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kellogg

Defining the cost of within orchard production variability on the overall profitability of a NZ apple orchard.

Growing conditions in New Zealand have historically been recognised as being some of the best in the world for producing exceptional volumes of excellent quality apples. To remain financially sustainable New Zealand apple growers need to specifically focus on their natural strengths, ensuring that the production they achieve maximises the advantage of their location.

NZ apple growers have spent significant time and focus on cost reduction in orchards this may have been detrimental to overall profitability. The NZ apple industry does not have the same access to cheap finance as many of its international competitors such as the USA. New production techniques generally come with significant costs, areas of new production have a relatively long lag time from initial investment to final repayment. New growing systems also have financial risk, with the potential cost of mistakes made during the learning and development process.

Increases in the overall production of market acceptable apples can be achieved by ensuring all trees are working individually at an optimum level with minimal variation between them. This has potential for gains in cost reduction, resource use efficiency, minimisation of fruit quality variability and improvement in overall profitability.

To ensure tree to tree variability is minimised systems need to be created to efficiently measure key differences between trees. Similar populations of trees are grouped and then analysed to quantify each groups impact on overall block performance, in an easily understood format.

Beyond the scope of this project, tree to tree variability information can be used to assist with investigations into potential solutions and financially justifying the cost of variation mitigation.

This study was undertaken in a commercial Royal Gala apple or chard with 6159 – 10 year old trees planted on M9 rootstock. The assessment focuses on 1887 trees within this block. The use of trunk diameter measuring was decided as the basis for ranking variability. Fruit size and total fruit number per tree was assessed in a small trial. 5 different trunk size groups were eventually formed and the profitability of these assessed using a computer based profitability benchmarking model.

  • The missing new trees returned a negative profit of – $19,755 per ha.
  • Weak/small trees returned a profit of $ 8,516 per ha.
  • The average size trees returned a profit of $14,435 per ha (approximately the same as the overall block profitability).
  • The largest of the average trees returned a profit of $21,344 per ha.
  • The excessively large / scion rooted trees returned a profit of $5,435 per ha.

Jonathan Brookes, Brooks

Connecting with the Conscientious Consumers.

The following report has been completed as part of my participation in the 2013 Kellogg Rural Leaders Programme. The scope of this individual research project was to select a topic of interest to the participant and spend ‘Phase Two’ of the Kellogg Rural Leaders Programme completing the individual research project. Findings are then presented on return to Lincoln University during November 2013.

After a great deal of deliberation, the topic of research I developed was to investigate the different ways that producers were connecting with consumers, and vice versa. Of particular interest to me was the concept that producers were taking control of the messages that were being portrayed with regard to production. Thus I came up with the title “Connecting with the conscientious consumer.”

Those involved in the food production industry are keenly aware that consumers are becoming increasingly discerning about the origins of their food. Of particular concern to consumers is the way ‘meat is made’. This concept is reflected in a number of different signals and includes the consumers desire to understand the way their product was raised, what chemical and additives were used during the production process and the animal handling techniques employed during the lifespan. The purpose of my report was to investigate some of the different techniques being employed to connect our increasingly metropolitan and city-­‐based population with the origins of their food. I was able to segregate the different themes of these techniques into three categories: education, food service and practical. As such this report is split into these three themes.

The major finding of this research and exploration is was that there are a huge number of innovative and energetic producers who are going above and beyond to connect with their consumers. These concepts will be explored through the report. Another major finding was that those buying from these producers are content with buying in this manner. The shoppers appreciate the integrity that can be attributed to this kind of purchase, particularly with regard to those producers who engage in direct marketing. Due to the immense scale of people engaging in ‘connecting with the conscientious consumer’ this report is not all conclusive. Instead of simply listing all of those producers who are connecting with their consumers I decided to complete an investigative case study into some of the unique elements of their businesses. However, I can come to the conclusion that Australian consumers are becoming more discerning and cautious to know about the origins of their food. I see there is a great opportunity for people, particularly those from smaller, family based businesses, to employ tactics of direct marketing, selling the story of their exemplary land management and animal welfare techniques, along with the traditional protein (or fibre) product.

With this in mind, my main recommendations are that there is a great deal of appetite in the marketplace for a product that has both a story and integrity. There are great opportunities for producers to engage in employing techniques, as detailed in the following discussion, to enhance their business model.

Mary Johnson

Farming under nitrate leaching limits.

Executive summary

This report investigates the impact that altering the farm system of Singletree Dairies in mid Canterbury to achieve a predicted nitrogen leaching loss in Overseer of 24kgN/ha/year will have on both the operation management of the farm and the financial effects of this.

Singletree Dairies currently has a predicted leaching loss of 32kgN/ha/year and through the implementation of more pivot irrigation, increasing the area that effluent is applied along with altering nitrogen fertiliser management in April and May the level of leaching loss can be reduced to 24kgN/ha/year. The management and financial implications of these alterations are minor and are viewed as quite achievable.

When modelled on a ‘light’ soil with and available water holding capacity of 60mm, the leaching estimate for Singletree Dairies increased to 62kgN/ha/year. Significant management alterations are required to reduce leaching to the desired 24kgN/ha/year – notably a decrease in stocking rate from 3.76cows/ha to 2.90 cows/ ha. The financial implications at a farm level of these alterations were not as great as initially thought with a reduction in return on asset from 6.91% to 6.75%.

Singletree Dairies is able to continue to operate profitably under the level of nitrogen leaching suggested in this document, however there is likely to be a decrease in production levels in dairy farming areas of light soils which may affect the local communities the greatest.

William Grayling, Greyling

Funding the flow of milk

Executive summary

Overall there is no clear picture that explains how the industry should fund future growth. However, if some simple rules that have been defined as part of this research are followed, then access to capital to grow the industry shouldn’t be a limiting factor.

The key factor is the relationship between the asset values and profitability. Therefore, capital invested in the industry needs to be allocated to growth in productivity and if asset inflation occurs it needs to be at a rate slower than the growth in profitability. Being able to focus on the factors within farmer’s control, namely management, will improve the overall access to capital for the industry.

To answer one of the key questions of this research, is the amount of debt in the industry an issue or a limitation to future growth then the answer is, it depends. Simply put, what is important is the relationship between, asset value, debt and profitability.

Hamish Fraser, Frazer