Thursday, March 28, 2024

Pasture improvement pays off

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Ongoing development continues to lift production on a 310ha dairy farm for sale near Reefton on the West Coast with the recent addition of a runoff adding to its potential.
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The farm, for sale at $5.95 million including shares, has had steady and much-needed improvement in the pasture in the past few years, with more development ahead, according to Greg Daly from PGG Wrightson Real Estate in Greymouth.

Around 232ha of the farm makes up the milking platform with 40ha in the recently added runoff, enabling the operation to winter 530 cows as well 30 R1 heifers and cut silage to be fed out in autumn.

As part of the regrassing programme and feed supply, the farm has been growing 10ha of summer turnips and 15ha of kale for winter feed.

"They normally put crop into the paddock for the winter and that puts fertility into the ground. Some of the ground was quite rough to start with, but now they can get the mower over it.

"The secret is the new grasses specific to our conditions on the West Coast," Daly said. "Production will improve with ongoing development."

In the past three seasons the farm has produced between 185,233 and 190,001kg milksolids (MS) from 510 to 525 cows that are also for sale at valuation.

Spread over terraced country, with the bulk of the pasture on flat land, the farm sits on free-draining river silt and stony silt loams. The 95 paddocks are watered via three gravity-fed systems from springs, with a bore supplying the dairy and houses.

The 50-aside dairy has Reid plant and is set up for molasses feeding, while a large multi-purpose shed is the main support building. Various small sheds and a sizeable storage shed add to the mix.

Added to this are three homes including the four-bedroom homestead, a three-bedroom cottage and four-bedroom weatherboard home.

Included in the sale are 189,668 shares in Westland Milk Products. For further information contact Daly on 03 768 0200 or 0274 783 594.

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