Ngati Whakaue Tribal Lands Inc.

The Farms
Wharenui is the largest of the four farms run by the Incorporation. Wharenui is located on the eastern boundary of the city approximately 7 kilometres from the city centre. The Stock Manager is Barry Frankhauser and Paul King is the Shepherd General.
The total land area is 1231.5 hectares of which 909.3 hectares is farmed, 194 hectares is in productive forestry and 128.2 is in conservation planting.

Tihiotonga is located on the southern boundary of Rotorua City approximately five kilometres from the City Centre. The Stock Manager is Rod Monson.
The total land area is 818.4 hectares of which 623 hectares are farmed and 134.5 hectares is in production forestry and 60.8 hectares is in conservation.

Ngongotaha is located on the western boundary of Rotorua City approximately five kilometres from the city centre. The Stock Manager is Peter Love.
The total land area is 586 hectares of which 422 are farmed, 68 is in production forest and 96 is in conservation.

Crater Lake Farm is located on Millers road between lakes Tarawera and Okareka.
The total area is 265 hectares which includes a large crater with lagoon in the middle and patches of native bush.

David Veitch is the deer manager and this year approximately 1500 hinds will fawn.

Once developed Crater Lake and Okataina 10 are expected to carry approximately 1800 hinds plus replacements, finishing stock and a velveting herd, complimented by sheep and cattle.

Farms (per head of)

Sheep & Beef & Deer Farms
Trevor Smyth is the Manager of Farming and is experienced in high performance large scale operations.

The farms are now run as a single co-ordinated farming business with the different classes of animals located on the most suitable blocks of land to maximise production for sale. This allows the different farms to complement each other.

The livestock policies are designed to maximise trading profits in grass production and market prices for stock on an environmentally sound and sustainable basis. The fencing systems aim to maximise high quality grass production, harvest as much as possible with high performance animals producing a spread of high value proteins and products (lamb, beef, venison, milk and wool) and market this production to the best advantage.

Cattle
The bull beef cattle policy aims for all the grass to produce weight gain for sale, as against only about 40% with a breeding cow system. The young bulls start at 100 kilos in November and are sold at about 500 kilos the following December through March for a profit margin of between $200 and $300 per animal. It is a simple and efficient system that utilises 100% of the grass for saleable production. The policy will trade about 2000 cattle like this each year.

The system is also better able to handle droughts during summer. Most of the big bulls are sold in December and January before the drought starts to bite.

The system is also better able to handle changes in cattle prices - it makes its money from selling the kilos of weight gain at whatever the price of beef is, i.e. is a margin trading operation, so even in bad times it makes money. A breeding system is hit hard in bad years as has been recently experienced.

Sheep
The breeding flock consists of 10k higher performing ewes which produced 134% lambs this spring. All sheep and lambs are well fed and all lambs are sold prime to the freezing works at high prices.

A pasture renewal programme utilising lamb fattening crops ensures protection against drought and facial eczema.

About 3000 whether lambs are taken through the winter for the high priced spring market. This means the main flock and lambs have more spring grass as the whethers are sold, there is better utilisation of grass and there is less pressure in dry summers.

Deer
The deer policy is a breeding, finishing for slaughter and velveting policy. A Red deer herd is run, with replacements purchased as adult hinds. Wapiti and red stags are used as sires.

Wharenui Dairy Unit
In 1988 some 315 ha of the Wharenui Sheep farm was converted to a dairy unit employing a 50/50 Sharemilker. Facilities including a 55-a-side herringbone cowshed, calf-shed, implement shed and water scheme was constructed.

The farm is in good shape and performing well. Recently, new accommodation for the two farm workers and a new implement shed have been built.

Major management features of the farm include:

Sharemilkers
Michael, Tania, and Brendon Conwell

Pasture Area
A 280 ha dairy farm consisting of 60% flat to Rolling contour and 40% Steep to Rolling.

Farm Policy
To grow as much grass as possible to convert into milk as economically as possible by using sustainable modern farming practices. 50% of the cows are wintered off farm for
six weeks. 120 Tonnes of Maize Silage is fed Autumn and Spring to extend Lactation.

Cows and Production
A steady progression has been made from the initial year of 540 cows and 118000Kg of Milksolids to this year 850 cows for a budgeted 280,000 Kg Milksolids.

Fertiliser
The initial 5 years saw high levels of capital Fertiliser applied to increase the soil Nutrient status to a level required for Dairy Farming. The Nitrogen Phosphate and Potash levels are now at a level which will with maintainence inputs sustain the grass growth required for 800 cows. Currently 900Kg/Ha of Bulk Fertiliser is applied annually. Being applied in 3 split applications. On the 40% of the farm which is steeper contour the fertiliser is applied once a year by airplane.

Staff
The farm employs two full time single men and some seasonal labour to help with weed control and supplement making.



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