Versatile poplars pay off in wet and dry
Planting poles is a labour-intensive job, but the rewards are magnificent. It's hard to find a hill country farmer who regrets planting, because it makes such a big difference to any farm.
Ian McIvor from the Poplar and Willow Research Trust.
With extreme weather resulting in flooding and slips likely to strike Taranaki every five to six years, farmers are being urged to budget for erosion-control willow and poplar poles.
‘‘It’s important to plan ahead to make sure the money is in your farm budget not just to buy poles but get them to your farm, planted and protected,’’ says Ian McIvor from the Poplar and Willow Research Trust.
‘‘Most regional council or private nurseries need to have your order by late May at the very latest so they can be sure to supply what you need.
‘‘They will have a good range of varieties to cover varying situations, such as hot and dry, wet and shaded or more visually appealing.
‘‘But you risk missing the best
Fritha Tagg discovers a beef producing gem along the Forgotten World Highway.
The humble beef cow shall be humble no more. New Zealand grass-fed beef will in future command a premium price on the overseas market says Greenlea Premier Meats managing director Tony Egan, giving heart to 90 farmers gathered at a NZ Hereford and Beef + Lamb NZ field day deep in the rain-soaked King Country.
The power of the beef cow was the catch cry at 7100ha Paparata Farms, on the Forgotten World Highway, 50 kilometres west of Taumarunui.
The farms are four independent management units using cattle alongside a large sheep operation.
With 6200 cattle and 32,500 sheep, five managers, nine shepherds and two staff, the property has plenty of scope. Seventy-year-old, Paparata owner, Trevor Johnson, is the linchpin, overseeing the farms, driving the innovative operation and supporting his staff.
The cattle on Paparata are now mostly hereford-angus cross to focus on utilising hybrid vigour and maximising growth rates. Hybrid vigour or heterosis occurs when two different breeds of cattle are crossed, resulting in one of the most superior crossbred beef animals on the market and superior animals equates for greater profitability, the farmers were told.
Paparata’s cattle policy is to breed and finish progeny. Cull heifers are sold at 12 months to coincide with feed demand for the sheep. The next step is rising twoyear-old steers with a big effort put into growing steers and finishing them earlier to reduce stock numbers the summer. A carcass weight of 320kg is the target.
The prices paid for high-quality beef cattle is a vital ingredient but the cattle and sheep also have a symbiotic relationship, with the cattle grooming the hills for the sheep.
Initially Johnson had tried a options for your farm if you leave it too late.’’
Poplars and willows stabilise pastoral hill country, increase water storage, reduce sediment transfer, improve water quality, benefit stock in terms of shade and shelter and enhance the general farm environment.
Research shows poplars and willows are the most effective trees for preventing erosion and reduce slippage by up to 95 per cent.
Trimmings can also be used as stock feed in times of drought.
‘‘Planting poles is a labourintensive three-way friesian-hereford-angus cross but he explained that five years earlier he had dropped friesians because the breed was too big for hills, it had horns, the friesian cow was focused on milk production rather than converting feed surpluses into fat on its back, it was harder to winter and progeny were less valuable as stores.
‘‘I feel the crossbreed animal offers hybrid vigour and they cope better in the dry conditions. Hard to believe today with the rain pouring down,’’ he said. ‘‘We cross our angus cows with a hereford bull and hereford cows with an angus bull. All calves are eartagged to identify the breed of their sire. Angus have a yellow tag and hereford a blue tag. The blue tag cows or heifers are mated with an angus bull and the yellow tagged cows and heifers are mated with a hereford bull.’’
Johnson is first and foremost a farmer. ‘‘My real skill when I was hands-on farming was my stock skills. I love animals and know how to look after them. Happy, content, well-fed animals produce the best stock – and the best meat and wool. It’s quite simple really.’’
But he is also very much the businessman, keeping a keen eye on feed levels, animal health, job, but the rewards are magnificent.
‘‘It’s hard to find a hill country farmer who regrets planting, because it makes such a big difference to any farm.’’
In Taranaki, the regional council estimates an extreme storm event causing flooding and slips is likely to occur about once every five to six years.
With soil conservation measures taking six to eight years to establish, landowners are encouraged to take preventative measures as early as possible. ensuring flexibility in selling stock and being always ready to react if weather or feed levels are affecting stock.
‘‘I think a 50:50 sheep-to-cattle ratio is the best mix in managing grazing correctly. It means we can grow more grass, manage it well in the dry and ensure there is plenty to feed both sheep and our beef herd.’’
Max Tweedie of Beef + Lamb Genetics said the cow’s first job was to get in calf in the first cycle, then have a ‘‘no assist’’ calving, get back in-calf and clean up the paddocks to feed the calf well.
Cow type was important - an efficient size was one which coped well with steep land. ‘‘But you
Taranaki Regional Council’s South Taranaki and Regional Erosion Support Scheme (STRESS) scheme provides funding for projects to reduce the risk of erosion in the eastern hill country.
Hill country farmers with a council farm plan in place on their property can apply for STRESS funding for soil conservation projects that meet project and funding criteria.
In the past five years, farmers in eastern Taranaki have planted over 20,000 poplar poles, established 203 hectares of forestry and put up 116.8 kilometres of fencing to retire 3333 hectares of marginal land. need to identify what is important for your farm,’’ he warned.
During the field day he covered breed objectives, which cattle provided the best carcass - with carcass weight still the strongest point - what grades meant and how to get good money for prime animals with good fat content. Good meat colour and fat content or marbling were what the customer wanted, he said.
Johnson explained that Paparata bought 30 sire bulls each year. The bulls were all yearlings with those which were not used over the 600 yearling heifers used over the cows.
As the bull did not go out with the cows until January 20 the yearling bulls were now nearly 18 months old and approaching 600kg liveweight. They were well capable of serving a cow, he said.
He believed figures were important when buying bulls. ‘‘Because we calve heifers at two years old and calve cows on the hills with ewes, ‘unshepherded’ birthweight is important. Both herefords and angus have birthweight [estimated breeding value] averages of 4.3.
‘‘When buying a bull I like the birthweight EBV to be between 3 and 5. The other number I focus on is the 600-day growth EBV. I try and buy above the breed average.’’
Selection and crossbreeding was covered by Dave Warburton, a Hawke’s Bay Vet who has also worked on the second-largest angus stud in the United States and managed award-winning
Happy, content, well-fed animals produce the best stock – and the best meat and wool ...
Trevor Johnson
Mount Linton stud sheep flocks in Southland for three years.
He owns a small hereford and angus stud and encourages the seedstock breeder to provide commercially relevant genetics to the commercial farmer.
‘‘As a vet I get to see first-hand the wide scope of what is working and what is not working with crossbreeds.
‘‘Crossbreeds can bring traits of both breeds to produce good or fitto-purpose which produce ideal progeny. But you need good breeding from both – not mongrels.’’
Hybrid vigour came from crossbreeding and to lift performance it was important to change the bull. The term described the estimated difference between the average performance of the crosses of two breeds and the average performance of their two parent breeds. ‘‘The crossbred cow is without doubt the best cow around for performance,’’ he said. ‘‘Crossbred has superior growth rates, better fertility and they live longer, therefore they produce more calves.’’
Veterinarian, Dr Abi Chase said farmers needed to ensure two types of drench were used to control worm burden in cattle. Worms in cattle were not only an animal health issue but the wormaffected beast would fail to thrive.
Egan spoke about the changing demands for beef producers. He has first-hand experience of selling New Zealand beef to the many new and growing markets throughout the world. ‘‘Buyers now want much more accountability, a clear way of identifying where the beef has come from, how it is dealt with, what the animals are fed,’’ he said. Though the markets were increasing so were demands to produce the best and package correctly. Demand for halal product had increased by 50 per cent and would continue to develop as other countries became customers.
Paparata Farms had its origin in the early 1900s when the 300ha Tokirima block was balloted to Trevor Johnson’s Irish grandfather, Herbert Johnson. Trevor’s parents took over this property, developing and growing it to about 750ha and it is now part of Trevor’s Pararata Farm.
When he bought the Paparata Station with his two brothers Peter and Neville in 1968 it was
1600ha of steep, scrubby land which had largely reverted to scrub and ring fern. They had to use cattle and sheep to make any headway to tame the rugged country. ‘‘A high ratio of cattle to sheep was run as over-grazing with sheep was the major cause of the land reverting,’’ he recalled. ‘‘Cows were used to eat the ring fern. The fact they could lose 40 or
50kg over winter without any economic cost made them a valuable tool. Weight lost during the winter was soon replaced when they were put on saved feed in the spring..’’
Over 1978 to 1986 Trevor bought out other family members, increasing both his land area and stock numbers and continued to use both sheep and cattle to make the most of the property.
A degree in accounting and finance at Massey University added to his knowledge base and gave him confidence and experience in accountancy and law which had helped in the management of the enlarged Paparata Farms.
The enterprise is four adjoining sheep and beef units – Heao, Paparata, Tokirima and Te Moata with a manager and staff on each. Castle Rock, 300ha in Waikato, is used as a finishing block.
Johnson now lives in Hamilton with wife, Trish a physiotherapist with three clinics, and he spends at least two days a week at Paparata still involved in development, management, planning, stock sales and purchases.
He has an unwritten policy of allowing his managers, who have been with him for a good number of years, to get on with the job. ‘‘I’m 70. You can’t go on forever. I want to make me less important in the day-to-day operation of the farm. I still want to grow it and I want to give my managers the right tools to develop and grow the team – to reduce my importance to the operation. The best part of the station is the staff. I owe them much more than just a salary. I want them to have the right tools, the right housing, to be happy and content. That leads to good performance in very much the same way we look after our cattle and sheep.’’