Mixed Sheep and Crop Farmer - Craig Whiteside
Cropping operations in South Otago are finding it incredibly tough with limited opportunities and escalating costs. So how important is it for a young farmer like Craig Whiteside to keep a mix in his operation and how difficult will that be under present conditions?
South Otago is perhaps better known for sheep and dairy farming than it is for cropping. The wetter clay bound land combined with varying harvest weather means the province is not as ideally suited for crops as it is in Canterbury.
However, some large operations have existed and thrived including the Young Partnership at Warepa and Clydevale. But these past years have seen the amount of land cropped dwindle and the shock exit of Eion Young from the industry has been seen as an omen for things to come.
Craig Whiteside and his parents Tom and Anne, continue to crop a third of their farm at Waiwera South and believe it fits in with the sheep and cattle also on the property. Although gaining contracts and profitable returns for wheat, barley and oats is a struggle, Craig has found a way to make cropping work for him.
Craigs parents Tom and Anne Whiteside began farming the present day property in Waiwera South with just 170 hectares. Today continued expansion has seen that original block of land grow to 475 hectares.
Craig has been farming in partnership with his parents for the past six years, having completed a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture at Lincoln University and travelling overseas.
The farm is best described as cultivatable rolling country with clay soils. Drainage is a number one priority. On the 475 hectare property, 160 hectares is devoted to growing cereal crops. This year Craig has planted 80 hectares of autumn sown wheat, 60 hectares of spring-sown barley and 20 hectares of spring sown oats. Currently Craig runs 2400 Coopworth ewes, 1000 hoggets and 100 head of cattle for fattening.
Tom Whiteside always cropped a portion of the farm but when Craig came home the family had to decide whether to stick with cropping or change to dairying. Sticking with the status quo meant some costly equipment upgrades were needed.
Cropping won out and a 10 tonne continuous flow dryer was purchased along with more silo space for storage. A good dryer is essential for arable farmers in the province as the hot dry conditions experienced in Canterbury at harvest time are not replicated further South. Drying the crops and in particular burning diesel becomes an extra input to factor into growing the cereals. The dryer enables the Whitesides to harvest 100 tonnes a day with 8-10 ten tonne able to be dried every hour.
Whereas a Canterbury farmer will harvest wheat with a moisture content of 14%, Craig will harvest at 16 to 17.5%. We have dried at 20%. He estimates the dryer cost including escalating diesel prices is climbing to $14/ tonne.
Originally the Whitesides grew milling wheat for Harraways, a locally owned and operated Otago company based in Dunedin for over 130 years. The company produces a range of hot breakfast cereals and cereal products.
Unfortunately Harraways, like most New Zealand mills, has cut back on local milling wheat contracts forcing Craig to grow feed wheat and grow oats under contract to Harraways for the second season.
Craig now grows Weston and Access feed wheat. One third of his area is contracted to Mainland Poultry in Waikouiti with the balance sold on the local market to dairy farmers. Fortunately, because of the transport costs required to bring feed wheat down from Canterbury, Craig can charge a little more but increasing fuel costs means that price needs to rise at least another $5 this season in order for it to be viable. The margins are always getting squeezed. Returns are coming down on a par to what we can produce with sheep.
One of the ways in which Craig has been able to stay ahead is in increasing the yield of winter feed wheats. Where a decade ago yields of 6-7 tonnes/ha were considered good, today Craig is consistently achieving over 10 tonne/ha. He and farmers around New Zealand put that down to better cultivars and better agronomic advice and management. But a difficult season can change everything. We have to push the boundaries. As soon as we drop back below 10 tonne/ha we are in trouble.
Craig is confident he will continue to increase yields. The 60 hectares of barley grown is also sold to the local feed market and Craig is looking to harvest 9-10 tonne/ha this season following a difficult season last year resulting in 7.5 tonnes/ha.
The importance of the burgeoning dairy industry to those cropping in South Otago cannot be underestimated - a fact Craig is only too aware of. It is a real concern for us if the dairy industry goes into a downturn because the first thing they would knock on the head is feed supplements. We know that the cheque they get for milk directly affects us.
The upside of that is that dairying has offered stability in the feed market and a badly needed option as mills closed and contracts became scarce. This has meant that while Canterbury continues to grow the bulk of New Zealands milling wheat and malting barley, South Otago growers have been able to redirect their crops into the feed market.
Without that option many mixed units such as Craig may have been forced to call it a day in order to concentrate on sheep or dairying. This is particularly true when you consider that specialist seed crops struggle in the province and there is not the processed vegetable opportunity that there is North of Otago.
The Whitesides have attempted to grow radish seed in the past but found the demands of the crop too delicate for the climate and the land. Others in South Otago do grow peas but Craig has not been tempted to do that.
Instead he finds the wheat and barley crops a good mixture with the oats. All three are complimentary to the sheep operation with paddocks cropped for five years before being sown into grass. Craig says With this type of operation we cant really ever have more then a third of the farm in crop.
Craig says the biggest asset on their farm is their Agronomist, Howard Clark, from Advanced Agriculture. He credits Howard with helping the Whiteside family achieve better yields in their cereal crops by giving excellent advice on timing and application of chemicals. We have a great relationship with him. He has definitely been a big help.
The expensive machinery required to crop can be a huge disadvantage in operations the size of Craigs. The capital spent on cropping has to be in proportion to the amount of income brought in overall and this has meant that it is not viable for Craig to own expensive machinery. Where possible second hand machinery is bought, like the header, but Craig also believes in syndication and the benefits it can bring to many cash strapped farmers.
Recently the Whitesides, Craigs Uncle and another farmer went into a syndicated partnership to buy a Renovator Direct Drill. The partnership has worked well because not all three parties need that drill at the same time, unlike the header during harvest.
Craig has always attempted to semi-till his farm but is now direct drilling wheat and green feed crops. Direct drilling, he says, requires more preparation but is the way of the future. You cant take short cuts, he says.
Craig and his Uncle have also bought a plough together and he is not ruling our further syndication in the future. The plough is used for 80% of cereal establishment.
Craig has very fixed goals for the sheep operation. He aims to produce 400kg meat per hectare and is not far off that at 350kg meat per hectare.
Lambing begins on the 1 September and the hoggets start lambing on 15 October. Having the hoggets at a good size at mating is the reason for the later lambing date. Craig doesnt restrict the hoggets diet and encourages them to eat as much as possible believing a bigger frame will enable them to deliver their lambs better.
In the past two years 70% of the hoggets have been in lamb with around 110% lambing after tailing. This year 60% are in lamb due to a change in diet. There is a lot of room for improvement.
The Coopworth ewes have been averaging around 150% lambing. This year they scanned at 175% and will be around 150% lambing once its finished. The Coopworths have proved to have good survivability and are good Mums, according to Craig.
Craig trades his stock through Blue Sky Meats (NZ) Ltd, an Invercargill Meat Company known for its quality meat and higher premiums for loyal farmers.
In future Craig wants to raise the ewe numbers from 2400 to 3000. He is running around 15-16 lambs to the hectare (including trading stock) and wants to increase that to 18.
While he is happy with the Coopworth breed performance he is watching with interest as meat companies foray into yield testing. He would not rule out a change in breed if something was seen to outperform the Coopworth breed.
Craig is not confident about the economy at present. With the way the dollar is I find it hard to work out how the export dollar returns have remained high. As the price of lamb has gone up so has the dollar. I just hope they are not overpricing.
Should that export bubble burst and the dairy industry suffer, Craig is very aware that he will be hit on two fronts with decreasing lamb returns and a depressed cereal feed market. Compliance costs are also of concern with input costs rising, he said,and bio-security is a big worry with some of the imported crops coming in like Palm Kernel.
South Otago is perhaps better known for sheep and dairy farming than it is for cropping. The wetter clay bound land combined with varying harvest weather means the province is not as ideally suited for crops as it is in Canterbury.
However, some large operations have existed and thrived including the Young Partnership at Warepa and Clydevale. But these past years have seen the amount of land cropped dwindle and the shock exit of Eion Young from the industry has been seen as an omen for things to come.
Craig Whiteside and his parents Tom and Anne, continue to crop a third of their farm at Waiwera South and believe it fits in with the sheep and cattle also on the property. Although gaining contracts and profitable returns for wheat, barley and oats is a struggle, Craig has found a way to make cropping work for him.
Craigs parents Tom and Anne Whiteside began farming the present day property in Waiwera South with just 170 hectares. Today continued expansion has seen that original block of land grow to 475 hectares.
Craig has been farming in partnership with his parents for the past six years, having completed a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture at Lincoln University and travelling overseas.
The farm is best described as cultivatable rolling country with clay soils. Drainage is a number one priority. On the 475 hectare property, 160 hectares is devoted to growing cereal crops. This year Craig has planted 80 hectares of autumn sown wheat, 60 hectares of spring-sown barley and 20 hectares of spring sown oats. Currently Craig runs 2400 Coopworth ewes, 1000 hoggets and 100 head of cattle for fattening.
Tom Whiteside always cropped a portion of the farm but when Craig came home the family had to decide whether to stick with cropping or change to dairying. Sticking with the status quo meant some costly equipment upgrades were needed.
Cropping won out and a 10 tonne continuous flow dryer was purchased along with more silo space for storage. A good dryer is essential for arable farmers in the province as the hot dry conditions experienced in Canterbury at harvest time are not replicated further South. Drying the crops and in particular burning diesel becomes an extra input to factor into growing the cereals. The dryer enables the Whitesides to harvest 100 tonnes a day with 8-10 ten tonne able to be dried every hour.
Whereas a Canterbury farmer will harvest wheat with a moisture content of 14%, Craig will harvest at 16 to 17.5%. We have dried at 20%. He estimates the dryer cost including escalating diesel prices is climbing to $14/ tonne.
Originally the Whitesides grew milling wheat for Harraways, a locally owned and operated Otago company based in Dunedin for over 130 years. The company produces a range of hot breakfast cereals and cereal products.
Unfortunately Harraways, like most New Zealand mills, has cut back on local milling wheat contracts forcing Craig to grow feed wheat and grow oats under contract to Harraways for the second season.
Craig now grows Weston and Access feed wheat. One third of his area is contracted to Mainland Poultry in Waikouiti with the balance sold on the local market to dairy farmers. Fortunately, because of the transport costs required to bring feed wheat down from Canterbury, Craig can charge a little more but increasing fuel costs means that price needs to rise at least another $5 this season in order for it to be viable. The margins are always getting squeezed. Returns are coming down on a par to what we can produce with sheep.
One of the ways in which Craig has been able to stay ahead is in increasing the yield of winter feed wheats. Where a decade ago yields of 6-7 tonnes/ha were considered good, today Craig is consistently achieving over 10 tonne/ha. He and farmers around New Zealand put that down to better cultivars and better agronomic advice and management. But a difficult season can change everything. We have to push the boundaries. As soon as we drop back below 10 tonne/ha we are in trouble.
Craig is confident he will continue to increase yields. The 60 hectares of barley grown is also sold to the local feed market and Craig is looking to harvest 9-10 tonne/ha this season following a difficult season last year resulting in 7.5 tonnes/ha.
The importance of the burgeoning dairy industry to those cropping in South Otago cannot be underestimated - a fact Craig is only too aware of. It is a real concern for us if the dairy industry goes into a downturn because the first thing they would knock on the head is feed supplements. We know that the cheque they get for milk directly affects us.
The upside of that is that dairying has offered stability in the feed market and a badly needed option as mills closed and contracts became scarce. This has meant that while Canterbury continues to grow the bulk of New Zealands milling wheat and malting barley, South Otago growers have been able to redirect their crops into the feed market.
Without that option many mixed units such as Craig may have been forced to call it a day in order to concentrate on sheep or dairying. This is particularly true when you consider that specialist seed crops struggle in the province and there is not the processed vegetable opportunity that there is North of Otago.
The Whitesides have attempted to grow radish seed in the past but found the demands of the crop too delicate for the climate and the land. Others in South Otago do grow peas but Craig has not been tempted to do that.
Instead he finds the wheat and barley crops a good mixture with the oats. All three are complimentary to the sheep operation with paddocks cropped for five years before being sown into grass. Craig says With this type of operation we cant really ever have more then a third of the farm in crop.
Craig says the biggest asset on their farm is their Agronomist, Howard Clark, from Advanced Agriculture. He credits Howard with helping the Whiteside family achieve better yields in their cereal crops by giving excellent advice on timing and application of chemicals. We have a great relationship with him. He has definitely been a big help.
The expensive machinery required to crop can be a huge disadvantage in operations the size of Craigs. The capital spent on cropping has to be in proportion to the amount of income brought in overall and this has meant that it is not viable for Craig to own expensive machinery. Where possible second hand machinery is bought, like the header, but Craig also believes in syndication and the benefits it can bring to many cash strapped farmers.
Recently the Whitesides, Craigs Uncle and another farmer went into a syndicated partnership to buy a Renovator Direct Drill. The partnership has worked well because not all three parties need that drill at the same time, unlike the header during harvest.
Craig has always attempted to semi-till his farm but is now direct drilling wheat and green feed crops. Direct drilling, he says, requires more preparation but is the way of the future. You cant take short cuts, he says.
Craig and his Uncle have also bought a plough together and he is not ruling our further syndication in the future. The plough is used for 80% of cereal establishment.
Craig has very fixed goals for the sheep operation. He aims to produce 400kg meat per hectare and is not far off that at 350kg meat per hectare.
Lambing begins on the 1 September and the hoggets start lambing on 15 October. Having the hoggets at a good size at mating is the reason for the later lambing date. Craig doesnt restrict the hoggets diet and encourages them to eat as much as possible believing a bigger frame will enable them to deliver their lambs better.
In the past two years 70% of the hoggets have been in lamb with around 110% lambing after tailing. This year 60% are in lamb due to a change in diet. There is a lot of room for improvement.
The Coopworth ewes have been averaging around 150% lambing. This year they scanned at 175% and will be around 150% lambing once its finished. The Coopworths have proved to have good survivability and are good Mums, according to Craig.
Craig trades his stock through Blue Sky Meats (NZ) Ltd, an Invercargill Meat Company known for its quality meat and higher premiums for loyal farmers.
In future Craig wants to raise the ewe numbers from 2400 to 3000. He is running around 15-16 lambs to the hectare (including trading stock) and wants to increase that to 18.
While he is happy with the Coopworth breed performance he is watching with interest as meat companies foray into yield testing. He would not rule out a change in breed if something was seen to outperform the Coopworth breed.
Craig is not confident about the economy at present. With the way the dollar is I find it hard to work out how the export dollar returns have remained high. As the price of lamb has gone up so has the dollar. I just hope they are not overpricing.
Should that export bubble burst and the dairy industry suffer, Craig is very aware that he will be hit on two fronts with decreasing lamb returns and a depressed cereal feed market. Compliance costs are also of concern with input costs rising, he said,and bio-security is a big worry with some of the imported crops coming in like Palm Kernel.