AgSafe NZ

Finance:. NZ dollar remained steady over the week but remains a very weak currency providing a false sense of security with our
exports. The Brent Crude has eased over the week and is $US83.43 this morning down from last week
Wool: The crossbred wool prices OK but the auction on 30 th July saw an easing od prices from a month ago.
Beef, Sheep & Venison schedules: The meat schedules remain steady across all categories. Stock have come through the winter in
good condition and should require limited work to finish them for slaughter. The international demand for red meat is very strong.
Dairy Prices The g/DT lifted 0. 1% at this week’s auction which hopefully indicated a steading of the prices. WMP lifted 0.2% to
$US3483/tn SMP was up 1.2% and the volatile cheddar price was up 3.8%.
It is with sadness that we note the death of Dr Clive Dalton. Clive was a senior research scientist at Ruakura & Tutor at the Waikato
Tech. He wrote books and ran lectures for lifestyle block farmers to help them understand a bit about farming & animal welfare in
particular - a great humanitarian & scientist. The death on Friday of Alan Bland is also noted, Alan had massive input into the
development of dairying in the South Waikato as a consultant. RIP Clive and Alan you will both be missed.

Jims Rant
Todays rant is a copy of a paper prepared by Bryan Leyland for the public paper disseminated by Muriel Newman.
Bryan Leyland MSc, DistFEngNZ, FIMechE, FIEE(rtd) is a power systems engineer with more than 60 years
experience in New Zealand and internationally. Bryan would be NZ’s leading independent electrical expert.
BRYAN LEYLAND: A solution to our electricity problems
The proposal to subsidize plug-in solar — small solar panel units that households can hang off the balcony and plug
straight into a wall socket – indicates how far the debate over our power system has drifted from its fundamental objective:
to provide a reliable and economic supply of electricity. A utility-scale solar farm looks cheap only if you ignore what it
costs to keep the lights on when the sun isn& #39;t shining and ignore the cost of the batteries, gas peakers, and transmission
capacity needed to keep the lights on every night and on cloudy days. Once backup is priced in, solar turns out to be
expensive. Rooftop solar is worse than solar farms: roughly three times the cost. This is because of the smaller size and
installation costs. Plug-in solar is even more expensive and less efficient. Subsidizing it shows that the politicians
promoting it are badly advised and motivated by futile virtue signaling.

as the new farming year gets underway it is important to ensure your Health & Safety policies are all current and being followed. Check the helmets to make sure they are not damaged, know the abilities of each employee and stay safe!!

Finance:. NZ dollar eased over the week and remains a very weak currency – we have no internal protection against international events!!. The Brent Crude jumped to over $100/barrel but was back to $US96.58 this morning as the war ramps up.
Wool: The crossbred wool prices OK and there is still growing optimism in the coarse wool markets.
Beef, Sheep & Venison schedules: The meat schedules remain steady across all categories. All meat schedules remain firm as demand continues to grow for red meats internationally.
Dairy Prices. The g/DT lifted 1.5% with a large offering. WMP was up 1.6% to $US3486/tn, SMP lifted 2.8% while Buttermilk Powder was the big mover up 10.5%. Cheddar dropped 6.5%. The positive auction was welcomed by all!!!.

The 2025/26 annual accounts are starting to be finalised and it’s an opportune time to undertake some in-depth analysis of the business you are running. The analysis of the different areas of expenditure compared against industry norms is a good place to start. The cost of feed per kg ms produced, tractor hours against fuel usage and animal health costs per animal are all important pieces of information. It is essential that you know and understand your business. Good financial management can add $0,000s to the bottom line!!

Quote: “You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”

Need Help. If at any time you just want to talk & need someone to talk to, just call - Male Support Services (Waikato) 0800-677-289, or Rural Support Trust 0800-787-245. Crisis TXT – HELP (4357). A shared problem can be a problem solved!!


Jims Rant

Occasionally there are weeks like this last one where I could rant for pages about some of the goings-on as portrayed in the media. It looks as though it will get worse as the election cycle gets underway. We have had Paul Henry, Stuart Nash, Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the $60 million bail-out of Fletcher Cement together with James Renwick and the Climate Commission report, Bryan Leyland’s paper on Solar and renewables, a new PM in England, the escalation of the war in Iran, and of course Ryan Fox’s magnificent win in the Golf Open, followed up by Jack Tame’s biased interview with Paul Henry last Sunday, or is that just about the left-wing media and the reporting in general. The ETS is the primary method for the New Zealand Government to achieve its long-term commitment to reduce the countries GHG emissions. 'Emissions trading' is a market-based approach for reducing emissions of GHG. The ETS puts a price on emissions, by charging certain sectors of the economy for the GHG they emit. On an annual basis these sectors must calculate their emissions by submitting an emissions return. The businesses must then acquire and surrender New Zealand Units (NZUs) or other eligible emission units to account for their direct GHG emissions or the emissions associated with their products. With the post-1989 forestry sector, returns must be submitted at least every five years. Emission units, (carbon credits) are traded between participants in the Scheme. An emission unit can either represent one metric tonne of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent of any other GHG. The primary unit of trade is the NZU, which are created by the New Zealand Government and allocated to organizations and individuals participating in the Scheme. The trigger point in the ETS (that is the participant in the scheme) is as far upstream in the supply chain as possible. This means most businesses in New Zealand are not required to be participants in the ETS, yet they do as we all saw this last week. The Government handed out $60 million to the cement works at Marsden Point to allow them to remain competitive against countries that have no ETS and couldn’t care about the nonsensical Zero-Carbon targets set by the Paris Accord. The simpler plan would have to just ditched the ETS and the NZ Zero-Carbon targets set for 2050. New Zealand is one of the few remaining countries worried about Net-Zero and still trying to meet the mythological targets that will serve no purpose what-so-ever. James Renwick, the Prof of Climate Idiots at Wellington University is calling for more action as NZ falls well behind its Net-Zero targets in spite of PM Luxon’s statements that the country is on target to meet the 2050 targets. With the up-coming election it is an opportunity for everyone to challenge the authorities about the ETS, Net-Zero and the Paris Accord. New Zealand does not need to be the “last-man-standing” on a failed international philosophy. Gather your facts together and get ready to fight!!! The Cement company bail-out was a great example of how the nonsensical system is and how it has failed NZ!!

Finance:. NZ dollar was steady to slightly firmer over the week following the lift in the OCR last week, but remains a very weak currency. The Brent Crude jumped to $87.74/barrel as the Gulf War ramps up again.

Wool: The crossbred wool prices eased at this week’s auction but there is still growing optimism in the coarse wool markets.

Beef, Sheep & Venison schedules: The meat schedules remain steady across all categories. All meat schedules remain firm as demand continues to grow for red meats internationally.

Dairy Prices. Following last weeks drop in the g/DT Fonterra lowered its forecast payout by $0.50/kg ms. The range is now $8.00 to $10.50 with a midpoint of $9.25. The opening payout is now $6.95 through to September payment.



The Dairy Goat Coop seems to have turned the corner and there is renewed call for production. Farmers are being encouraged to bring their production up to the full shared-up quota for the 2027/28 season with guaranteed payment which is just over break-even. It bhas been a very tough few years with massive losses incurred by the suppliers.



Quote: “Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.”



Need Help. If at any time you just want to talk & need someone to talk to, just call - Male Support Services (Waikato) 0800-677-289, or Rural Support Trust 0800-787-245. Crisis TXT – HELP (4357). A shared problem can be a problem solved!!





Jims Rant



I have been trying to understand the decision of the Court regarding Plan Change 1 (PC1). Environment Waikato issued PC1 in 2016 to the public for consultation and final determination before cementing it in the rules. Many of the Regional Councils were watching with the view of copying the PC1 into other regions. There were many objections and proposed changes, and after considerable consultation, the Plan was challenged in the Court by Federated Farmers and Beef & Lamb NZ with the final determination being released on 8th June 2026, but still open to appeal!! The plan development process started in 2012 with the public notification being in 2016. PC1 was challenged and there was interim decision received in May 2025. The costs have been massive and the Plan is still not implemented. While the Court process was underway the Government changed with a promise to completely overhaul the Resource Management Act (RMA). The overhaul has not yet happened and the Court has been allowed to continue along the path prescribed in the old RMA. Shane Jones and other MP’s have stated that the Court decision “will” be overturned by government legislation so perhaps it will all be just a waste of time and money and 10-years of public involvement!!. On the other side the Regional Councils are all being abolished. My simple interpretation is that it is a mess and the government needs to act fast and put some definitive statements and legislation around their rhetoric. So, what has the Court determined in its final decision?

PC1 sets new freshwater rules for farming in the Waikato and Waipa catchments as part of an 80-year plan to improve river health and this will mean that most farmers will be required to have:

1. A Farm Environmental Plan which we have estimated will cost in excess of $5,000 on most farms.

2. Proof they are implementing good farm practices, whatever that means!!

3. Documentation demonstrating contaminant loss risk from their farms that are as low as practicable or moving lower.

4. Resource Consents if they are deemed to be not low risk. The high risk farms will require the farm plan to include an Overseer file. Remember that Overseer is a fictious model based on assumptions that assume assumptions.

Horticultural farmers will be required to have Farm Plans, but in this case the Court has determined that Overseer is an inappropriate tool but requires a Nitrogen Risk Scorecard to be used to monitor the nitrogen losses through the soil. The commercial vegetable production is limited by the baseline years of 2006 to 2016 and any increased areas will need resource consents. I think the demand for vegetable production would have increased over the last 10-years or so and will continue to increase for years to come – the baseline years now long gone!! There are slope limitations for grazing and cultivation, there are set-back areas from streams and waterways, there are timeframes around implantation and the need for future consents and all this is happening while the government is too slow to implement its stated policies. If Shane Jones is right with his statements that PC1 will be voided under the proposed legislation then the WRC, Federated farmers, Dairy NZ & Beef & Lamb NZ and the public have just wasted millions of dollars fighting a flawed document through the Court system. Come on you MP’s and sort it out NOW, farming needs certainty and not flip-flop legislation and promises of something that might happen.

Finance:. NZ dollar was steady over the week but remains a very weak currency. The reserve Bank lifted the OCR 2.5 points to 2.5% while the Brent Crude increased to $77.52/barrel but is currently $76.03/barrel as the Gulf War ramps up again.

Wool: The wool prices continue to firm with growing optimism in the coarse wools.

Beef, Sheep & Venison schedules: The meat schedules remain strong with most categories showing increases. All meat schedules remain firm as demand continues to grow for red meats internationally.

Dairy Prices. The g/DT fell 4.9% with an increased offering. There have been similar falls at the corresponding auction in recent years. WMP fell4.4% to $US3425/tn, SMP dropped 7% and cheddar was down 12.3%

There has been an outbreak of Strangles in the Equine industry in the Waikato, Screwworm in the USA, and Bird Flue has been found in Australia. Johnes is a problem in New Zealand. All farmers must remain vigilant for the many exotic disease outbreak and know the symptoms and reporting processes. Our country relies on the rural sector for its financial wellbeing!!!

Quote: “ Tears shed for another person are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of a pure heart.”

Need Help. If at any time you just want to talk & need someone to talk to, just call - Male Support Services (Waikato) 0800-677-289, or Rural Support Trust 0800-787-245. Crisis TXT – HELP (4357). A shared problem can be a problem solved!!





Jims Rant



I was with some guys on Thursday night who were excited to be having another holiday on Friday (Matariki). I reminded them of the cost to the employer, and the consensus was that they didn’t care about the employer provided they got the holiday. There was no support for those paying the wages and the time-and-half rates if worked on the statutory holiday. New Zealand has one of the highest number of public holidays in the world and Matariki was not needed but it is here now. I have a possible solution. All those registered on the Maori electoral roll can have a holiday on Matariki but work on the internationally accepted New Years Day and the day after as normal workdays while all non-Maori have those two days off in the summer. This plan could go further with all employees having to declare their preferred ethnicity and religion to their employer and then choose which holidays they have with a maximum of 10-days per annum. The Indians can have Dhawale but work over Christmas, Muslims would get holidays through Ramadan and work over Christmas and Easter. Those with no religion or register as atheists work over Christmas and Easter without the extra penalty pay rates and the extra day off. The plan could go as far as the different ethnicities celebrating their national days and working on Waitangi Day and the regional anniversaries. The Maori that seek separate sovereignty would not get Kings birthday off. It is easy enough to identify the holidays held in each country and offer them as alternatives to employees. It would solve the cost of working staff on the statutory days especially if there was an ethnically diverse workforce as many medium to larger sized farms have a mix of New Zealanders, Indians and Filipino’s working and most supermarkets and larger department stores have a multi-national workforce. The proposal might promote some further division in the nation, which is what some are wanting, while on the other hand it might show some in the community how stupid their demands for separatism are. The different ethnicities in New Zealand currently celebrate their own cultural celebrations without extra days off and are often enjoyed by others keen to learn about others in the community. The ultimate would be if we could celebrate being New Zealanders together on a single national day and promote unity and understanding remembering that we are now a united under one government that subscribes to the Judeo-Christian doctrine and legal system as outlined in the Westminster rules of government. And just a reminder for all employers – there are 365 days in the year, 20 days annual holiday (4-weeks), 11 statutory holidays, and then the rostered days off being typically 2 each week being 104 days plus 10 days sick leave. This leaves 220 to 230 days an employee works per annum, so with an $80,000 farm employee salary working 9 hours per day the likely hourly rate for the work done is $39.00/hour!!! We can’t afford to keep on giving holidays, increasing sick leave entitlements and expect the productivity of the nation to improve.





Get yourself a copy of a great book - “Green Murder – a life sentence of net zero with no parole”. Author - Dr Ian Plimer and perhaps the best-known Australian geologist.

Dr Ian Plimer has published a series of Three easy to read books for ankle-biters, teenagers and adults.

Also: Global Warming, a counter-blaste to the man-made global warming hypothesis - Dr Kelvin Duncan (Tross press)

Take 1.25hrs to watch the Video on YouTube - “Climate the Movie” produced by Nigel Durkin!!



Contact AgSafe NZ Ltd - Phone 027-2872886. We can prepare your Work Safe manual and hazard management plan at a very competitive price. We can arrange drug tests and farm maps for your property.

Finance:. NZ dollar was steady to slightly firmer at the end of the week but remains a very weak currency. Brent Crude is falling The current price is $72.13/barrel & we should see some further drops in fuel prices at the pumps.

Wool: The wool prices continue to firm with growing optimism in the coarse wools.

Beef, Sheep & Venison schedules: The meat schedules remain strong. All meat schedules remain firm as demand continues to grow for red meats internationally.

Dairy Prices. The Pulse Auction is indicating a further easing in prices for the g/DT auction this coming week. Increased volumes will be offered as the new season production is on offer. The weakening dollar will continue to underpin the current dairy prices.



If you are buying in calves to rear it is important to review the costs of rearing. Milk powder prices are up, meal costs have increased and the calf prices vary from $150 to $300 per head. A sale contract at a specific weight is desirable, but the gambler in-you might want to take a punt on the weaner auction market. What weight is best to target for sale? 100 kg, 105 kg or 115 kg’s All part of the rearing plan.



Quote: see the cartoon below!!



Need Help. If at any time you just want to talk & need someone to talk to, just call - Male Support Services (Waikato) 0800-677-289, or Rural Support Trust 0800-787-245. Crisis TXT – HELP (4357). A shared problem can be a problem solved!!





May be an image of ‎text that says '‎IT SAYS 'HAPPY THE HELL IS A MATARIKI υ2? BUGGERED IF I KNOW MATE IM STLL TRYING TO WORK ٥۶ WHAT A AOTEAROA IS? BLOODY HO**EY LANGUAGE لسلمرف.‎'‎Remember that the Matariki star grouping is the Pleiades Star Group referred to ancient writings and the Subaru Grouping in Japan – check out the Subaru car badge. Pleiades is 444 light-years away from earth!!



























Jims Rant



The word Trillion has taken on a new meaning now that Elon Musk has become the first Trillionaire, a number with so many zero’s we struggle to comprehend. The climate change nonsense continues to interest me and we hear from the nutters that the Oceans are warming and rising because I drive a vehicle with an internal combustion engine. I have, at last, found some facts (hope they are true) that shows that the ocean contains a colossal 1,500,000,000,000,000,000,000 litres of water! To heat the ocean, even by a small amount, it takes a staggering amount of energy. To heat it by a mere 1˚C, for example, an astonishing 6,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 joules of energy are required. To put this amount of energy in perspective - if we all turned off all our appliances and went and lived in caves, and then devoted every coal, nuclear, gas, hydro, wind and solar power plant in the world to just heating the ocean, it would take a breathtaking 32,000 years just to heat the ocean by that 1°C. With information like this you might win a quiz on the Chase or Mastermind, but the reality is the climate alarmists will not provide you with any information like this. They forget to tell you that there are over 1 million active volcanoes under the sea spewing CO2 into the ocean and heating it at the same time. And we all know from simple school science projects that as water warms, it expands. During the last week we were advised by the TVNZ propaganda machine that part of South Dunedin is now deemed to be uninsurable as the area can flood and the floods are exacerbated by the rising sea-level rise areas, a disaster waiting to happen!!. They also directed us to other parts of the country where flooding and sea level rises would occur. If you look behind the scene you will see that most of the flooding is the result of poor infrastructure management and undersized infrastructure that was never designed to support an increase in housing and large areas under impervious land covers. It is time again to push for something that is real and get out of the Paris Accord and dump net-zero. The more facts we can all compile the better and they need to be put before the authorities and the climate zealots.



Get yourself a copy of a great book - “Green Murder – a life sentence of net zero with no parole”. Author - Dr Ian Plimer and perhaps the best-known Australian geologist.

Dr Ian Plimer has published a series of Three easy to read books for ankle-biters, teenagers and adults.

Also: Global Warming, a counter-blaste to the man-made global warming hypothesis - Dr Kelvin Duncan (Tross press)

Take 1.25hrs to watch the Video on YouTube - “Climate the Movie” produced by Nigel Durkin!!



Contact AgSafe NZ Ltd - Phone 027-2872886. We can prepare your Work Safe manual and hazard management plan at a very competitive price. We can arrange drug tests and farm maps for your property.



Calf rearing is important for your future production – Check out the Bell-Booth “Queen of Calves” rearing plan. There is research data from Massey University measuring the benefits. They are clearly documented and the long-term benefits are more production per cow and longevity of the animals!! Research has shown calves can be weaned approximately 22 days earlier when Queen of Calves is used.

Finance:. NZ dollar eased again over the week & remains a very weak currency. Brent Crude are falling as the oil tankers leave the gulf. The current price is $72.49/barrel & we should see some further drops in fuel prices at the pumps.

Wool: The wool prices continue to firm with optimism in the coarse wools.

Beef, Sheep & Venison schedules: The meat schedules remain strong. All meat schedules remain firm as demand continues to grow for red meats internationally.

Dairy Prices. The Pulse Auction is indicating a further easing in prices for the upcoming g/DT auction. The weakening dollar will continue to underpin the current dairy prices as the dairy prices ease.



I have seen a lot of thin cows as I have driven around the countryside over the last 2-weeks. It is difficult to put the condition on in the short time before spring calving starts. Maize silage and other high carbohydrate feeds will help and a multi-mineral injection can assist. The cow condition at calving will affect the cows ability to produce through the season.



Quote: “‎There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”



Need Help. If at any time you just want to talk & need someone to talk to, just call - Male Support Services (Waikato) 0800-677-289, or Rural Support Trust 0800-787-245. Crisis TXT – HELP (4357). A shared problem can be a problem solved!!





Jim’s Weekly Rant:



This is the first time in many years that the “farming gods” have all been smiling at the same time and remember it is partly due to our very weak dollar!!. Wool is at sustainable levels, beef prices are continuing to rise and sheep meat demand is increasing while dairy prices remain firm. All farming activities are considered to be profitable, which is great news for the farmers and the rural economy. Around 85% of all of New Zealand’s export wealth is generated by the rural sector so the profits from agriculture become important for everyone, especially for the government heading into the general election. With good returns there becomes an obligation on the farmer to act carefully and with caution. The next month or two is a time to do some real planning and reset your wants, needs and objectives so you don’t get to the end of the few golden years and wonder what happened to the profits. Some of the major considerations must include debt reduction, updating old or obsolete plant and equipment, off farm investments, and internal restructuring to facilitate succession planning. The creation of some new property titles might be a prudent investment to help future proof the capital. There are temptations to buy the better beach-house or new motor vehicles, or even build that dream home on the farm that might overcapitalize the farm and make a sale or transfer to a family member impossible or even invest in some of the “wearables” that are fashionable. It is important to have a formal business meeting to discuss the plan and ensure everyone is on board. If it involves the family, have them attend the meeting. Keep some minutes and write down the plans and proposals so they become understood and embedded in the minds of all involved in the business. It might be prudent to have an independent person chair the meeting to ensure all involved in the business have an equal opportunity to input ideas and enter into the discussion. With the average age of farmers increasing, I am of the opinion that reviewing the succession plan should also be a priority at this time and that might involve the whole family with equity and fairness being paramount. Wills should also be reviewed and if there are to be disproportionate distributions, a document with a list of wishes should be discussed and attached to the will. The changes that might occur in the business over the “golden” period will impact on many parts of the business and if the planning is done well the whole family can benefit. The transferring of property into new entities or titles must comply with the law and if the property is sold within the “Bight-line” period there will be tax to pay. If there is no planning, the profits will soon be squandered and everyone left wondering when times get tough again, because they will!!! Please don’t ask Chloe Swarbrick to do your budgets as her attempt at budgeting has been woeful. And just remember that money and its distribution is the cause of many family and business bust-ups, but communication discussion and involvement can keep assets intact and families together.

Finance:. NZ dollar eased again over the week & remains a very weak currency propping up our export receipts. Brent Crude continues to vary daily & is currently $79.96/barrel & we should see some further drops in fuel prices at the pumps..
Wool: The wool prices continue to firm with optimism in the coarse wools. The North Island sale was the strongest for 30 years.
Beef, Sheep & Venison schedules: The meat schedules remain strong. All meat schedules are up as demand continues to grow. See the comments in the Rant below & the effect of the Screwworm in the USA.
Dairy Prices. As predicted the prices eased at the g/DT event by 2.8%. WMP eased 3.1% to $US3589/tn. SMP fell 3.6% & cheddar dropped 3.6%. World demand is still strong & the end of the war may see a resurgence over the next auction period.

The prices of all agricultural exports have increased, BUT, the weakening dollar has underpinned the rises. I have looked back to 2019 when the rates were US$0.656, the Aussie $A0.950 & the Euro 0.582. The weakening exchange rate gives us false sense of the value of our exports & some of us can even remember when the NZ$ was over $1 against the US$ & the $Australian.

Quote: “‎Though nobody can go back and make a new beginning... Anyone can start over and make a new ending.”

Need Help. If at any time you just want to talk & need someone to talk to, just call - Male Support Services (Waikato) 0800-677-289, or Rural Support Trust 0800-787-245. Crisis TXT – HELP (4357). A shared problem can be a problem solved!!


Jim’s Weekly Rant:

The coarse wool prices hit a 30 year high in the North Island at the auction this last week. It is great to see the come-back happening and we look forward to the prices rising even further and/or being sustained for some time to come. It will be worthwhile shearing the sheep again. The India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has had something to do with price increases. Alongside the sheep industry, the beef industry is experiencing some major increases in price and demand as the New World Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) (NWSW) moves in the USA. The NWSW is having an effect on the supply of beef in North America. The screwworm has recently been found in cattle in the USA having migrated from the South American countries and Mexico. The Screwworm destroys the meat as it is like small magot eating into the flesh of the living animals making the meat unsaleable and often causing the animal to die. Any outbreak of Screwworm could also cause havoc in the dairy industry. The presence of the screwworm in the South American countries stopped some to the importing of beef from these countries into the USA and it is estimated that potential damage to the USA beef industry could exceed $US1.8 billion if it moved in from Mexico, which it has over the last 2-weeks. The NWSW affects a range of livestock, pets and wildlife. We can’t afford to allow a pest like this to enter NZ or Australia. As the name suggest it refers to the worms feeding behaviour where the magot screws its way into a wound on an animal, bit like fly-blow on sheep, but much worse. The magot has sharp teeth allowing them to burrow into the flesh. The adult fly is similar in size to the common housefly (or slightly larger). They have orange eyes, a metallic blue or green body, and three dark stripes along their backs. The symptoms reported in birds and mammals are: Irritated behaviour, Head shaking, The smell of decay and the Presence of fly larvae (maggots) in wounds. The NZ media have reported very little about this serious outbreak. I believe it is a threat that is as serious as Foot & Mouth Disease and could decimate our meat, milk & fibre export industries yet travelers to South and North America seem to move freely unaware of the Screwworm. So, the plea is for all travelers to be extra vigilant. It is also worthwhile listening to Leighton Smiths Podcast #328 13th May 2026 where Oliver Hartwich and the NZ Initiative have written a spoof book on Martians coming to earth and to NZ in particular with their final recommendation that they don’t attack Earth after their experience in NZ. One of their major issues was the casual/benign attitude to the world we have here as portrayed by our news media that ignores the really important things of the world like the outbreak of Screwworm and the possible effect on an economy that relies on animal farming for its trade. The spoof publication and our knowledge that serious matters are not reported properly should be a wake-up call and encourage everyone to look outside of the NZ media to understand what is really going on and what threats our industries are up against. Our boarders must be protected and each one of us when traveling must be responsible, understanding that our little nation relies on the export of agricultural produce for its survival.

Get yourself a copy of a great book - “Green Murder – a life sentence of net zero with no parole”. Author - Dr Ian Plimer and perhaps the best-known Australian geologist.

Dr Ian Plimer has published a series of Three easy to read books for ankle-biters, teenagers and adults.
Also: Global Warming, a counter-blaste to the man-made global warming hypothesis - Dr Kelvin Duncan (Tross press)
Take 1.25hrs to watch the Video on YouTube - “Climate the Movie” produced by Nigel Durkin!!

Contact AgSafe NZ Ltd - Phone 027-2872886. We can prepare your Work Safe manual and hazard management plan at a very competitive price. We can arrange drug tests and farm maps for your property.

Calf rearing is important for your future production – Check out the Bell-Booth “Queen of Calves” rearing plan. There is research data from Massey University measuring the benefits. They are clearly documented and the long-term benefits are more production per cow and longevity of the animals!! Research has shown calves can be weaned approximately 22 days earlier when Queen of Calves is used.