Busines Rural Summer 2017

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Business Rural | 79
together to expand and develop businesses
control of your own produce and giving value to it,
and creating a good outlet for New Zealand grains in
the New Zealand food chain.”
The Farmers Mill specialty baking flours include
artisan, pastry, biscuit and bakers’ flours as well
as baking ingredients and improvers. The success
of the mill has seen the business release its own
breads, which has created additional value. The
recent Farmers Mill Great New Zealand Live Bread
Bakeoff gave the company the opportunity to get
closer to its customers as well as raise recognition
of the brand, says Murray.
On their own cropping farms at Temuka,
Rangitata and Chertsey, Murray and Margaret work
closely together – they are both actively involved,
with Margaret heading the office administration
and Murray leading the direction of the cropping
operation.
Investing in technology has played a key role in
developing their business over the past decade, he
says.
Variable-rate fertiliser application has been used
for several years; they are seeing dividends in more
consistent soil-nutrient levels across paddocks
and lower fertiliser bills through tailoring their
application rates to soil and crop types.
Moisture-monitoring technology has enabled
more efficient use of water, and using software
programs has given them better information on
which to base decisions, resulting in outcomes
such as more timely applications of crop-protection
products. “Things keep moving forward –
techniques, timings, improvements in seed lines
and varieties,” says Murray. “All these things help
us gain incremental improvements in yield which
help offset the current low margins.”
He says the administration and compliance
levels of the operation have increased significantly
over recent years. Through economies of scale,
the business has coped but he has sympathy for
smaller operators who struggle with these issues.
Which brings him full circle to his championing
of the benefits of farmers grouping together:
“What we have done shows the strength of
farming families working together and what can be
achieved. A lot of farmers get too independent, but
you have to trust one another. It’s not always easy,
but you can get some great results.”
What we have done shows the strength of farming families
working together and what can be achieved. A lot of
farmers get too independent, but you have to trust one
another. It’s not always easy, but you can get some great
results.
hybrid seeds that include carrot, red beet, radish and canola.
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