What happened, spring? Jim Ward has managed NZ's largest farm for 20 years
New Zealands largest high country station has cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent in the past two decades, a new report shows. Over that time, the 180,000-hectare Molesworth Station has reduced its stocking rate by 40 per cent, halved phosphorus applications, and reduced total nitrogen loss by 9 per cent. An integrated land use and farm management plan, released in April, said the situation at Molesworth was unique in that it was a commercial farm operating in a recreational reserve. As such, there is a need to meet environmental, economic and recreational goals, which can often conflict, the report said. READ MORE: * Fact check: Are our farm systems any better for the climate? * Hi-tech solutions could slash agricultural greenhouse gas emissions * Whats the beef with methane? The station was leased and farmed by state-owned enterprise Pamu New Zealand, formerly Landcorp, and managed by the Department of Conservation on behalf of the Crown. Sitting beneath the highest peak in the Kaikoura Ranges, Molesworth was known for its volatile climate with hot and generally dry summers followed by harsh winters. Jim Ward, who has been farming the station for about 20 years, said climate resilience was the key driver for reducing the stocking rate. They had given themselves a goal to drought proof Molesworth, which meant having a number of stock that could be sustained by feed even in the toughest year. Were cushioning ourselves from any winter snow, or lack of a spring or a drought in the summer. They had also added two farms to their portfolio in Hanmer Springs, where weaned calves were taken for finishing. Stock made the same gains in a year at Hanmer as they did in two years at Molesworth, and as such were slaughtered a year younger, Ward said. This season, they had 5300 head of cattle at Molesworth. According to the farm management plan, prepared by Erica van Reenen, emissions from Molesworth included carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Carbon dioxide emissions were generated from fuel and electricity use on the property. Although there were limited options to reduce these with current technology. Solar power might provide an option. Agricultural gases of methane and nitrous oxide were also challenging to manage, the report said. Since 1990, total agricultural emissions from Molesworth had reduced by just over 30 per cent from the equivalent of 153 kilograms of carbon dioxide each hectare every year, to 106 kilograms. Methane made up 65 per cent of the emissions, with the remaining 31 per cent coming from nitrous oxide. Carbon dioxide emissions from Molesworth were 4 per cent of the total and estimated at 4 kilograms of carbon dioxide per hectare every year. Ward said he had noticed a change in climate during his time at Molesworth. Our winters are a wee bit odd. We used to get cold in June and that was it, all the way through. In recent winters, they would get north-westerly winds which would melt the snow, causing very high rivers. The last three, four years we havent really had a spring. We virtually go from winter to summer. Autumns generally go on for a little bit longer. They had also witnessed random events which popped up every few years, he said, like a huge rain event, or a big snow. The report said snow could fall at any time of the year, sometimes covering the entire property for up to eight weeks in the winter and climate volatility had been the making and breaking of farm managers in the past. Between 1911 and 1913, severe rainstorms and snowstorms killed 39,000 sheep. Future climate predictions for Molesworth suggested it would be drier in the east, and wetter in the west with more extreme weather events, such as drought, snow and storms. The farm management plan was separate to the Molesworth Management Plan which was under review by Te Runanga o Kaikoura and the Department of Conversation. Pamus grazing lease was due to expire at the end of June 2020 but had been extended by three years until June 2023. This would provide time for the review of the Molesworth Management Plan.