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The postponement of this year’s AgFest on the West Coast to November’s Canterbury Anniversary Day is likely to provide Ruralco with greater opportunities to meet with rural farmers than ever before.

Covid-19 may have made the usual Ballance Farm Environment Awards ceremonies impossible this year for most regions, but certainly did not diminish the quality and commitment of this year’s award entrants.

To find a successor to the hugely popular and widely regarded kale variety Sovereign is no easy task, however, SovGold kale continues to show its merits in the paddock providing an increase in both production and quality. SovGold has proven when it comes to yield, ME and utilisation against Sovereign, change is an easy decision.

Fertilisers differ in more than just nutrient content. Using fertiliser to apply a single nutrient is fairly straightforward, but what about when two (or more) nutrients are needed?  

Dairy beef makes up the bulk of this country’s beef exports and by using the correct beef genetics, significant value can be added throughout the value chain.

Farm fertiliser spreaders are one of the most valued contractors visiting farms, however ground spreading is also one of the riskier areas of rural contracting, and in recent years the New Zealand Groundspreading Association has pushed hard to lift the standards and expectations around training, risk assessment and attitudes in the sector.

Aching joints, sore back, uneasy sleep and recurring irritability may all seem unrelated, but in fact could be linked to how the body is being fuelled and what it is doing other than being pushed day in day out to keep working on the farm.

Kiwi ingenuity, mixed with a healthy dose of organisation, means Otago’s Angela Scott has simplified her calf-rearing operation so she’s farming more effectively with less labour.

With spring fast approaching and most winter crops finishing up, now is the time to start making decisions around pastural renewal. If you are looking for a top performing perennial ryegrass that combines high dry matter production with exceptional quality, then look no further than Platform AR37.

Protecting spring sown pasture from grass grub assumes new importance this season, following research findings reported late last year.