Manawatu/Rangitikei Intensive
Model Description
The model farm is on flat to easy rolling country, carries a ewe flock, breeds replacements and buys in lambs and weaner bulls for finishing. Lambing percentages have increased steadily over recent years with the introduction of high fertility rams. Hogget mating adds to lambing tallies.
Much of the finishing takes place over the autumn and winter on greenfeed crops and short-term pastures. Previously the farm would have grown cash crops as part of a crop rotation, but as cropping is less attractive and livestock returns have improved, the emphasis has changed to finishing livestock. A few farms in this class still grow some crops, but this is not reflected in the model. Farmers use their management skills to continually modify their farming systems in response to market changes and environmental considerations.
The proportion of cattle on the model farm will increase for the 2000/01 year to about 45% of total stock units. Increases in volume and price are reflected in financial performance for the 2000/01 year. Farmers retain a flexible cattle buying policy. Some rear their own bull calves, while others find steers easier to manage.
All male lambs are kept entire.
This model farm is different from previous years in that a new set of farms has been monitored to provide the underlying data. It is therefore not possible to make valid comparisons between all the key parameters provided below for the 1998/1999 year and subsequent years.
Table 1: The Model in Summary 1999/2000 |
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| Effective area: | 303 | ha | ||
| Closing stock wintered | ||||
| Breeding ewes | 1,370 | hd | ||
| Replacement ewe hoggets | 604 | hd | ||
| Other sheep | 841 | hd | R1 yr cattle | 195 hd |
| Total stock units wintered | 4,467 | su | R2yr cattle | 219 hd |
Table 2: Key Parameters |
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| 1998/99 | 1999/2000 | 2000/01f | |
| Area (he effective) | 155 |
303 |
303 |
| Closing sheep stock units | 1,589 |
2,384 |
2,3841 |
| Closing cattle stock units | 400 |
2,083 |
2,083 |
| Closing total stock units | 1,989 |
4,467 |
4,467 |
| Stocking rate (su/ha) | 12,8 |
14.7 |
14.7 |
| Lambing % | 119 |
123 |
125 |
| Average lamb price ($/hd) | 43 |
53,46 |
54,001 |
| Average wool price ($/kg) | 2 5 |
2,44 |
2 40 |
| Total wool produced (kg) | 7,963 |
7,520 |
8,180 |
| Wool (kg/su) | 5.0 |
3.15 |
3.4 |
| Average R2yr steer ($/hd) | 470 |
1,096 |
1,064 |
| Average 30-month bull ($/hd) | 620 |
918 |
1,076 |
| Gross farm revenue ($) | 142,022 |
249.295 |
347,402 |
| Cash farm surplus ($) | 33,161 |
42,812 |
114797 |
| Net trading profit | 33,161* |
62,697 |
98,266 |
| * Assumes zero depreciation for this year | |||
Key Points
- Arable crop areas have declined in this region, as farmers prefer to finish livestock on high-performance pasture and greenfeed cultivars.
- The previous season's facial eczema and dry spell had a marked effect on productivity in parts of the model region.
- Last year's cash farm surplus was $42,800, but is expected to double for 1999/2000.
- A net trading profit of $62,700 was recorded last year and is expected to increase by more than 50% in 1999/2000.
Physical Factors
The summer/autumn period was a very difficult one for some farms. The season was unusually dry from late January through to April. While this helped the ripening and harvesting of cereal crops, it put pressure on feed supplies and restricted the trading of finishing stock.
Dry conditions were more apparent on the western sand country than on those properties on the eastern foothills.
Less cash crop was grown in 1999/2000 than the previous year due to poor crop prices, particularly for wheat and barley. However, some specialist growers of process crops increased their area grown in 1999/2000. The pea area grown in 2000/01 is expected to be the same as for 1999/2000.
Crop yields were considered satisfactory but not startling. Cereal crops have been substituted by feed crops in rotation with Italian ryegrass through the winter.
The number of lambs, and especially cattle, traded has increased.
Ewe numbers, and particularly ewe lamb numbers, were down significantly at 30 June 1999 because of the region's severe facial eczema outbreak which caused high losses (40-50% of ewe lambs and 20-30% of ewes on some properties).
The reduction in breeding cow numbers and their replacements with trading stock, particularly friesian bulls, continues.
Ewe numbers are declining slightly in favour of wintering bought-in lambs and, on an increasing number of farms, hoggets are put to the ram.
With a higher proportion of trading stock, farmers were less concerned with equalising stock numbers at balance date. Greater emphasis is being placed on contractual lamb supply and winter production.
Last autumn unprecedented demand for store cattle, especially rising one-year (R1yr) and rising two-year (R2yr) bulls, pushed cattle prices up.
Deer numbers were up slightly as optimism in this sector recovers.
1999 lambing percentages were adversely affected by the dry autumn and animal health problems around tupping. Facial eczema was the main culprit, but other fungal toxins were also suspected. Two-tooth conception and lambing percentage were badly affected (down 25-30%), but lamb survival was very good due to the mild spring.
The 1999 calving was relatively successful. Cattle liveweights were 30-50 kg behind target by early spring, and calf sales were delayed by 30-60 days.
Lambs took slightly longer to finish over the summer due to lighter weaning weights. Another "flat" growth period occurred in the autumn, which is being attributed to a mix of animal health issues, including intestinal worms and fungal toxins.
Deaths rates were higher through carryover of facial eczema in two-tooths and some mixed-age ewes. Even R1yr and R2yr cattle showed signs of ill health in the early spring.
Facial eczema has been the biggest concern over the last 12 months. The southern North Island had one of its worst outbreaks ever (autumn 1999) which caught many farmers unprepared. Less damage occurred in cooler, wetter areas compared to earlier, drier country. Estimates put the number of animals with sub-clinical damage at ten times the clinical number, leading to some follow-on deaths in ewes and two-tooths around lambing time. This figure would have been higher if the winter had been harsher.
Fly strike has been the second most significant issue, starting earlier in the season and running on longer than usual. Farmers are spending 30-50 cents/su just to control fly strike, plus time in dipping and jetting.
A higher than normal intestinal worm challenge occurred in the summer/autumn due to warmer conditions. Drench resistance in lambs and in weaner bulls is becoming more of a concern.
Despite the dry autumn, this has been a good year for rebuilding farmer morale and confidence, and has enabled businesses to catch up on maintenance and farm improvements.
Farmers were frustrated that stock did not perform as well as expected on feed levels offered. The purchase price of trading stock has been high because of the 'grass market' effect.
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