Ata Rangi Group (ARG) is the General Partner of the New Zealand owned and operated Ata Rangi 2015 Limited Partnership, a New Zealand operation involved in the conversion of land from forestry to farming.
Contents
- History
- Governance
- Land Use
- Conversion Practice
- Forestry Harvest and Planting
- Environmental Initiatives
- Partnerships
- References
In December 2014, ARG purchased 5,732 hectares of land from Te Waihou Plantations. The land was selected for the soil type, contour and climate. During phase one of the development, ARG plan to convert 2,600ha into five dairy farms and 500ha in drystock, with large areas of riparian margin, high gradient, ecologically sensitive or non-productive areas fenced off.
History
Ata Rangi Group was founded in 2015 by Brent Cook and Gerard and Vanessa Donald.
The company was established in response to a growing demand for quality sources of protein worldwide, though particularly in Asia, and changing tastes of wealthy consumers. This has also created an increased demand for high quality food safety which New Zealand farming systems are well known for. ARG is a long term project which is focused on producing high quality food in a sustainable, innovative and economic manner for the benefit of New Zealand.
In the Māori language, Ata Rangi signifies a new beginning, or dawn sky.
Governance
Ata Rangi group is governed by a board of directors.
In March 2015 Stephen Veitch was appointed as general manager of the company. Since then, the company has grown to include seven staff. The company’s headquarters are in Hamilton and Whakamaru. The farm administration is Whakamaru based with financial, strategy and professional interaction Hamilton based.
Land Use
Ata Rangi Group is converting forestry to an integrated pastoral grazing system based around a self-contained dairy, cropping, dairy support and forestry business. The total farm area will be divided up as follows: Dairy 2,584ha Forestry 2,414ha Grazing/cropping 501ha Setback/Native replant 233ha Total 5,732ha
The grazing cropping farm will be used to grow specialised winter and summer feed crops. The crops will be brought into the dairy system, grazed off and sold out of the farming system to third parties. The forestry is production forests with forestry rights to Carter Holt Harvey and Hancock Management.
Land steeper than 25 degrees will be withdrawn from pastoral grazing and will be actively replanted in, or allowed to revert to, native species. Mapping and planning progress is ongoing to identify the best use of land area.
Conversion Practice
Operating to environmental sustainable practices is at the core of Ata Rangi Group’s conversion practice and the company has established internal policies to ensure all employees and stakeholders adhere to this commitment. Central to ARG’s approach is the practice of land mapping. Using slope gradient data, the land under conversion is assessed with regards to its Land Use Capabilities (LUC). Any piece of land that is less than 25 degrees will be exempt from the conversion. ARG’s environmentally sustainable policies also relate to waterway sites. Any land in close proximity to waterways will be protected from discharge, soil and sediment that results from the conversion operations. A setback from river banks and lake shores has also been implemented. Where the Waikato River runs through the land, this setback is 25m; lakes also have a setback of 25m, while other waterways have a 10m leeway.
ARG’s environmentally sustainable policies also relate to waterway sites. The company abides by the policies outlined in the Waikato Regional Council's Healthy Rivers: Plan for Change project.
Forestry Harvest and Planting
The forest on the ARG land undergoing conversion consists of Pinus Radiata and Eucalyptus. The rights of this forest are held by Te Waihou Plantations, Hancock Forest Management and Carter Holt Harvey. These organisations are respectively responsible for planting, fertilising, pruning, and harvesting. All harvesting plans are set by the management companies with ARG receiving a rental based on land under production. An annual harvest plan is provided to ARG with an estimated harvest plan calculated on the age and variety of the trees. Following harvest, the land reverts to ARG management.
At handback, ARG management will complete a feasibility analysis based on land use capability (LUC) taking into account: a) Soil Type b) Contour c) Layout and Environmental Constraints d) Productive capacity and value of land on completion e) The production system that best integrates into ARPL’s existing operations.
Environmental Initiatives
Water resource protection is important for New Zealand’s dairy industry. In recognition of this ARG’s environmental initiatives include but are not limited to: • Fencing off of all water ways with minimum 10m set back • >0.5m perimeter Earth Bund to prevent sediment and nutrient runoff • All nutrient application mapped in GPS farm mapping system • All water usage monitored. • Water efficient cowshed design, with green water recycling in cowsheds. • Effluent disbursement over 8 cows / ha, greater than the minimum required.
Partnerships
Ata Rangi Group is working in partnership with the following organisations: • Southern Skies Environmental Limited (SSEL) • Raukawa Charitable Trust • Environmental Management Services Ltd (EMS)