monitor replacement nutrition to protect their investment

With dairy farmers gearing up to send their replacements off farm for grazing, closely monitoring their nutrition will be crucial before the first mating to protect farmers’ bottom lines. Best practice is to wean replacement heifers at approximately 80kgs for Friesian-Jersey crossbreeds with weaning targets dependent on breed and rearing system. After months investing time and money into nurturing the health of these calves from birth and providing them with the best start in life, they g...

Biodiversity credits to fund land use change on the table following new research

A market for biodiversity credits is one financing option that could be instrumental in helping New Zealand farmers fund land-use change to meet environmental targets, according to a new study.The Options for Rural Investment project was carried out by Perrin Ag and GHA Chartered Accountants and Management Consultants as part of the Government’s Our Land and Water National Science Challenge.The year-long study evaluated 17 different funding models to support land-use change and saw researchers...

Farmers encouraged to maximise value from self-spreading fertiliser this spring

With Spring fertiliser season underway, more dairy farmers are anticipated to turn to self-spreading to help keep costs down, according to Precision Farming Head of Sales, Aaron Wilson.Aaron (51) has farmed all his life and now owns a 900-hectare self-contained dairy operation in Northern Southland. He knows firsthand the challenges facing dairy farmers.“We're all trying to do more with less right now to protect our bottom line, not just for the immediate future, but for the long term. We all ...

Unlocking the power of podcasting: why businesses should consider developing their own podcasts

Podcasting is a dominant way people are consuming their content. Every second of the day, over 460 million people listen to podcasts, and they are learning about anything and everything. About Brazilian jiu-jitsu. About Elon Musk’s plans to fill the skies with satellites. About how to make a family meal in 15 minutes for under 10 dollars. Businesses are catching on. Large and small enterprises are podcasting their expertise and personalities to new audiences, and many are expanding as a r...

Hospice Waikato Calls on Politicians to Recognise the Importance of a Dignified Death and to Elevate ‘Dying Well’ as a Post-Election Priority

When Vikki Blundell was living overseas in Peru, she took a phone call no parent would ever want to receive. Her 22-year-old son, Ryan was calling to say he had terminal liver cancer. Immediately returning to New Zealand in the middle of the 2020 global lockdown, after two weeks of quarantine, she moved Ryan out of his flatting situation and into her accommodation so that she could look after him. “I couldn’t have looked after Ryan if Hospice Waikato wasn’t there. It’s as simpl...

Do TikTok and business mix?

Seven years ago, TikTok was the digital playground for teenagers. Back in 2016, if you could gyrate for 10 seconds to a catchy track, you could be a TikTok sensation. Dance and music are still big, but businesses have now entered the fray and are using this skyrocketing platform to boost their sales. How are they doing it, and is TikTok a good match for your own business? What is TikTok? In a nutshell, TikTok is all about short-form video content. While users can post up to 10 minutes ...

HMC welcomes Emma Letessier as Senior Account Manager

Award-winning PR and communications agency HMC has appointed Emma Letessier as senior account manager.With almost two decades of experience, Emma has a wide range of skills in both the B2B and B2C mar-comms disciplines, with a key focus on engineering and technology. She brings a mix of corporate communications, media relations, public affairs, product marketing, e-commerce and digital marketing experience to the agency.Beginning her career in the UK, she has worked both in-house - as the UK PR ...

Research shows dairy farmers could miss out on 30% more income by not crunching the numbers

Dairy farmers could be leaving up to 30% more income on the table by not doing the numbers on supplementary feed, according to SealesWinslow General Manager Grant Jackson. His comments come as Fonterra relaxes the rules around its Fat Evaluation Index (FEI) grading system by temporarily suspending minor downgrades in the wake of a downgraded forecast payout. The move gives dairy farmers more flexibility around how much Palm Kernel Expeller (PKE) they feed their cows, which has traditio...

Hawkes Bay recovery underway but more staff are needed as construction season begins

Surveyors working in Hawkes Bay on Cyclone Gabrielle recovery say the biggest challenge they face is having enough staff on the ground as the construction season gets underway. Consultancy firm CKL has been surveying sites in the Wairoa District including compromised bridges and roads, some completely washed away in February’s severe weather, leaving rural communities completely disconnected. Senior Surveyor Steve Rickerby has worked for CKL for 26 years and has returned to fieldwork...

Is the news really news and should you care?

Last month, it was revealed that the Government paid TVNZ to develop news content to promote its political agenda on the topic of climate change. The Government’s sponsorship, through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, included the guarantee of several news items covered on Breakfast and Seven Sharp as well as the development of an hour-long documentary. Sponsored content – news stories that are paid for by a company, organisation or government body to promote their ...

Personal branding

“Build your personal brand” is something you’ll hear a lot in the US. In New Zealand, not so much. Over there, everyone wants to be seen as somebody, whereas Kiwis gladly avoid the limelight, preferring to let their work do the talking. But in business, personal branding may now be a necessary tool for success. What exactly is personal branding?When your name is mentioned and you’re not in the room, what is it that people say and think about you? Whatever the sum of those menta...

Practise what you preach: award-winning PR firm launches podcast

Hamilton public relations firm HMC has today launched its podcast, CRUNCH, designed to lift the lid on public relations and communications and encourage important conversations on subjects that affect business leaders and professionals across a wide range of industries.The CRUNCH podcast is an extension of HMC’s popular CRUNCH events for corporate and community leaders. These “crucial chats over lunch” brought together business experts and HMC team members to provide valuable insights into...

Scholarship winner an advocate for Māori agribusiness principles

Caleb Dudin believes that the principles of sustainability and kaitiakitanga (guardianship and conservation) that are interwoven through Māori agribusiness could help New Zealand farmers future-proof their operations.The Lincoln University student is in his final year of a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture and is the recipient of Perrin Ag’s 2023 John Perrin Scholarship, receiving $3,000 towards his final year of study.While Caleb grew up on his parents' farm in Winton, Southland, he spread...

Better mating performance will help dairy farmers protect profitability

While the recent payout announcement is not the news dairy farmers were hoping, it’s an opportunity to review on farm performance with a specific focus on protecting your farm’s profitability. Arguably, the greatest immediate and medium-term opportunity will be to optimise peak production, while also honing herd fertility this coming mating. Being guided by industry best practice targets and adopting a considered nutritional approach for your entire herd will pay dividends througho...

“Not the season for high empty rates” - Getting cows in calf fundamental in wake of payout news

As dairy farmers look ahead to mating in the wake of a downgraded forecast payout, CRV Managing Director James Smallwood says getting cows in calf will be fundamental."It’s not the season for high empty rates," he says. "Lactation length will be more important than ever to make sure farmers maximize days in milk. Making sure cows are in good condition before mating to help nail 6-week in-calf rates will be crucial."In addition to accurate heat detection and putting up cows for AI at the right ...

Former vet and ad agency executive joins CRV as National Sales Manager

From being suited and booted in the glamorous world of advertising to wearing red bands and overalls in cow sheds across the Waikato, Julia Baynes’ new role is the perfect meeting of two worlds.Julia is CRV’s new National Sales Manager. A former advertising executive, she cut her teeth at global marketing agency Saatchi & Saatchi but just over a decade ago hung up her high heels to retrain as a large animal vet. For the past six years Julia has been working for Anexa Vets in Waikato.Now ...

A career in herd improvement takes flight for new CRV AB Services Manager

Emma Carne wanted to be an airline pilot, but a foray into dairy farming to fund her flying lessons instead launched her career in the dairy industry. More than 20 years later, she has joined CRV as the company’s new AB Services Manager.It was the year 2000 when the self-confessed former townie took a milking job on an Eltham dairy farm. Today, she’s still as passionate as ever about the industry.“I always thought I wanted to be a pilot. But with no dairy farming background at all I took a...

New ‘DIY’ compliance initiative empowers farmers, saves time and cuts costs

Perrin Ag is helping farmers get on top of regulation, making compliance easier and less costly by empowering them with the skills to assess their own farm compliance requirements at home.The firm’s Empowering Farmer Compliance Workshops will help farmers identify what they can do themselves, where they might need additional support and where to go for help.Thanks to funding from the Ministry for Primary Industry’s (MPI) Accelerator Fund, Perrin Ag is offering the workshops at a heavily subs...

More Otago & Canterbury dairy farmers DNA testing calves for better decision making

An increasing number of Otago and Canterbury dairy farmers are realising the value of DNA testing their calves to help them make better breeding decisions, according to local CRV sales consultant Deborah Adair-Dagg. Originally from Scotland, Deborah started with CRV in August last year but has been living in South Canterbury/Otago since 2018. Before arriving in New Zealand in 2004, Deborah earned her rural stripes on the family farm in Scotland. Farming both pigs and beef, she developed a s...

Fund raising and awareness raising go hand in hand

2023 seems to be the year that many organisations are raising funds. Many not-for-profits are doing it tough and now trying to make up for lower donations during the Covid period.  Some businesses have experienced a few tough years and are ready to get back to international markets yet require a capital injection to achieve their goals.No matter what the situation, many of you out there are looking to external sources for funding.  And that might mean you’re kicking off a donor ...

Dairy farmers urged to be vigilant for coccidiosis this calving

With calving almost underway, dairy farmers are being urged to be vigilant for coccidiosis by planning their calf feeding regimes and using nutrition to combat the potentially fatal disease.Coccidiosis can attack calves from four weeks old, causing scours and can result in death. The disease is prevalent throughout New Zealand, and thrives in warm moist conditions. It often surfaces during periods of stress, like moving or regrouping calves or when calves face reduced immunity.SealesWinslow Nutr...

Starch and energy a priority for calving cows to complement potential farm feed shortcomings

While most dairy farmers are heading into Spring calving with lush grass cover, cows may need more starch and energy to compensate for pasture deficiencies this season.Unusually high rainfall and warmer temperatures across the country this Autumn have resulted in exceptional grass cover for many areas. However, SealesWinslow Nutrition and Quality Manager Paul Drew says pasture testing carried out by the company shows there could be nutritional deficits in pasture this season that need to be addr...