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myHERD launch gives dairy farmers choice of herd recording providers

For the first time, dairy farmers have a choice of herd recording providers as CRV officially launches myHERD at Fieldays®. Today marks 12 months since myHERD went live, but to date has only been available to CRV farmer customers. It is now available to all dairy farmers.   CRV Information & IT Manager Andrew Singers says access to quality data is crucial for making smart herd management and breeding decisions. “Farmers can use the data captured on farm from herd testing, DNA testing an...

eShepherd a game-changer for livestock production

Gallagher is showcasing a virtual fencing system at Fieldays® that will revolutionise New Zealand pastoral livestock operations, helping farmers meet environmental regulations and saving them millions of dollars on traditional fencing. The development and commercial expansion of eShepherd will accelerate following this week’s announcement that Gallagher is acquiring Agersens, a leading Australian-based developer in virtual fencing technology. Gallagher first began investing in eShepherd in 20...

Experienced agribusiness leader appointed CEO at Vetora BOP

With our agricultural industry’s animal welfare practices coming under increasing scrutiny, Vetora Bay of Plenty’s new chief executive says helping farmers look after the health and well-being of their animals is more important than ever. Andrew Reid will take over the reins at Vetora BOP veterinary club in August. He has dedicated his career to agriculture, spending nearly 30 years working in agribusiness in the greater Rotorua and BOP areas. Born and bred on a dairy farm in Whakatane, he h...

Front-foot it or cross fingers?

Does anyone else feel like May was crisis month?  The HMC team sure had our fair share of issues and crises come across our desks recently.  Since issues are on my mind, I thought I’d talk about one subject that comes up repeatedly when working with boards and leadership teams to manage reputational crises, in particular.  Inevitably, as reputational issues emerge, there are going to be&nbs...

Horticulture specialist joins Perrin Ag as land use change trend continues

Perrin Ag has appointed a senior horticultural specialist, as an increasing number of land owners consider land use change to take advantage of better returns.   Dave Whalley is the agribusiness consulting firm’s newest senior consultant, whose journey in commercial horticulture began in the late 1970s when he started an orchard cadetship in Te Puke.  With a Diploma in Horticulture from Lincoln University, Dave’s diverse career in the industry has seen him gain extensive expe...

Kiwi company launches world’s first team of Jersey bulls to breed heat tolerant cows

A New Zealand company has bred the world’s first team of bulls that all carry a dominant gene certain to breed heat tolerant cows that cope better in tropical climates, ensuring milk production for countries with some of the world’s greatest deficits of protein. Thermo Regulatory Geneticshas bred a team of four homozygous Jersey bulls who all have the “Slick” gene, named because cattle who inherit the gene have very short hair and appear shiny and wet. Their lack of hair keeps them up to...

Reserve Bank predictions of housing market cooling not evident in Hamilton

Lodge Real Estate reports that the agency’s number of home sales in New Zealand’s fourth largest city, Hamilton, rose marginally during May.  As investors re-entered the market the median price in the city eased, as investors tend to buy in lower price brackets. Lodge Real Estate Managing Director, Jeremy O’Rourke, said the continued strength of Hamilton’s market created questions over claims by Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr that the housing market was cooling.  “Almost al...

Gallagher goes bananas about cows on World Milk Day

Dairy farmers Brendan and Tessa Hopson have a favourite cow who loves to eat bananas. The couple are currently 20 per cent equity partners and 25 per cent lower order sharemilking 330 cows on 108 hectares near Paeroa, where they live with their sons Toby and Ollie. Tessa says Number 115 has been a character in the shed since the couple added her to their herd a few years ago. “She’s one of our top producers and she’s super friendly. But she has a weak spot for bananas! “Her previous ow...

Purpose PR the focus of award-winning agency

Hamilton-based public relations agency, HMC, was named the winner of the BusinessDesk PR Consultancy of the Year in the small-to-medium category at Friday’s Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) annual industry awards. The agency won the same award in 2018. HMC provides strategic communications and digital marketing services to companies in a wide range of industries from agriculture, dairy genetics, real estate, medical cannabis, skincare and more. Director, Heather Claycomb, says...

Wondering how Apple’s iOS 14 Privacy Update will impact your Facebook advertising?

It’s old news to digital marketers but it only hit mainstream media recently – Apple’s iOS Privacy Update is now in full force. What it means in a nutshell: for iPhone iOS 14 users who don’t opt in to be tracked by Facebook, ads personalisation and reporting will become limited across conversion events (including purchases, subscriptions, making contact etc.). Data tracking will still work on Android devices, desktop and for people who don’t opt out. So, what does this mean exactly for...

Bull burps could hold answer to breed climate friendly cows

The opportunity to breed more climate friendly cows is one step closer for New Zealand dairy farmers after a Waikato trial finds a possible link between a bulls’ genetics and the amount of methane they produce. The pilot trial, by artificial breeding companies LIC and CRVwith funding from the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre, measured feed intake and methane emissions – in the form of burps – from 20 young bulls destined to father the next generation of New Zealand�...

Nido shows mortgage lending a less risky option for investors

One of New Zealand’s leading non-bank mortgage lenders says the recent collapse and mortgagee sale of large-scale Auckland homeware store Nido, illustrates the caution commercial property investors need to take when putting their money into new developments. Alpha First Mortgage Investments Director Scott Massey, says the mortgagee sale of the building which housed Nido in west Auckland, showed investors who choose to put their money directly into commercial property, whether through a syndica...

Elephants, monkeys, bears & camels - Gallagher fences keep exotic animals safe

From creating elephant corridors in Sri Lanka to monkey control in Saudi Arabia or keeping bears out of huts in inner Mongolia, NZ-made Gallagher electric fencing is being used in novel ways around the globe. While New Zealand farmers trust Gallagher electric fences to safely contain their stock on our green pastures, around the world the same Gallagher technology is being used to exclude exotic animals from villages and homes - keeping both the animals and local residents safe. Gallagher Busi...

E Tipu sets the scene for 2021 Sustainable Irrigation Awards launch

The gathering of primary industry leaders this week at E Tipu sets the scene for the launch of the 2021 Zimmatic™ Trailblazer Sustainable Irrigation Awards. Held in Christchurch from 11-12 May, E Tipu promises to tackle the big questions that exponential change presents for our primary industries and explore ways to become more innovative, sustainable and collaborative. Zimmatic Strategic Adviser Stu Bradbury says finding new ways to protect and efficiently manage water as one of our mos...

Out of the box thinking diverts plastic from landfill

Gallagher is diverting more than 700 tonnes of single-use plastic from landfill each year by using cardboard waste to safely package its animal management products. Gallagher Logistics Manager Rick Scandlyn looks after all the company’s domestic and international dispatch. He says products were historically packed with non-biodegradable plastic air pillows or polystyrene nuggets to ensure they arrived at their destination safely. “We knew there had to be a better way, so we went in search o...

Opportunity knocks for first home buyers as residential property investors digest policy changes

A cooling in the New Zealand residential property market on the back of the Government’s investor-targeted tax changes has left an opening for first home buyers as residential investors take stock. Lodge Real Estate Director, Jeremy O’Rourke, says there has been a temporary and short-term investor retreat from the residential property market as residential investors assess what the new rules, introduced in March, mean for them. One of the biggest changes, removing tax deductions on interest ...

Genetics helps secure a premium for sustainable, high value milk

Genetics will play a key role in helping farmers achieve a premium for their milk as part of Fonterra’s new Cooperative Difference Programme.   CRV Managing Director James Smallwood says it makes sense that farmers - who have invested in tools and solutions, such as genetics, to produce sustainable, high value milk from healthy and productive herds - are rewarded. “The Co-operative Difference Payment programme aligns extremely well with what farmers can expect from breeding with C...

Covid-recovery climate: Waikato HR company near-doubles its recruitment team

Hamilton-based human resources company Everest People has announced the appointment of two new recruiters this month, expanding its core recruitment team from three to five. Managing Director Senga Allen says the dual appointment of Pavan Benepal and Carly Apps is a necessary response to the steadily growing number of Waikato companies employing staff post COVID-19. “This time last year was an incredibly scary time for businesses. COVID-19 hit and we saw recruitment come to a grinding halt, no...

Using PR stategies to leverage your marketing campaigns

If you are launching a new company, new product or new service you need to consider putting a PR plan alongside your marketing plan to amplify your results.   However, we would recommend this only applies if your new ‘thing’ has news legs.  PR isn’t appropriate if, for instance, you are simply launching version 10 of your widget originally developed in 1995. However, if your launch has news legs and is something that will have a major affect within your industry and extraord...

Cut the bull! Building trust with farmers

Our agricultural industry contributes billions of dollars to our economy each year. Its farmers rely on quality goods and services to help them run profitable and sustainable businesses. It’s no surprise then that farmers are bombarded every day with messages designed to influence their decisions about who to trust and what to buy. You can’t blame them for being sceptical. Most farmers are smart, savvy business people. So how do we grab their attention and build trust with them? How do we c...

Sticky buyers and cautious investors could give Hamilton home buyers a brief respite from record-breaking prices

Lodge Real Estate Managing Director Jeremy O’Rourke says ‘sticky’ home buyers and cautious investors could combine to give Hamilton buyers a break from record-breaking house prices in the city. “Hamilton experienced a record number of homes sold in the city during March.  It’s likely to sit around 460 once final numbers are confirmed later this month.  The Lodge Real Estate team saw our median house price soar above $800,000 for the first time ever and our mean house price br...

Latest bull team offers more than just high index

CRV New Zealand’s latest bull team offers more than just high index, responding to farmer demand for genetic solutions to tackle challenges around the environment, herd efficiency and animal welfare. CRV has introduced a wide range of new sires to its portfolio for 2021, with 22 newly graduated sires and 15 new genomic InSires, in addition to 13 new sires in its global portfolio. CRV is encouraging farmers to get orders in early for sexed semen, as availability is limited due to increased pop...

Leading non-bank lender urges Government to rethink Kainga Ora $2B support plan to get new affordable houses built quickly

Scott Massey, Director of non-bank lender Omega Capital, says the Government’s new housing package announced last week does not address one of the biggest barriers to housing supply: developers’ access to finance. “Omega Capital is talking to developers around the country every day who cannot gain access to bank funding for their housing projects.  “When developers are forced to alternative finance sources, they add 6-8% to their funding costs.  This dramatically affects housi...

Business and industry awards – why you should take the time to enter

Have you thought about putting in an application for an industry award or competition? Keen to add something to your company’s ‘trophy cabinet’? Most major industries will have a governing, regulatory or advocacy organisation that organises annual awards, often accompanied by a conference and awards dinner or ceremony. For us comms people, it’s the PRINZ awards held each year alongside the annual conference, but if you’re in tourism it might be the Qualmark awards or Dairy Woman of the...

Thanks for the reminder

By Heather Claycomb If you follow this column you’ll know I’m all about sharing practical PR tips and advice you can use in your organisation. This month, I’m sharing four unrelated lessons my team’s client projects have reminded me about as we kicked off 2021. Communicate to Staff First We’ve had a few clients making significant changes to their businesses at the start of the year, including a CEO suddenly stepping down and an acquisition taking place.  Remember, that these sort...