WORDS BY RICHARD RENNIE, IMAGES BY ANNIE STUDHOLME
Having completed a Diploma of Agriculture at Lincoln, then spending eight years in the navy as a chef, Ricky, the team’s newest member, then returned to his roots in the ag industry working his way to becoming an agronomist at Midland Seeds. Ricky brings a sound understanding of the seed industry and farmers’ needs to Ruralco, covering the spectrum of seed varieties including pastures, forage options, hybrid crops, oil seed crops and grains.
“In some respects, I have been a Ruralco customer ever since I moved back, my parents farmed on Banks Peninsula, selling up to farm at Mount Somers running sheep and beef before Dad retired to Ashburton. Like many in Canterbury I have a Ruralco account, and have always appreciated the strong co-operative nature of the business. Working here I come with a good level of familiarity of what Ruralco means.”
Ruralco Seed Sales manager John Scott says Ricky brings a new level of energy to the role, and engages well with Ruralco members.
For Ricky there is a particular challenge in a role that requires a broad, sound level of knowledge that covers an ever-increasing array of crop options. Interest in the likes of regenerative type seed mixes and maize hybrids have been two of the more recent options sometimes raised by farmers revising their cropping plans.
The past season did bring some supply line challenges, but Ricky says taking the view that there is a solution to every problem meant Ruralco was able to meet their customer’s needs.
“The beauty of this role is that we are working alongside farmers to optimise their cropping and feed options, offering good advice and helping ensure their farm business’s success.”
For Ruralco’s long standing Arable and Pastoral representative Steve Lawson, this season’s yields are looking good, after a bumpy start that included a wet, colder spring and a slow start to crop growth.
“Initially it was hard to know how things were going to go, but over summer, we have had some good hot days, and everything started looking far more promising.”
Steve does not envisage too many changes in crop mixes being planted in the coming season, with many grain growers keeping one eye on the dairy pay-out, a key determinant of feed grain value and therefore volumes to be planted in the coming season.
“Overall, the area committed to cereals is pretty much at capacity on the Plains, while the mix of what cereals actually go in may change a little.”
He is hoping his clients see some easing of input costs as the worst of the covid induced supply issues continue to ease.
After 20 years in the Ruralco family Steve still gets a kick out of working in a region that demands almost encyclopaedic knowledge of crops and how to grow them.
“Generally, I think farmers are doing a better job than they were even a decade ago, their timing is better and the treatments for crops are always improving too.”
He continues to enjoy working with long term clients who have remained loyal over the years, building strong, trusting relationships with many.
“Canterbury has evolved with irrigation and dairying coming along, and we have managed to evolve with it, it’s not like the change has happened all at once and our ability to help farmers out has grown alongside those changes.”
Planning ahead brings confidence John Scott, Ruralco’s Seed Sales manager says after last year’s tough harvest the industry is crossing its fingers for a better run this year. Generally cereal crops are looking good, despite some concerns around earlier damper conditions increasing disease pressure.
“It continues to be a pretty volatile time for the sector in general, with challenges of on-going cost increases across the board, and the supply challenges faced by many over the past year.
“We are however now confident we can meet all the needs of our f armers, backing the products with a level of service unsurpassed for its experience and understanding of our clients’ needs,” says John.
Ruralco’s team of experienced account managers are gearing up for the annual round of on-farm meetings with clients, sitting down around the kitchen table to hammer out cropping options, rotations, seed types, and treatments to develop a forward plan for the coming seasons.
“We have been working on these for the past five years, and they are growing in popularity. It works well for our clients, giving them an opportunity to take a breath and consider where they want to go for the season, while also helping Ruralco with planning and stock ordering.”
Ruralco’s seed guides are proving popular showcasing the increasingly varied options for grazing, ranging from brassicas through to fodder beets, grass options and some catch crop varieties.
After some industry wide disruptions in the past couple of years, this season is looking secure for ag-chem and seed sourcing. While the area in arable crops tend to remain relatively fixed, there will inevitably be some shifting around on what crop type goes in.
This season the uncertainty around store lamb prices could induce some farmers to consider wider crop options to buffer against some lower than anticipated livestock returns.
“We are also keen to ramp up our role as a significant buyer and seller of grains, namely in wheat and barley. It is a big part of our business, and we have the expertise and coverage in the industry to build on that even further.”
Farmers wanting to keep their finger on what the grain market is doing can also look to Ruralco’s Grain Report, providing monthly updates on the grain and seed market for regular, informed, and useful news on what is happening here, in Australia and around the global grain markets.
“We are looking forward to a good year, with a knowledgeable team who are enthusiastic and great to work with. They are always happy to go the extra mile for our shareholders wanting to get the most out of their crop options during the year.”