Workshop releases Millbrook pasture statistics

About 65 participants attended a rural field day held at Millbrook Station, in Pakiri, last month.

The day was organised by the Lower Northland Farm Monitor Group and covered issues such as new lamb replacement programmes, the facial eczema challenge and pasture data on hills versus flat country.

AgFirst Northland farm consultant and one of the workshop organisers, Bob Thomson, said it was an opportunity to present local farmers with the results of the first nine months of pasture measurements from Millbrook, which is part of the Meat & Wool NZ monitor farm programme.

“The results are startling – the steep land grows less than half the pasture of the easy, flattish land,” he said.

“We reckon that the 150 hectares of steep land at Millbrook Station could handle four ewes per hectare over lambing – that’s provided they were scanned for single bearing lambs only. Some cattle could be added to the hills for pasture control in early summer, and with this included the farm may be able to squeeze out a gross margin of around $250 per hectare – just about enough to keep the fences standing and the gorse under control.

“On the other hand, the more productive, moderate-to-easy contoured land has huge potential – this country should be returning more like $1000 per hectare. In summary the steep land grows half the pasture and returns a quarter of the profit when compared to easy contoured land.”

Guest speaker at the workshop was Nuffield Scholarship recipient James Parsons, who gave a talk on how New Zealand’s products move along the chain to the consumer.

He called for the redesign of traditional supply chains, which he said were so badly designed that they destroyed rather than created value. What’s more, the value New Zealand meat and wool producers created was not being captured.

The next Lower Northland Monitor Farm Public Field-day will be held at Millbrook Station on May 20. Info: Bob Thomson 09 430 2410 or 0274 500 809.

Top: From left, Tania Dropulich, Innes Anderson and PGG Wrightson representative Jenny Borck. Tania and Innes, who farm at Kaiwaka, were attending their first monitor farm field day and were looking forward to hearing guest speaker James Parsons.

Middle: Guest speaker and Nuffield Scholarship recipient James Parsons gave a polished presentation on the need for the rural sector to change its thinking, emphasising the need to transform the way agricultural industries do business. He said what was needed was for farmers to realise profit, as well as a production, gains.

Bottom: About 65 people attend the Lower Northland Monitor Farm community day held at Millbrook Station, Pakiri.