Top Performing Farmers are Information Rich: Case Studies of Sheep and Cattle Farmers in the South Island of New Zealand

The purpose of this study was to investigate the management behaviours of six top performing sheep and beef farmers from the South Island of New Zealand. Information was obtained through interviews using grounded theory qualitative research methodology. All six farmers were found to be information rich. They source information widely and with a discriminating behaviour. They read widely, typically about one hour per day. They participate in discussion groups but only when relevant information can be obtained. They regularly visit other farms and tend to associate with other high-performing people. They have well developed networks. They have challenging, relevant and achievable goals and targets. All six farmers plan well ahead but with a strong focus on flexibility. They are early adopters rather than first movers in relation to new technologies. Having decided that an innovation has merit they usually test it in a small way before making any major commitment that cannot be reversed. All were benchmarking their operations against other top operators, both formally and informally. They were particularly interested in the reasons why other farmers were achieving success, and hence liked to have direct contact with these people. All of them were interested in the financial benchmark comparisons obtained from their accountant. These top performing farmers have well developed management frameworks such that the process of planning, implementation, monitoring and reflection occurs on a daily basis. Farming is a passion as well as a career.benchmarking, farm management, sheep and beef cattle farmers, grounded theory, New Zealand, decision-making process, information sourcing, Farm Management, Livestock Production/Industries,

Searching for Productivity and Competitive Advantage on New Zealand Dairy Farms

The New Zealand dairy industry is susceptible to volatile international prices, and depends on cost leadership at the farm level to maintain its international competitive advantage. The industry has accepted a target of 4% productivity improvement per annum. However, cost-based benchmarks of productivity are not used widely by farmers. It is argued that at the farm level, overall gains in resource efficiency need to be assessed in terms of cost per unit of output, and that these benchmarks need to be calculated in both cash and economic terms. These output-based cost benchmarks are tools both for assessing alternative technologies and for monitoring progress. However, they need to be used with discretion, and with recognition that strategic goals of increasing wealth through capital gain may on occasions take farmers in other directions.Livestock Production/Industries,

New Zealand's agri-food opportunities in China

China has become New Zealand’s most important destination for food and fibre exports. In the year ending 30 June 2012, total exports from New Zealand to China were worth $6.1 billion, of which food and fibre exports were worth$4.9 billion. This was a three-fold increase in only five years. A main feature of these exports is that they have been mainly commodity-based. Although it is possible to find New Zealand branded food products in some supermarkets, the overall effect at the consumer level remains low. Despite its obvious importance, China remains a country which is poorly understood in New Zealand. This is particularly the case in relation to agri-food opportunities. In this article we set out what we consider to be the major forces which will shape the future opportunities

Sheep meat in China and the opportunities for New Zealand

In 2012, China replaced the United Kingdom as the most important destination by volume for New Zealand sheep meat. In this article we explain the reasons behind the increased demand, and look at what the future might bring. Main issues relate to degradation of the Chinese grasslands, the high opportunity cost of raising sheep on arable land, increased consumer demand for sheep meat, and the challenge of moving from commodity sales to consumer-ready products

New Zealand's horticultural opportunities in China

New Zealand’s horticultural products do have a presence in China, such as kiwifruit and apples, but there are more opportunities for New Zealand within China’s horticulture sector. However this will not be in the commodity sector where the local cost of production is much lower than in New Zealand. The Chinese horticulture advantage comes from relatively low labour costs combined with modern technologies. This creates a different situation from dairy and meat where New Zealand’s competitive advantage does extend into commodity products and markets. In contrast, a competitive advantage for New Zealand’s horticultural products in China requires a branding focus aimed at top-end markets, with an associated clean green story which translates as meaning safe food. Phytosanitary challenges for some crops still need to be sorted out at a government level. As well as fresh produce, the opportunities can include fruit juices and dried fruit. There may also be opportunities, under strict licensing and quality control, of patented and trade-marked New Zealand-bred varieties

Doing agribusiness in China

There is a widespread belief that partner arrangements between New Zealand and Chinese businesses have a high risk of failure as a result of different ways of doing business. This article presents perspectives on these cross-cultural problems, developed from interviews with nine informants from the food and agribusiness sector, including four New Zealand entrepreneurs who currently work and live in China. Also interviewed were five Chinese who are either entrepreneurs themselves, or middle to senior management working closely with New Zealanders. The information presented here is the first stage of a research project investigating cross-cultural business relationships between New Zealanders and Chinese in New Zealand agribusinesses operating in China

Dairy farming with reduced inductions

The New Zealand (NZ) dairy industry is reliant on seasonal pasture production and a concentrated calving interval to best match pasture supply and animal demand. To achieve this goal, some farmers induce lactation in late calving cows. This has animal welfare implications, which could result in non-tariff trade barriers to NZ dairy products (Blackett, Compton and Glassey, C. 2006, Stevens, J., Burton, L, Rendel, J. 2000). Additionally there are concerns with drug residues in the milk from herds where a large percentage of cows are induced. New standards were introduced in the 2010-11 season by the NZ Veterinarians Association (NZVA), Dairy NZ, Dairy Companies Association of NZ (DCANZ) and Federated Farmers. In the 2011-12 season the level of inductions within an individual herd will not exceed 8% reducing to 4% in 2012-13. There will be requirements for information about the stage of pregnancy; the age of the cow (under eight years old) and body condition score (4.5 to 6.5). Although this reduction may seem onerous, the NZVA has stated that only 3% of the national herd was induced in the season just finished, with 98% of farms being under 15% (Benny 2011). A survey of Canterbury dairy farmers in 2008 found that 36% operate a nil induction policy (Pangborn, 2008). With reduced levels of inductions farmers will be forced to adopt an eight week mating system if they are to maintain the traditional calving patterns. If the number of late calving cows cannot be reduced to fewer than 4%, then a larger number of cows will be culled. If a pregnant cow is worth $2,000 and a non-pregnant cow$500 there could be significant capital losses. The purpose of this paper is to review the basics of getting cows in calf and strategies for reduced inductions, discuss the results of the nil induction policy of the Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF), and look at the plan of one Canterbury farm to meet the new guidelines

Integration of crop and dairy farms

In this article we report on case study investigations in 2012 of seven farm businesses in mid-Canterbury. These are part of a further evolution within some of the region’s dairy industry towards the integration of crop and dairy. The purpose of the project was to establish the reasons for the land use change from crop to crop and dairy, together with the benefits of integration for both crop and dairy systems

Mental Toughness and Associated Personality Characteristics of Marathon des Sables Athletes

Mental toughness (MT) is commonly referred to as an important prerequisite for sustained athletic achievement. The increased research focus on MT has led to the development of a consistent debate centered around whether the construct is a unidimensional or multidimensional trait, and whether it can be differentiated from similar constructs such as hardiness. In order to move toward more clarity of MT, the present study is exploratory in nature, using athletes who have competed in the Marathon des Sables (MdS) ultra-endurance event. The MdS is a timed 250 km race in the Sahara Desert that takes place over 6 days in temperatures exceeding 40°C. Forty two British MdS competitors were recruited via the United Kingdom organizing company. Each participant completed the NEO PI-R as a measure of the five major domains of personality, as well as the six traits or facets that define each domain. Additionally, they completed the Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ). The MdS sample’s NEO PI-R results were compared against general population norms, and results showed a distinct ultra-endurance athlete profile characterized by significantly higher levels of extraversion and openness to experience. Additionally, the MdS sample’s SMTQ scores were higher than the normed sample consisting of a collection of athletes representing multiple sports. Finally, linear regression analyses indicated a convergence between the two measures, supporting the argument that MT may in fact be measured by a general personality questionnaire such as the NEO PI-R

Managing water pollution to revitalise the shrimp supply chain in Tam Giang Cau Hai Lagoon, Vietnam

The area of shrimps farmed in the Tam Giang Cau Hai Lagoon expanded dramatically from 1995 to 2004, but then declined steadily. An exploratory investigation of the shrimp supply chain conducted in 2009 revealed that well- established relational contracts between shrimp farmers and wholesalers had succumbed to environmental risk following persistent and widespread outbreaks of disease in the Lagoon. These outbreaks have been attributed to water pollution, which - in turn - has been linked to the rapid expansion and intensification of shrimp production. While privatisation of the lagoon bed encouraged farmers to adopt more intensive production methods, over- intensification can be attributed to the open access nature of lagoon water, which allows farmers to externalise the cost of their water pollution. This study evaluates a range of pollution abatement instruments against well-known criteria and concludes that transferable quotas for shrimp seed would be the most effective policy instrument given prevailing social, institutional, organisational and political conditions. Even so, the introduction and administration of seed quotas pose major challenges that would require co-management with local user groups