Case Study - Optimising Farm Operations with the Right Water Solutions

“I get great satisfaction from meeting farmers, understanding their specific needs and working with them to deliver the best stock water solution”, says Iplex Pipelines Rural Territory Manager Craig Paterson.

Background

A recent example of this was the stock water development on Michael Mexted and son Mark's dry-stock operation on a 200ha property in Rotoma, on the outskirts of Edgecombe.

The Mexteds had several issues that needed to be resolved, after subdividing their large paddocks into smaller units. Some of these smaller paddocks had no troughs, leading to paddock hopping with no forward controlled grazing plan. Stock movements then became a day-to-day operation, meaning more time on farm and less time with the family.

Add to this the stock being held on paddocks with no troughs when it was too wet, ruts and tracks being formed with subsequent pasture damage through pugging as stock moved through paddocks to ones with troughs. There was also the perennial problem of the old water systems being a mixture of different pipes, in this case galvanised and PVC pipes, with little understanding of where the pipe network was, making finding and maintaining the system difficult.

Problem Analysis

So, what was the solution to these issues? Mark Mexted, after talking to Mark Beer the Farmlands Whakatane TFO was put in touch with Craig.

Craig contacted the Mexteds and arranged a farm visit to understand the problems, current stocking levels, water availability, development plans and discuss solutions. This led to a farm survey, utilising GPS technology to identify best pipeline route and tank and trough placements.

Proposed Solution

Craig then presented the Mexteds with a stock water design plan, quantifying the pipe diameters and pressure rating to deliver the correct amount of water to the troughs to meet the proposed stock number’s peak water demand and so deliver the best production outcome.

Implementation and Results

"It was a straightforward and reassuring process," says Mark Mexted. "Capital investment on farm is a serious business but following Craig's second visit to talk through the proposal we knew we were on the right track.

Ordering the product through Farmlands, was a simple one stop shop solution, with fitting supply and the Redline pipe being delivered direct to farm from the Iplex factory“.

Major changes to the Mexteds’ farming operation have been; the farm now carries 700 R2s, a 21% increase in herd size and with adequate water supply cattle can now be finished in summer. Stock can be purchased earlier and utilise cheaper summer grass feed, controlled grazing can now be implemented across the whole farm and the stock now put on weight much quicker.

"I would estimate the new stock water system will deliver an additional $100,000 of income per annum," says Mark. "With the farm now operating to its maximum potential, with no water system distractions, I can take time off the farm leaving staff to manage the daily operation - I’m enjoying farming once again."

Conclusion

Mark says "The return on investment is impressive, and I can't talk highly enough about the Farmlands Iplex partnership that delivers this free service. It’s a "no-brainer” if you're thinking of upgrading or developing a stock water system, get professional advice and make sure the money you spend will deliver the optimum outcome“.