Farming financially, consistently

Outstanding financial results alongside progressive development of the farm business gave Motu farmers Hamish and Paula Newman the edge to take out the Federated Farmers’ Gisborne-Wairoa Farmer of the Year 2010 title.

At the field day celebrating their win, AgFirst farm consultant Rob Hayes said while the competition was judged only on the the past three years, the Newmans had been performing better, or at the level of the top 10 farms in the district for the past decade reports The Gisborne Herald. Cattle had been a real strength and seven out of the past 10 years the Newman’s performance has put them higher than the top 10. Chief judge, Whangara farmer Charlie Seymour said a major factor for the Newman’s was their consistent financial performance. “It is very pleasing to see such strong results. They are clearly ahead with their EFS- (economic farm surplus) per-hectare as well as per-stock-unit.”Productivity was high and they had the strongest return on capital out of all the entrants.

“Their energy and enthusiastic approach has created a winning combination.” The farm had an economic farm surplus (EFS) of $563 a hectare and of $50.08 a stock unit. This was well above the district average and the top 10 farmers in the district. The three-year district average of EFS a hectare was $134 and EFS a stock unit $14.07. The Newman’s main goal is driven by finance. “The bank dictates — we have to just make it pay. If it is a good year we spend more on the farm and in a hard year we tighten up. “Another goal is to stay in the top 10 farmers in the district and being part of a Matawai discussion group over the past 16 years has been a main driver to achieve that.“For me it is good to benchmark myself to stay in the top. There are a lot of times I don’t get the grass to do it, but we keep trying.” Repaying debt is another goal and that is an ongoing thing.