GLOBAL VIEW ▶▶▶ These include guidance systems, crop


monitoring, variable-rate control on his John Deere self-propelled sprayer and Amazone fertiliser spreader, as well as section control on both machines. Mr Loubser estimates the savings in fertiliser alone on his operation will pay for the Amazone ZA TS spreader in less than two years. His calculations show that in the past, some


areas were up to 25% overfertilised. Now, he believes his rates are now no more than 3-5% adrift from the optimum. In the meantime, wheat yields have increased to average 4t/ha, a creditable result for an area with an average annual rainfall of only 420mm.


The use of variable rate control has reduced fertiliser overlap from 25% to no more than 3-5% So far he has not applied variable seeding


rates, as the DBX AusPlow air seeders he is using also apply the pre-emergence spray and it would be difficult to vary seed rates without affecting the efficacy of the spray. The air


seeders are locally assembled versions of an Australian design. It is interesting to note that a local


manufacturer now exports South African- designed planters to Australia.


Farm-saved seed rules under scrutiny


BY ANDREW SWALLOW, NEW ZEALAND CORRESPONDENT


T


his month I have been suffering from déjà vu. The main cause is farm-saved seed (FSS) royalties. It was an issue I reported on in my early days as an


arable reporter for the UK Farmers Weekly. Now, 20 years later, New Zealand is going


through the same debate, although it’s a lower-key wrangle because arable farms are a small proportion of the farming industry. According to the New Zealand Grain and


Seed Trade Association (NZGSTA), our legislation doesn’t meet standards agreed by the International Union for the Protection of New


One fear from the extensive use of farm- saved seed is New Zealand farmers not having access to the best cultivars


Varieties of Plants in 1991 (UPOV91). That’s probably because the legislation hasn’t


been reviewed since before those standards were agreed, which itself says something about the scale of the arable industry here. It’s simply not been a priority for successive governments.


Increasing popularity Meanwhile, the popularity of farm-saving seed has increased, putting the local seed industry in a vicious circle of declining sales and increasing prices to cover overheads, prompting ever more growers to farm save. To date, with the exception of milling wheats, farm-saved seed has been royalty free. Last year, it looked as if the signing of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement


would force NZ to close this legislative loophole and legalise a mechanism for recovery of royalties on farm-saved seed; or at least, the NZGSTA said it would. However, Donald Trump’s election as US


president and immediate withdrawal of the US from TPP torpedoed that argument. Now, the NZGSTA says New Zealand is at risk of not getting access to the best cultivars because overseas breeders won’t send them here if growers buy just a few bags every year for multiplication and sow the bulk of their crops with royalty-free farm-saved seed. To date there’s no evidence of a restriction


in variety supply, but it is a plausible argument. It’s also been suggested retaliatory action could be provoked, whereby exports of New Zealand seed are affected. With many cereal growers also producing high-value small seeds for export, that’s an argument that is likely to gain more traction.


Investment in breeding Most growers already accept, albeit somewhat grudgingly, that plant breeders deserve a reward for their investment in new varieties. What’s lacking from NZGSTA are figures showing that this isn’t happening under the current system, and royalties on farm-saved seed are needed to fill the gap. Provide the figures, and I think all but the most luddite growers would fall into line.


48 ▶ FUTURE FARMING | 9 November 2017


ZHU DIFENG/SHUTTERSTOCK


RUBEN VAN DER MERWE


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