Farmer Focus Arable: Bill Davey to launch new beer on farm

Many people comment on the strict biosecurity rules in place as they arrive in New Zealand. With questionnaires to complete and sniffer dogs on duty, it would appear that the country was doing all it could to avoid letting in any foreign diseases.

However, the kiwi-fruit industry is now bracing itself for the impact of Psa bacteria, confirmed in three orchards in The Bay of Plenty, North Island. The seriousness of the disease depends on the strain of Psa and its virulence, which should be identified this week.

Kiwi fruit represents a NZ$1.5bn (£720m) industry, so the outcome could be potentially devastating. I often cringe at the thought of a foot-and-mouth outbreak here as that would cripple the country. After the latest outbreak, I’m confident biosecurity measures will be stepped up.

Last season we had a new Lexion 580 combine delivered. The only thing was that it wasn’t really a 580. It was a pre-series model of which no one knew the number. I was sworn to secrecy as there were apparently only 10 of this new range operating – six here and four in Australia.

Claas technicians almost lived with these machines throughout harvest, recording data as they worked and relaying the same back to Claas headquarters in Germany. Only recently has Claas launched this new range and it would now appear we have a Lexion 760, the new transfers being fitted as I write.

In September, I mentioned we had been asked to participate in the launch of a new beer by DB Breweries and Monteiths, a subsidiary of DB. In two days, the new lager will be unveiled on our farm and 150 guests, including dignitaries and VIPs, are invited to attend a lavish luncheon. It’s been a great compliment to supply barley for this new brew and I’ll report on the day’s events in my next article.

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