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WINTER 2014

Making Independence Rewarding

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Figures shown represent Avg Grams of bait required to kill (LD50) in Rats, Mice and Non Targets animals and as depicted. Data shown is sourced from established international Industry figures including the WHO. (Provided as a guide only figures can vary) Ratshot is ISO 9001 manufactured

Like no other anticoagulant bait RATSHOT with DIFenacoum is different by targeting both Rats & Mice much more specifically.The table shows how effective RATSHOT with Difenacoum is on Mice & Rats but equally important shows the difference in lower toxicity compared to other Rodenticides making it the product for of choice in sensitive baiting areas around Children, Pets, Birds, Wild life & Live Stock in Commercial, Agriculture and domestic situations.

RATSHOT LOCKED1, NEW High Quality Compact design2, Includes securing rods & mounting bracket3, High bait capacity Block, Paste, Grain Baits, Pellets 4, Protects Kids, Pets, Live Stock and 4, Protects Kids, Pets, Live Stock and Wild Life

RATSHOT employs the A.I Difenacoum, delivering significant advantages to customers in a number of ways.1, Most Rat & Mouse specific Anticoagulant Rodenticide 2, Relatively low amounts of bait to Kill Rats & Mice3, Now the product of choice for customers who need effective control with reduced Risk4, Science based formulation,4, Science based formulation, Tasty Paste & All-weather Blocks (Always read the approved label)

RATSHOT Final Kill Paste & Rapidkill Blocks employ the explosive power of Brodifacoum making them ONE-FEED Killers and super effective for high rodent populations.1, Most powerful active available, 2, Genuine ONE-FEED killing power of both Rats and Mice3, Science based formulation, All-weather Rapidkill Blocks4, Final Kill Tasty Paste (Always read the approved label)

ROTATEBAIT

TALON

Brand

RATSHOT

BROMAKILL

RATSHOT

STORM

RACCUMIN

Active

Difenacoum

Bromadiolone

Brodifacoum

Flocoumafen

Coumatetralyl

Brodifacoum

40

5.8

14

>500

1600 - 2000

6020

Dog Cat Chicken

10 - 40

1200

40 - 60

1000

200

5 - 20

1.5 - 5

1000

90

2000

2000

500

500

5.8 10 - 40 5 - 20 90500

200

Rabbit Pig

1.4

5.6

1.3

11.0

0.2

1.40.2

0.9

0.4

66.7

9.00.4

Mouse Rat

TARGET

NON-TARGETS

Bait + Protect - STOP Primary Poisoning

TAMPER RESISTANT BAIT STATIONS

WHAT’S THE DIF?

RATSHOT - DIFENACOUM 0.05g/Kg LD50

POWERFULBRODIFACOUM

DIFENACOUMBALANCED

2Kg CHICKEN= 2Kg BAIT

10Kg DOG= 10Kg BAIT250g RAT

= 9.0g BAIT25g MOUSE= 0.4g BAIT

QLDKaren Bond 0428 290 913

QLDMatt Webster 0429 410 050

VIC & TASDavid Beauchamp 0429 169 626

VICJoanne Wass 0407 070 207

WASimon Tangney 08 9353 1186

WACassie Ekert 0417 974 402

YOUR LOCAL AIRR SALES CONTACT

Making Independence Rewarding

AIRR MAGAZINEWINTER 2014 BUSINESS5 It is all about the opportunity

11 A sticky situation

25 Having a sales culture

29 If you've got it, flaunt it

38 Overcomplicating the Sales Process

MARKET MATTERS7 Gallagher production-

enhancing technology part of farming

16 Marketing of augmented products and rainfast Glyphosate

26 Preparation for Winter: importance of feed

PRODUCTS8 Don’t think twice,

use Longlife

12 Eryvac – The Economics

20 Speedibeet: Key Features, FAQs & Feeding

NSWLiz Watt 0400 718 148

NSWClare McKinnon 0419 275 072

NSWFiona Beggs 0427 778 636

SAAshley Place 0409 570 835

4 ® ™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow

ENGINEERED FOR MAXIMUMPERFORMANCE

• Uptake Spraying Oil is a proprietary blend that o�ers superior performance with regard to crop safety, tank mix compatibility, and herbicide performance

• Research and Development continues to expand Uptake Spraying Oil’s uses

• Uptake Spraying Oil’s e�ective, recommended use rate is 0.5% versus 1% rate of other oils

• There are NO copies of Uptake Spraying Oil on the market

For more information contact your local Dow AgroSciences representative on 1800 700 096

www.dowagrosciences.com.au

Given that going into a rural or pet and produce store has a very intentional shopping purpose (people come to buy, not browse,), add on sales / impulse purchases are there for the taking. Think about how many bags of dog food you sell per month, and think about the extra money you can make by capturing the ‘gimme’ add on sale. This is where the $2 & $5 tables/bins of pet toys or treats

IT IS ALL ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

" Supermarkets, who used to sell groceries, now sell mobile phones, insurance, newspapers, magazines, meat etc etc as they are all after as much as their customers dollar that they can."

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come into play. The Loose Changers range of balls, leashes, collars etc costs around $1.30 for a box of 24 and even selling at $2.95 will return a profit of over $40 per inner. This is the easiest sale of the day by far – having these bins or tressle tables near the counter just before customers pay for a bag of feed is the perfect add on and requires little to no effort by the sales person.

All the sales were increase in spend sales and impulse at POS to catch every dollar. I know for absolute fact that there are many rural/regional Mitre 10 stores cashing in big time on these lines.

The customer is happy as they perceive a bargain as value – they’ve gotten something for ‘cheap as chips’ and you’ve possibly made more profit than on a bag of

layer pellets. This is the great example of an easily planned impulse sales strategy by the retailer that’s added value to the buyers shopping experience. Win Win.

Last year we sold over 1000 eskies and at an average estimated profit per esky of $50 that is $50,000 that our customers earn makes AIRR feel proud to have introduced the opportunity and more importantly wrapped that our customers have taken the opportunity to get some more cash.

You see what is happening at all stores.

In previous articles I have mentioned how supermarkets, who used to sell groceries, now sell mobile phones, insurance, newspapers, magazines, meat etc etc as they are

all after as much as their customers dollar that they can.

To get the value out of new and/or impulse lines it then becomes a point of marketing and ensuring the “hot spot” in your store shows the new range.

For many years I have been promoting and near on demanding every customer increase their range to ensure we get every possible dollar the customer is spending.

Go to Bunnings or Coles tomorrow and have a look at what they do to display and new lines and note they have all the high impulse lines directly under your nose. We’ve all been sucked into buying that unnecessary chocolate bar, drink or packet of chips whilst waiting to check out. Supermarkets like Coles and Woolies are the masters of impulse sales strategies. Their very planned and well executed tactics make for millions of dollars in profit each year. These retailers lots of time goes into determining the right products, in the right location at the right time. To the buyer, the impulse ‘why not’ purchase requires very little to no thought process. Everyone loves a bargain.

They make you, the customer; look around their store as they want every dollar you have.

Above is a photo of the The Rural Warehouse showroom that shows we have “Tuckered” up the store using the Tuckers colour to lift the store.

It is critical to everyone’s long term survival.

So my message is simple, give it a go.

You will be surprised at the results.

All the best for your EOFY finish and hope you all had a great year.

Peter Law CEO at AIRR

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Choose your own Weighing and EID combo

Buy 210%

OFF

getBuy 1

5%OFF

get

Buy 315%

OFF

get

Terms and Conditions: Offers available from your Gallagher dealer 1st May to 31st July 2014. Percentage off applies to normal RRP of Gallagher weighing and EID products, offer includes Sheep Auto Drafter. Purchase 1 product get 5% off normal retail, purchase 2 products get 10% off normal retail price, 3 or more products get 15% off. Excludes crates, sheep handlers, platforms, dairy scale, accessories and software. BR/R reader and antenna are considered to be one item. Only applies to single transactions on the same invoice.

www.gallagher.com.au

Image: Gallagher technology. Sophie Robertson (L) is scanning animals using the HR5 Hand Held EID Tag Reader & Data Collector, with tag information being transferred by Bluetooth to the TSi on the table. Adelaide Smith (R) is pushing sheep up with the Auto Weigh Crutch and Dag, utilising the ramp-clamp feature so the sheep can’t push back or jump forward. This can go on any Gallagher sheep handler and enables the operator to always have another animal waiting, speeding up time in the yards.

For LV Pastoral, a mixed sheep and cropping operation in western Victoria, technology is a way of life.

The company formed two-and-a-half years ago, when the Veale and Levinson families joined forces, bringing together their Lake Bolac and Wickliffe farms. LV Pastoral crops about half the 2,835-hectare properties, and runs a prime lamb operation from Merinos, Border Leicesters and Dohnes on the rest.

Nic Economou, livestock manager at the Wickliffe farm “Reedy Creek”, previously worked for the Veales, and continued when the farms amalgamated.

In the past few years they have looked further into technology to enhance animal productivity. Among their equipment is a TSi weigh scale, an HR5 Hand Held EID Tag Reader & Data Collector and the Auto Weigh Crutch and Dag sheep handler from Gallagher Animal Management.

Before Nic, 28, worked for the Veales and LV Pastoral, he had some exposure to technology on the cattle properties where he’d worked around Australia.

“I think being a young person, you’re very used to technology and the lingo associated with it,

so it’s easy to adapt to use in modern farming practices.”

Nic said his employer, Mark Veale, took a little bit of convincing to invest in the technologies.

“He’s up with computers and technology, and we use a lot of GPS with the cropping.

He knew we needed to improve record keeping, and saw a demonstration at Sheepvention of another brand of EID recording. He wasn’t really sure, but some people who had used it said they didn’t know how they’d done without it. We found the Gallagher one was more advanced and it’s definitely streamlined our record keeping.”

LV Pastoral uses the TSi to weigh and collect data on every animal.

“We often buy in large numbers of sheep, so don’t have a lifetime of DNA to go on. Assessing a mob by its

average can be misleading, so sorting individual traits with EID using the TSi is fantastic. We also join around 7,000 ewes a year, and you know there’s no chance of jotting down the wrong ear tag number in the yards, because it’s all done automatically. It’s easy when you’re dealing with

large numbers too, to sort out what’s what; say if I want to pull out sheep with particular trait.”

LV Pastoral also uses the HR5 Hand Held EID Tag Reader & Data Collector to collect and edit data in the yards. The Auto Weigh Crutch and Dag Sheep handler allows them to crutch or inspect sheep standing up, and two people can work on the machine at one time. It then allows for drafting in three ways, although LV Pastoral have opted for the five-way drafting option.

“I have two young girls, who are both under 25 working with me, and they easily adapted to using the technology. This equipment means dealing with large heavy animals can be done by anyone — even a smaller-framed person.

“If you’re selecting on traits for improved genetics to better your flock, the TSi gives you the ability to sort easily the ‘doers’ from the ‘non-doers’, making it easier to cull.

“Technology in farming will only increase — it just saves so much time and makes things more accurate.”

PRODUCTION ENHANCING TECHNOLOGY PART OF FARMING

“ I have two young girls, who are both under 25 working with me, and they easily adapted to using the technology. This equipment means dealing with large heavy animals can be done by anyone — even a smaller-framed person."

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COMING SOONLAUNCH OF THE AIRR YOUNG GUNS

2015 PROGRAM JULY 15Have you got a young gun in the ranks?Want this gun to be your right hand person for years to come?Want your young gun to become an even bigger asset?Want to help your young gun grow & develop in the rural game?The aim of the AIRR Young Gun program is to provide the next generation of employees in the Rural Industry, specifically those who work for AIRR Members, recognition for hard work, their participation in the local community, their achievements, and to create awareness about the opportunities of working in the rural sector. As well as this, some of our top suppliers have very generously seen the importance in providing the tools to build a bright future.

Through their participation, entrants will have the opportunity to be taught by the best in the business.

This program fosters participants passion for all things rural, gives them exposure to tailored business modules and sets practical tasks that will ultimately drive business. Broken down into stages, the program will be made up of both theoretical teachings and practical, real life examples. Coupled with these learning’s, candidates will cement their understanding through community events and implementation of store initiatives. It will give them the understanding and confidence to do great things in this industry for years to come.

Don’t let this opportunity pass your staff by. Keep an eye out on the member area of the

AIRR website and email for more info on how to apply.

“Before the start of the program I think you just go to work and do what you do. Now I’m starting to think how I can improve myself and how the business can improve.” Scott Hawkins

“Being made a part of the top 10 of the AIRR young guns program is a huge opportunity for me to develop my skills personally, but to also to help develop our business.” – Sara Kreutzberger, 2014 finalist

“For me making the top ten is an absolute privilege. It is great to be recognised in such a way unfortunately it doesn’t seem to happen much in this day and age. It is really good to have the time invested into our futures in the industry.” Shaun Farmer, 2014 finalist

AIRR YOUNG

GUNS 2015

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9XSTD GALVANIZED

1.5XHEAVY GALVANIZED11111 EDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

®

To view the footage visit www.waratahfencing.com.au

HEAVY GALVANIZED WIRE – COATING ENTIRELY CORROOOODDDDEDEEEEDDEEDDDDDDDDDDDD

STSTSTSTSTTSTSTSS ANANAAAA DARD GALVANIZED WIRE – COATING ENTIRELY Y YYY CCOCOCOCOCOCOOCOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOODODODODOOODOOODODODDODDDDEEEEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDDDDDD

LONGLIFE® BLUE COLOUR® WWWWWWWWWWIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

LONGLIFE® BLUE COATING INTACT

DO IT ONCE. DO IT RIGHT. DO IT LONGLIFE®.

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT LONGLIFE® ALWAYS OUTPERFORMS.

Waratah have extended the original 1000 hour salt spray test to 3000 hours, and the results speak for themselves.

Waratah Longlife Blue colour’s coating remained intact, whilst both standard and heavy galvanized wires experienced total coating degradation.

Longlife Blue always outperforms and outlasts standard and heavy galvanized wire. Why risk anything else?

®TM Registered trademarks of OneSteel Wire Pty Limited, Ingall Street, Mayfield, NSW 2304. ABN 59 000 010 873. All rights Reserved. TS2207

AIRR Winter Mag_Waratah LL Ad_145x210_TS2207.indd 1 19/05/14 9:57 AM

VBCXXXWeanerguardSEB12HP.indd 1 31/08/12 11:57 AM

Apparent Glyphosate 510k Potassium SaltTHE FACTSContains a minimum of 510 g/L of Glyphosate acid as the potassium salt.

4 HIGHER LOADING The principle reason for using the potassium salt formulation is to achieve a higher loading of Glyphosate acid.

4 QUICKER KILL Evidence suggests that the potassium salt is absorbed more quickly than the IPA salt.

4 THE WORLD’S BEST Huntsman, who developed wetters for all of Monsanto’s Glyphosate products, developed TERWET 3777 for Apparent.

4 PERFORMS EQUAL TO 540 & 570 g/L GLYPHOSATE Apparent can achieve optimum performance by using TERWET 3777 at 80 g/L in Glyphosate 510 g/L potassium salt, but by using the wetter at 100 g/L we can achieve the same performance as Glyphosate 540/570 g/L potassium salt.

4 IMPROVED PERFORMANCE BY UP TO 30% A first class wetter – such as TERWET 3777 used in Apparent 510K Glyphosate, can improve the performance of Glyphosate by as much as 30%, so why take a risk on buying cheap Glyphosate? Whilst you could save around 10 cents/Litre on the Glyphosate price using a cheap wetter, you can lose up to $1.20/L if his purchase price is, say, $4.00/L. Can you | afford this?

Being based in Collarenebri in north western New South Wales, much of the work he does is in areas prone to flooding and acidic soils, making the durability of the fencing products a high priority.Using quality products can also save Mr Smith a massive amount of time and labour costs.“If I was driving in 500 posts of anything besides Waratah the job would take me two days. Other posts would snap if they had to be straightened or moved and the hole spacings vary so much they wouldn’t match the fabricated fence products.“Waratah posts are flexible and can bend without snapping, so I can get the job done in a day.”Mr Smith’s also been impressed with the strength of Waratah’s Longlife products and JIO posts along waterways.“The 2.5mm Waratah Longlife Iowa barb takes very well to water and can be put up across a creek.“When the debris floats through and gets stuck on the fence, I can just unclip or cut the barb

DON’T THINK TWICE, USE LONGLIFE®

Collarenebri fencing contractor Kelly Smith.Photo caption: Media contact: James Tolmie 02 8204 3730About OneSteel Waratah: Waratah fencing has been servicing the needs of Australian farmers for 130 years. Waratah is a registered trademark of OneSteel Wire Pty Ltd, Ingall St Mayfield NSW 2304. ABN 59000 010 873. People wanting to know more about Waratah products can call Waratah Sales & Service on 13 10 80 or visit www.waratahfencing.com.au for more information. Waratah products are available from your local rural distributor.

and re-run the wire.“The Longlife products are essential in conditions like these because of the high corrosion and fences sitting in the water for extended periods of time.”Kelly works closely with his local Waratah rep, Dougall Roberts, to make sure he is using the right products for his jobs.“I can give Dougall a call at any time, and he comes out and provides excellent advice.“We had some issues with South African bred sheep on a property based in the Walgett Shire. They tend to be a bit of an aggressive breed and we have had problems with fences trying to hold them in.“We used the Stocktite Longlife 7/90/30 fencing wire and have been the talk of the district since – the sheep haven’t got out.”Mr Smith lives by the motto ‘do it properly or don’t do it at all’ and that’s how he does his fencing.“Waratah and Waratah only; quite simply, I won’t use anything else.”

Contractor Kelly Smith has been working in rural industries his entire life and understands the importance of having fencing products which are efficient to erect and can withstand varying climate conditions.

FAST SALES FACTS

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THISTLE-KILLEM® 750

®

Contact your local Crop Care distributor for further information: Customer service Australia-wide: 1800 111 454 Fax: (07) 3909 2010 www.cropcare.com.au

Home of the Range.

HERBICIDE

®

Excellent activity against capeweed, paterson’s curse, long storksbill, toadrush and crassula in sub clover and ryegrass,

phalaris and cocksfoot pastures

Controls certain annual grass and broadleaf weeds in lucerne, clover, serradella and perennial grass pastures

The lucerne flea specialist, also active against redlegged earth mite and blue oat mite. Fast acting- complete kill in 1-2 days

Systemic activity targeting redlegged earth mite, lucerne flea, blue oat mite, wingless grasshoppers

and pangola aphids

Controls a broad range of insect pests including redlegged earth mite and blue oat mite in lucerne,

medics, clover and forage & seed pasture

Utilised for the spray/graze technique in pasture to target a diverse range of broadleaf weeds

Effective against a broad range of insect pests in lucerne and pasture

Contact and residual activity on redlegged earth mite, blue oat mite, bryobia mite, brown pasture looper,

pasture webworm and vegetable weevil

Excellent mix partner with Raptor 700WG in lucerne for control of thistles and burrs, capeweed and paterson’s curse

Selective control of a wide range of broadleaf weeds in sub clover and grass pastures

Highly effective against marshmallow and annual (stinging) nettles in grass pastures; rough grass and turf

The blackheaded pasture cockchafer specialist. Also targets native budworm, green mirid, redlegged earth mite, blue oat

mite, brown pasture looper and wingless grasshopper

Excellent pasture safety on newly sown and established clover based pasture, and clover for hay and seed production

Best suited to lucerne based pasture. Excellent knockdown and residual activity

Excellent control of capeweed, paterson’s curse, crassula and Erodium botrys in sub clover and ryegrass, phalaris and cocksfoot

pastures. Tank mix with Thistle-killem

With pastures facing constant threats from pests, disease and weeds, farmers know they can turn to the Crop Care

range of pasture products to tackle any problem.

For a couple of years now, we’ve been saying at conferences and in articles such as this, that changes within our industry are expected – and inevitable. Business pressures drive this change, and it’s happening at all levels of the distribution chain.

In the past couple of months alone, we’ve seen Elanco announce their acquisition of Novartis Animal Health, major players including Penrice going into administration with over $200 million of debt, further rationalisation of chemical companies in China, and so on.

Locally, AIRR found itself in a position of huge dilemma when it became clear that a large retail member was on the brink of receivership. AIRR was owed a significant amount of money, which it had, through administrative practices ensured was secured to the maximum extent possible. AIRR had no choice other than to take the decision to acquire the business – despite having no strategic intent whatsoever to own retail stores.

The business was Belmark. It has two stores, located in Cranbourne and Mornington. Both stores very equine centric, with a component of the business servicing the performance horse trainer / stud market as well. The whole process of AIRR taking these stores over, and applying sound business principles and structure within the business, has been very interesting to say the least.

I’m certain you’ll all be hearing much of our learnings as a result of this process, and, all going well, we’re looking forward to sharing with you all the process of change as we convert this business; one that essentially went broke, to one which is successful and profitable. You’ll definitely be hearing more at conference.

At the time I write this article, AIRR has had the keys to the business for only 5 weeks. The first thing that hit my desk was the creditors list. It was long and ugly. Several things struck me as I reviewed the list and subsequently started to make the phone calls to tell creditors (suppliers) that administrators were to be appointed to the Belmark business, and it was unknown how many cents in the dollar creditors could expect to receive.

It was a torrid process, but the theme was unmistakable. Numerous suppliers all suppling essentially the same products, all stretched out to the end of their credit. All of these suppliers were not protected by the AIRR membership, as they chose to put their business at risk by trading direct and funding the sale themselves. I put it down to desperate times making people do desperate things. Nearly always though, it ends poorly. It says a

Dave Shelling AIRR GM of Supplier Relations

lot for doing the things that we talk about regularly, even to the point of boredom because we say it so often. Get the basics right! These include:

◆ Having systems in place to measure and manage cost◆ Getting the back end (administration) right; you’ll never know

how much you lose here◆ Managing your debtors; Belmark’s were atrocious – and, even

worse – they factored (sold off to a third party for a hefty fee) their debtors!

◆ Understand and manage your inventory – its stock turns etc.◆ Providing great customer service, and understanding what

great customer service is! There is no future in over servicing, but there is in servicing right. We have learnt volumes about retail service in this example

◆ Focusing on the critical elements of retailing – your business’s front end. Having both a sales and business culture.

Again, you’ll be hearing a lot more of our experiences as we return this business to solid profitability over time.

These are certainly interesting times within AIRR, and indeed the entire sector as well.

A STICKY SITUATION…

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" I’m certain you’ll all be hearing much of our learnings as a result of this process, and, all going well, we’re looking forward to sharing with you all the process of change as we convert this business; one that essentially went broke, to one which is successful and profitable."

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*Elanco®, Extinosad® and the diagonal colour bar are trademarks of Eli Lilly and Company. EAH13438A4

UNIQUE KNOCKDOWNCHEMISTRY

OFF-SHEARS, UNSHORN LAMBS& LONG WOOL SHEEP

NIL WOOL WHP & MINIMAL ESI

WATER-BASED FORMULATION

Extinosad® Pour-On delivers four important benefits for Australian sheep and wool producers. Its unique knockdown

chemistry is ideal for rotation programs. It can be used off-shears, on unshorn lambs and long wool sheep. It has

no wool withholding period and minimal ESI. And best of all, it’s a convenient water-based formulation. For more

information about why Extinosad Pour-On is the dead fast, dead easy way to control sheep lice, contact your local

rural store, call Elanco Animal Health on 1800 226 324 or visit extinosad.com.au

DEAD FAST.DEAD EASY.

20132_EAH13438A4_Extinosad_A4_PrintReady.indd 1 29/07/13 8:31 AM

Standing the test of time, UptakeTM Spraying Oil from Dow AgroSciences has long been recognized as a premium crop oil.

Uptake was specifically developed for the Australian market, initially for use with Verdict Herbicide. However, field experience and continued research by the Dow AgroSciences R&D team, has shown that it can be used with a wide range of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. Uptake has stood the test of time, and is proven to not damage your crop or turn to jelly in cold conditions, as some adjuvants do.”

Mr Sturgess explains, “Uptake Spraying Oil is a proprietary blend of six ingredients. The formulation contains two or three more ingredients than most adjuvants on the market making Uptake one of a kind. It is for these reasons I can state without doubt, that there is NO replica or generic copy of Uptake on the market”.

THE NEW ERYVAC VACCINATION PROGRAM:

Description Vaccination Age

Lambs First 4-6 weeks (e.g. marking)

Second 4 weeks later (e.g. weaning)

Ewes – not previously vaccinated

First At the time of joining up until 8 weeks prior to lambing

Second 4 weeks prior to lambing

Pregnant ewes – previously vaccinated

Booster 4 weeks prior to lambing

Farmers & Agronomists may sometimes be deceived into believing that they are saving money by using a cheaper alternative. There are two things to consider; cost and reliability. When you cost your spray job, make sure you do it on a per hectare basis. Other adjuvants may be cheaper per litre than Uptake, but you quickly lose that cost advantage by having to use excessive rates to get a decent job. Secondly, Uptake will get the best performance out of your crop production chemicals, it will not damage your crop or clog up your nozzles.

“Uptake is guaranteed to be the best quality crop oil concentrate on the market. There really shouldn’t be any question about whether to use a cost-effective, reliable and research-supported product.” Mr Sturgess adds.

For more information, please contact your local Dow AgroSciences representative on 1800 700 096 or visit www.dowagrosciences.com.au

Over the past several years, the massive influx and array of products now available has made the adjuvant market very complex. Bryce Sturgess Product Marketing Manager for Dow AgroSciences Australia says “not all adjuvants are the same. Choosing the correct product for the job can often be the difference between success and failure in the paddock”.

In south-eastern Australia, fine wool producers who undertake the new Eryvac vaccination program can expect to see an increase in profits of over $11,000 per year.

This figure can be broken down as profits of approximately $640 per 1,000 sheep, or $1.40 per ewe, based on a flock structure of 45% of the flock run as ewes.

Simply put, fine wool enterprises seeing as little as 1 in 200 lambs affected by erysipelas arthritis can expect to profit by implementing the new Eryvac vaccination program.

In addition, producers following the new Eryvac vaccination protocol will experience significant labour savings and have a positive impact on animal welfare.

12

Many producers are familiar with the benefits of using Eryvac vaccine in ewes to prevent erypsipelas arthritis in their offspring for the first six to eight weeks of life.

Eryvac now has an additional claim for use in lambs, with two doses administered at marking and weaning. This new label claim means producers can extend the protection of their flock to cover other critical risk periods such as the post-marking period and at shearing.

Dr Graham Lean1 completed an analysis2 of the financial benefits of using the new Eryvac vaccination program in the ewe and lamb and has concluded that the program is profitable in both specialist fine wool and prime lamb flocks.

Quality adjuvants the difference between

SUCCESS AND FAILURE

Bryce Sturgess DOW Product Marketing Manager

ERYVAC – THE ECONOMICS (South-eastern Australia, Merino)

PRE-LAMBING VACCINATION OF EWES WITH ERYVAC IS THE ONLY WAY TO PROTECT YOUR LAMBS FROM BIRTH.Eryvac is now registered for use in lambs as young as 3 weeks of age for prevention of erysipelas arthritis.

For more information on how to protect your flock, talk to your Zoetis Sheep Product Specialist on 1800 814 883. Zoetis Australia Pty Ltd. ABN 94 156 476 425. 38-42 Wharf Road, West Ryde NSW 2114. © 2014 Zoetis Inc. All rights reserved. 04/14

As if the opportunity to win a ute last year wasn’t enough, Whites are making this year’s Stockpost promotion go Stronger, Longer and Further (just like their Stockpost range) by giving away a ute and a quad bike.

The Cut Loose promotion that drew attention to the Stockpost brand last year, prompted a lot of interest from contractors and farmers. The strong advertising campaign in the rural press had them asking for Stockpost by name.

“It’s about driving customers to stores with a strong message and a relevant promotion”, said Whites Group National Sales Manager, Steve Vagg.

“We’re about adding value to our customer’s business, whether it’s with the quality that Stockpost brings, or strong promotional support that gets contractors and farmers excited”, he added.

The Cut Loose promotion starts June 1st, 2014 and runs through to August giving resellers time to make the most of the program during end of financial year sales

Take a closer look at the Cut Loose campaign on the Stockpost website: www.stockpost.com.au/winaute

15

Driving customers to your store this fencing season

CUT LOOSE BIGGER AND BETTER FOR 2014

and well into the fencing season. Whites will again be advertising throughout the period.

To enter the draw customers simply purchase a sling of Stockposts from any participating retailer and follow the terms and conditions on the entry pad or Stockpost website.

The prize this year is a Toyota Hi-Lux 4WD Ute and a Cougar CAT 500 Farm ATV. Both are respected brands, trusted and proven on the land, just like Stockpost.

likely to do business with you again.”Chris added that the safety of Agtryne MA had been tested on a range of common sub clover varieties over several seasons, confirming that some reduction

in clover vigour could occur in line with other herbicides containing terbutryn.“If a growth check does occur, a full recovery can normally be expected,” he said.“Nevertheless, it is good practice to recommend using Agtryne MA at temperatures of 18º C or lower to reduce these effects.”Agtryne MA is just one of Crop Care’s extensive range of herbicides and insecticides to help

maximise pasture health and productivity.For a breakout box :Commonly known as Paterson’s curse or Salvation Jane, Echium plantagineum continues to be a major annual weed in winter pastures throughout southern

Australia.The seeds of Paterson’s curse germinate in autumn and grow over winter as large rosettes, smothering desirable pasture species such as clover.Even worse, Paterson’s curse plants contain toxic alkaloids which cause health problems in stock and when the weeds die off in summer,

paddocks are left exposed to soil erosion.Producers who want to rid their pastures of Paterson’s curse or capeweed should consider applying Agtryne® MA herbicide as soon as possible after the autumn break.

1. Control Paterson’s curse in clover based pastures with Crop Care’s Agtryne MA herbicide

Chris Ramsey, Marketing Manager, Crop Care

2. Control capeweed in clover based pastures with Crop Care’s Agtryne MA herbicide

AIRR members and customers should be on the alert for opportunities to control Paterson’s curse and capeweed in clover-based pastures with the use of Agtryne® MA herbicide from Crop Care this winter.

Chris Ramsey, Crop Care’s Marketing Manager, said the timing of the autumn break in most regions had the potential to lead to widespread germinations of Paterson’s curse across southern Australia.“As producers know, Paterson’s curse is a prolific seeder that can quickly take over a pasture because of its high seed production, long soil life and competitive growth pattern,” he said.“A combination of terbutryn and MCPA, Agtryne MA has a well established reputation for controlling Paterson’s curse, with flexible rates offering effective control right from the first germinations.”Chris encouraged AIRR members to be checking pastures for early germinations of Paterson’s curse and encouraging their customers to apply Agtryne MA.“Several years of trials have confirmed that the best weed control comes from spraying young plants that are easier to control and compete less with the pasture,” he said.“Agtryne MA can be applied at 300 to 500 ml/ha on Paterson’s curse up to the two-leaf stage, or at rates up to 1 L/ha on plants up to 7 cm in diameter and 1.5 L/ha for plants up to 20 cm in diameter.“Encouraging producers to spray earlier will save them money and give them better results, so they are more

TACKLE PATERSON’S CURSE WITH AGTRYNE MA FROM CROP CARE

14

17

Looking for Australia’s No#1 Selling Triple Active Drench?

Merial Australia Pty Ltd, Building D, 12-24 Talavera Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113. ABN 53 071 187 285. ®TRIGUARD is a registered trademark of Merial Limited. ©2012 Merial Limited. All rights reserved. TRIG-12-000

Protect your sheep with the Triple Drench Power of TRIGUARD. Providing a potent triple

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The concept of an “augmented product” was first described by Kotler in 1972 and it has grown rapidly since then to the extent that we now have “core” products packaged with so-called augmented “benefits” covering many consumer goods. Perhaps the classic example is a credit card which offers the same level of credit to the holder, but comes in different colours (green, blue, gold, platinum and black in the case of American Express), subject to the image you wish to create for yourself. Regardless of colour, the core product (credit) remains the same, but American Express sells the colour. Augmented benefits usually come with a premium, although there are many examples where the augmentation is priced into the core product, for example, a warranty on a motor vehicle or a seat that converts to a bed on an airline. As a general rule, generic products are mostly core products, that is, they carry no extra incentives apart from basic function and certainly do not carry a premium. On the other hand many premium products are today often marketed at the augmented product level, for example, full-service airlines and banks whose core products are quite prosaic.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER TO THE FARMER?Augmentation is the latest MNC response to generic agricultural chemicals. The MNC which originally introduced Glyphosate to the global market more than 30 years ago recently commenced augmenting Glyphosate with a new benefit known as rainfastness, that is, the benefit of being able to spray Glyphosate even if rain is forecast to fall immediately after the spraying ceases. Most Glyphosate is “rainfast” with three hours of spraying, but it is claimed that the augmentation reduces this time to 30 minutes. The introduction of the benefit of rainfastness is somewhat cynical because the technology has been available for 30 years and rainfastness was not seen as a problem until generic Glyphosate forced the MNC to reduce its prices. As a seller of Glyphosate we would, of course, make this claim, but there is no need to rely on our view alone. Syngenta, in a brochure about Spray.Seed® wrote,

“The peace of mind generated by rainfastness is only effective if the herbicide works. Rainfastness is a science and not a marketing tool”.

SYNGENTA GOES ON TO DESCRIBE THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT INFLUENCE THE RAINFAST PERIOD:◆ Mode of action of the herbicide◆ Target weed species◆ Rate of herbicide applied◆ Climatic conditions during application◆ Rainfall intensity◆ Weed growing conditions

Essentially, one has to have all ducks in a row for rainfastness to become a reality in less than two hours. Therefore if you use the new “rainfast” Glyphosate at a low a rate and it is followed by very heavy rain, there will be no rainfastness. If you use a poor wetter there will also be no rainfastness and so on.

The sale of Glyphosate augmented with a rainfast property comes with a claim that the product is 100% rainfast and an imputation that other Glyphosates are not rainfast. However, this claim is far from true as the following results show from trials conducted by

the University of Wisconsin. The trial pitted a generic Glyphosate 360 with 70 g/L of wetter against Roundup® WeatherMAX®, a generic Glyphosate with 140 g/L wetter plus a non-ionic surfactant and WeatherMAX® with the same non-ionic surfactant. The target weed was “Lambsquarters”. You will note from the trial results (below) that the generic Glyphosate 360 with 70 g/L

of wetter (Glystar®) was around 58% rainfast after 30 minutes following simulated rain. Roundup® WeatherMAX® was around 61% rainfast after the same period. I should mention at this stage that Glyphosate 360 is the standard formulation in the US. In Australia we use 150 g/L of wetter in Glyphosate 360 while Glyphosate 450 with 120 g/L of wetter is used in broad-acre

16

" We could expect an improved performance in Australia with 150 g/L of wetter and, indeed, a significant improvement with other APPARENT® Glyphosate products."

MARKETING OF AUGMENTED PRODUCTS & RAINFAST GLYPHOSATE

Please turn to page 18 to continue reading

19

*ECLIPSE is the only cattle drench with a registered label claim to control ML or levamisole resistant strains of roundworms. See product label for full claim details. 1. Data on File – ECLIPSE field studies; Cotter, Besier & van Burgel (2012) 2. Cotter, Besier & van Burgel (2012); Rendell (2010) 3. Sargison (2011). Merial Australia Pty Ltd, Building D, 12-24 Talavera Road, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113 (ABN 53 071 187 285). ®ECLIPSE is a registered trademark of Merial Limited. ©2014 Merial Limited. All rights reserved. ECLP-13-12-003A SANOFI COMPANY

Power Up to a Combination

Recent studies across Australia confirm that 2 out of 3 herds tested have resistance to single active ML (mectin) drenches.1

Over 90% of cattle producers use an ML drench.2 With repeated use over a number of years, it’s no surprise that resistance to this drench group is being seen more frequently.

This ML drench resistance can cause productivity losses, and lost income, without any obvious signs of disease.3

Parasitologists agree that a key approach to managing resistance is to build an effective combination drench into your drench program.

Protect your herd now – with a combination pour-on!

Power Up to ECLIPSE TWICE THE POUR-ON

Power Up to Superior Performance

Eclipse_Ad_297x210_RBM.indd 1 20/01/14 11:03 AM

" Farmers will not have to waste money on an augmented benefit which could have been introduced 30 years ago."

agriculture. Therefore, we could expect an improved performance in Australia with 150 g/L of wetter and, indeed, a significant improvement with other APPARENT® Glyphosate products.

When a non-ionic surfactant is added to both products, after two hours you will note that WeatherMAX® is around 75% rainfast after simulated rain, the same level as generic Glyphosate 360. After four hours, WeatherMAX® is around 89% rainfast after simulated rain, while generic Glyphosate 360 with the additive (Glystar Plus®) is around 82% rainfast. Thus using only two of six factors controlling rainfastness (mode of action and intensity of rainfall) we note that generic Glyphosate demonstrates a significant level of rainfastness while WeatherMAX® demonstrates around a 9% improvement. Please note that the control showed that without simulated rainfall, all four products averaged 96% across all treatments.

In trials that clearly demonstrate Spray.Seed® (and therefore generic versions of this product) is virtually rainfast after 15 minutes, Syngenta also trialled the application rate of premium Glyphosate on rainfastness for comparison purposes. The results are very interesting! Glyphosate 510 g/L (without additives) applied at the rate of 2.88 L/ha is virtually rainfast after two hours. However, the same Glyphosate applied at 0.72 L/ha is around 25% rainfast after six hours.

The conclusion you may reach from these two studies is that you can achieve a high level of rainfastness by simply increasing the application rate of the Glyphosate and, indeed, based on US literature, this practice is recommended throughout the US. You may also conclude that without paying attention to rain forecasts, even after only 30 minutes most Glyphosate products will be around 50% rainfast. Thus if it rains 30 minutes after you have completed spraying all is not lost, but you may have to complete a second pass with reduced rate.

As you will note the above - and particularly the two studies – there is no such concept as “absolute rainfastness” (which the MNC implies), only degrees of rainfastness and the new,

augmented Glyphosate gives only marginal improvement provided all of the ducks are in a row. For example, if you use a rainfast Glyphosate with a poor wetter at a low concentration on the wrong weed and followed by heavy rain there will be no rainfastness whatsoever. Therefore, does rainfastness matter? Probably not, because there is a viable alternative to paying a

premium for rainfast Glyphosate or increasing the application rate – simply wait for a period when no rain is forecast for at least four hours, but preferably six hours! Waiting is something that Australian farmers have been doing for 30 years without too much inconvenience. Waiting is also less of a problem these days because of the

unfortunate increase in the number of rain-free days in Australia.

However, for those who are not prepared to wait and are seeking the marginal improvement that use of a non-ionic surfactant can achieve, APPARENT already has a product that may be added to our Glyphosate to improve rainfastness. This product is APPARENT GOLD Wetter 1000. When added to the tank mix at 2% of volume, APPARENT GOLD Wetter 1000 will give the same degree of rainfastness as any other Glyphosate product on the market. However, we will not incorporate a non-ionic acid in our drums of Glyphosate products because it will only be of

value if it happens to rain immediately after spraying. Therefore farmers will not have to waste money on an augmented benefit which could have been introduced 30 years ago (when it did rain more frequently), but was not introduced because there was no threat from generics at the time.

Finally, we cannot emphasise strongly enough that the solution to rainfastness is a good wetter. Without a good wetter, any innovation to promote rainfastness is a waste of money because the Glyphosate will not even remain on the leaf, much less be absorbed into the leaf. When Terwet 3780 – the wetter used in our APPARENT Glyphosate 450 was developed – its design included humectancy which allows it absorb and retain water. Thus when you use APPARENT Glyphosate 450, rain will actually be absorbed by the wetter rather than washing it away. Obviously the level of absorption will depend upon the intensity of the rain, but no Glyphosate is rainfast under very heavy rainfall.

" When you use APPARENT Glyphosate 450, rain will actually be absorbed by the wetter rather than washing it away."

18

% UNLESS INDICATED

Dry Matter 90.0

Protein 9.0

Oil (B) Acid Hydrolysis 0.7

Fibre (crude) 16.0

Ash 9.0

NDF 38.2

Starch Trace

Total Sugar 5.0

Energy DE MJ/kg 12.0

WHAT IS SPEEDI BEET?Speedi-Beet is a pure unmolassed sugar beet pulp treated by a patented process that includes Micronization.

WHAT IS MICRONIZATION?Micronization is a process where infra red rays causes the water molecules present in all feedstuffs to rapidly vibrate and heat up, causing water vaporisation and expansion. The almost instantaneous heating and vaporisation disrupts fibre, including that encircling the cells allowing "locked-in" nutrients to become available for subsequent digestion.

HOW DOES SPEEDI-BEET SOAK SO QUICKLY?Once sugar has been extracted the pulp is dried and compressed into dense pellets. Water can soak through the closely impacted fibre only very slowly. With Speedi-Beet the manufacturing

CAN SPEEDI-BEET CAUSE COLIC?As mentioned in the previous point there is little swelling when Speedi-Beet is soaked, either before feeding or in the stomach. The problem with sugar beet pellets is the slowness of soaking. If fed dry the outside will swell up with water but the centre will remain impacted for a considerable time. If incompletely soaked, or fed dry, this impaction may cause gut motility problems that lead to Colic. Speedi-Beet soaks quickly and regularly and turns into a friable product that can flow easily along the gut.

WON’T THE SUGAR CAUSE PROBLEMS?Sugar beet pulp may be molassed and can contain up to 20% sugar. Speedi-Beet is only manufactured from unmolassed beet pulp, with typical levels of 5%. This sugar (sucrose, 50% glucose and 50% fructose) is not only highly digestible but also (due to the manufacturing process) highly available, and is entirely absorbed in the small intestine. In fact sugar absorption is essential to help active amino acid (protein) absorption across the gut wall. Problems may occur if too much sugar (or starch or fructans) is fermented in the hindgut, but this will not occur with Speedi-Beet.

IS THIS WHY IT IS GOOD FOR LAMINITICS?Yes. One of the many causes of laminitis is thought to be due to too much acid production (especially lactic acid) in the hindgut. Lactic acid is absorbed but cannot be metabolised as quickly as other fermentation products such as the volatile fatty acids. Its build up causes conditions in the body that can lead to laminitis. In addition, acid conditions in the gut can change the microbial population and this may lead to toxic fermentation products.

Fermentation of Speedi-Beet produces good levels of volatile fatty acids, but levels of lactic acid lower than hay or oat fibre.

WHAT ABOUT CUSHINGS SYNDROME?Cushings Syndrome is associated with hyperglycaemia (too much glucose circulating in the blood) and abnormal patterns in plasma insulin. It is due to aberrations in the pituitary gland. As mentioned before the glucose levels in Speedi-Beet are low and will be largely used in the gut wall to help protein absorption. Levels absorbed will not affect the syndrome.

IS THIS THE SAME FOR INSULIN RESISTANT (IR) HORSES?The sugar in Speedi-Beet is only 50% glucose; fructose will have no direct effect on insulin. The amounts of glucose, from Speedi-Beet, circulating in the bloodstream would have a negligent effect on overall levels.

ALL THE SAME WON’T I BE BETTER OFF NOT FEEDING SPEEDI-BEET?Not necessarily. All feeding stuffs contain sugars, or chains of sugars (e.g. starch). In fact, at around 5%, Speedi-Beet has lower total sugars than oat feed (13%), Grass (11%), Alfalfa (8%) and most other feedstuffs.

If you are concerned, after soaking Speedi-Beet squeeze out the excess water and pour off. The sugar that had dissolved in the water will therefore be discarded. Trials have demonstrated a 60% reduction in sugar content, with only 1 "wash".

CAN I USE SPEEDI-BEET TO PUT WEIGHT ON MY HORSE?Yes. Speedi-Beet can be added to any dietary regime. If put in over and above your horse normal diet, he will improve his weight and

Speedi-Beet ® is a registered trademark of I’Anson Brothers LimitedPatent No: GB2341307A

condition. Conversely it can be used as a top dressing to increase the intake of other feeds, or can be substituted for a less nutritious feedstuff. The nutritional profile of Speedi-Beet (in terms of protein, energy, vitamins and trace elements will fit easily with any combination.

CAN I USE SPEEDI-BEET TO HELP LOSE WEIGHT?Yes. Strange as it may seem, after the answer to the above point, it is possible to use Speedi-Beet to reduce weight.

Once soaked Speedi-Beet is quite bulky. Feeding this before turn out, or before providing forage, will make your horse feel quite full. As horses are trickle feeders they will tend to graze less and more slowly. You can feed him less and he will lose weight without losing condition. When he achieves the correct weight, feed the Speedi-Beet with his meals and intake will increase.

CAN I FEED SPEEDI-BEET TO ACONVALESCENT HORSE?Yes. Speedi-Beet can be fed in any situation. Its soaked bulk, if fed before other feeds will increase subsequent feeding time and allay boredom; its palatability will also help mask the taste of any medication introduced.

IS SPEEDI-BEET HEATING? CAN I FEED IT TO A“FIZZY” HORSE?Speedi-Beet has a lower overall sugar content than most other feedstuffs. The sugar (Glucose and fructose) is very easily absorbed and the majority will be used in the gut wall to aid amino acid and peptide (protein) uptake. The fibre profile, although readily available for microbial activity, is such that it is fermented to products similar to those found in hay fermentation in the hindgut. Other fibres, such as pectins, can be fermented higher up the gut releasing beneficial end products. This means that although Speedi-Beet has high availability of nutrients and energy they are released, in a controlled manner along the whole length of the gut. There are no sudden peaks of glucose or nutrient overload, which are causative factors in heating and "fizziness".

My horse is very active. If I feed Speedi-Beet won’t he receive too little energy. Shouldn’t I be feeding cereals?

The horse has evolved to utilise fibre as its main energy source. In the wild he'll graze on poor quality grass and avoid too much exercise, simply because he won't have the energy. Now domesticated, we can put demands on him that require much higher levels of energy expenditure. Cereals, especially when micronized to improve starch digestibility, are the traditional method of supplying extra energy, rapidly. But Speedi-Beet will provide a controlled release of fermentation energy, at higher overall levels than other forages, and even some cereals. It can replace some or all cereal energy, depending on the amount of the horse's activity.

CAN I FEED SPEEDI-BEET TO A SENIOR HORSE?Yes. Once soaked it is palatable and easy to eat - even if your horse is missing teeth (it requires little chewing)- and the greater energy nutrient and energy availability will be of tremendous benefit. As horses get older their digestive efficiency declines and so a readily digestible feedstuff, like Speedi-Beet, is ideal.

CAN I FEED IT TO YOUNG HORSES, FOALS AND MARES?Yes. The fibre profile is ideal for all ages and states, and the high availability of the other nutrients make Speedi-Beet a safe and

process forces the fibres apart, allowing greater accessibility to water. It's like cardboard converted to blotting paper.

WHY DOES SPEEDI-BEET HAVE GREATER NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY THAN BEET PULP?Not only does the manufacturing process of Speedi-Beet force fibres apart it also disrupts them. Non-fibrous nutrients that were encapsulated by fibre are now available to the digestive enzymes and the available surface area of the fibres is increased allowing more gut bacteria to attack and ferment them.

WHAT ARE THE CORRECT PROPORTIONS FOR SOAKING?The recommended proportion is one part of Speedi-Beet to five parts of water by weight. For example 250g of Speedi-Beet should be soaked in 1.25kg (or 1.25litres: 1litre of water

weighs 1 kg) of water. The amounts aren't too critical. When first using Speedi-Beet, weigh out the amounts and judge the amount to scoop for subsequent feeds.

DOES IT MATTER IF I USE TOO MUCHWATER?No. Speedi-Beet can soak up to at least seven times its own weight, more than sugar beet pellets. The final mix will be a bit sloppier, but it is a good method for getting extra water into your horse.

CAN I PREPARE ENOUGH FOR TWO FEEDS (I.E. OVER 24 HOURS)?Yes. There is no problem, except perhaps during very hot, humid periods where there may be a slight risk from mould growth. This, though, is true for all feeds. The nutrients will remain unaffected.

concentrated feedstuff. The importance of feeding any horse is to provide the correct profile of nutrients at each stage of the horse's life. The versatility of Speed-Beet means it can fit into any feeding regime.

WHAT CAN I FEED SPEEDI-BEET WITH?As mentioned previously Speedi-Beet can be fed in conjunction with any feedstuff you would normally feed your horse. Commercial cubes, straights and forages can all be partially substituted with Speedi-Beet, depending on the horse's requirements and activity.

HOW MUCH SPEEDI-BEET CAN I FEED MY HORSE?This is a bit like "how long is a piece of string?" We would recommend, as a general guideline, 100g of Speedi-Beet (dry weight) for every 100 kg of horse weight - e.g. 0.25 kg for a 250-300 kg pony, 0.5 kg for a 500-600 kg horse. However the important factor, as with feeding any material, is observation. Start with these levels and adjust them according to the horse's general condition and activity. The most important thing is to provide plenty of forage. Adding Speedi-Beet should initially be at the expense of other straights, unless specific results (weight gain, high levels of activity etc.) are required.

I DON’T FEED SUGAR BEET. WHY SHOULD I?The fibre profile of sugar beet is ideal for horses. Equally divided between cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectins, beet provides fibres that can be fermented along the whole gut length at different rates, as well as providing slowly fermented fibre and much needed bulk.

Fibre is an extremely complex range of ß-linked carbohydrates that varies between different plant species. The profile in sugar beet is such that microbial fermentation (the only way animals can utilise fibre) in the gut gives the right proportions of energy rich nutrients for the horse.

WHY IS SPEEDI-BEET APPROVED BY THE LAMINITIS TRUST?The major nutritional cause of Laminitis is the microbial fermentation of non-fibrous carbohydrates in the hindgut. Sugar, starch (cereals, oilseeds, pulses etc.) and fructans (grass, alfalfa) reaching the hindgut are fermented by some microbes that are usually present in very low numbers. Their fermentation end products, including lactic acid (a major suspect in Laminitis) create a microenvironment that benefits them. Within a very short time they become the dominant species, disrupting the integrity of the hindgut and producing increasing amounts of adverse products such as lactic acid.

Speedi-Beet contains negligible amounts of starch; the sugar is highly available (due to the micronizing process) and is absorbed in the small intestine. There are no fructans. Therefore there is nothing in Speedi-Beet to disrupt normal hindgut function.

Frequently Asked Questions

% UNLESS INDICATED

MINERALS

Calcium 0.80

Phosphorus (total) 0.10

Magnesium 0.17

Manganese mg/kg 45

Zinc mg/kg 19

Iron mg/kg 762

Copper mg/kg 3

Potassium 1.14

Selenium mg/kg 0.06

Iodine mg/kg <0.1

Salt 0.30

Sodium 0.24

% UNLESS INDICATED

AMINO ACIDS

Lysine 0.58

Methionine 0.15

Threonine 0.51

Cystine 0.14

Gycine 0.47

Tryptophan 0.16

Arginine 0.30

PREPARATION - Preparing Speedi-Beet couldn't be easier.

Typical Analysis

THE WORLD'S NO.1 QUICK SOAKING SUGAR BEET FLAKES

ITS KEY BENEFITS ARE:4 Quick soaking and Convenient4 Unmolassed - 95% SUGAR FREE4 Ideal fibre source for horses prone to laminitis4 A Laminitis Trust approved feed4 Low sugar / starch4 High digestible fibre4 Non-GM4 Rapid re-hydration4 Non-heating

4 Slow release energy 4 Excellent complementary feedstuff to hard

feed4 Extremely palatable (ideal for fussy eaters) 4 Excellent top dressing. 4 Improved Nutrient Availability. Unique

patented processing allows release of nutrients prior to hind gut fermentation

4 Stimulates beneficial gut bacteria

4 Excellent source of pectins, betaine and non-structural glucose.

4 More hygienic than traditional sugar beet feeds, due to the quick soaking time.

4 Speedi-Beet is made from pure unmolassed sugar beet pulp, no additives or flavours.

FRESH WEIGHT BASIS BEFORE SOAKINGAvailable around the world in 24 countries, Speedi-Beet is fast, convenient and is the healthy option for thousands of horse owners who now use the product and rely on its benefits.

2120

WHAT IS SPEEDI-BEET & HOW DOES IT WORK?Speedi-Beet is made from pure unmolassed sugar beet pulp which is a by-product of the sugar beet industry. Sugar beet is grown in Europe and North America as an alternative to sugar cane which is grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. It is mainly grown as a source of table sugar for human consumption. Sugar Beet accounts for 30% of the worlds sugar production.

22

POSTS

www.cycloneproducts.com.auFreecall: 1800 199 450

Cyclone Livestock PostsThe range you want from the name you know.

The sugar beet harvest in the UK usually takes place from September onwards with the beet being delivered into one of several sugar beet factories situated throughout eastern England. After cleaning, the beet is sliced into cossettes by a machine that resembles a kitchen grater and as much surface area is presented to maximise the sugar extraction process as possible. The sliced sugar beet is mixed with hot water and the sugar is extracted.

After the water has been squeezed out, the pulp is dried and usually molasses is added back where upon the pulp is either used in its shredded form or it is pelleted. Speedi-Beet is manufactured from beet pulp which has not had molasses added to it and is therefore around 95% sugar free. The beet pulp then undergoes a further patented process and is then cooked utilising our process, micronization. This involves heating the dried beet pulp at relatively low temperatures for a short time using infra-red heat and prevents the protein from denaturing allowing for quicker release of nutrients into the horses digestive system. The micronizing process also imparts flavour into the beet pulp so the product does not require the use of added molasses i.e. sugar for palatability.The beet pulp is then flaked to increase surface area to aid rapid water absorption.

That’s why Speedi-Beet can be prepared in under 10 minutes instead of the usual 24 hours for traditional sugar beet pulp.

♦ Simply mix 5 parts of water to 1 part of Speedi-Beet by weight. Thats about 2½ parts of water to 1 part of Speedi-beet by volume.

♦ Leave to soak for 9 minutes using cold water or 5 minutes using hot water (fantastic in the winter to warm your horse!). Once Speedi

Beet has been soaked it can be fed straight away or it can be kept in a cool environment,

23

enabling you to still prepare in advance if you wish. Do Not Feed Dry

AN INTRODUCTION TO FEEDING SPEEDI-BEETDO NOT FEED DRY – Refer to mixing and preparation guide for more information.

Unlike other sugar beet products, Speedi-Beet will absorb up to 5 times its own weight as water. The bulking capacity, however, is mediated by its *patented production process and will improve the inherent digestion in the horse.

It is therefore recommended that concentrate allowances should be reviewed after a few days to ensure the animal does not gain weight too fast.

Additional advice can be found in our “frequently asked questions” section where our equine nutritionist, Dr. Tom Shurlock provides answers to the most common questions.

EXAMPLE FEEDING RECOMMENDATIONSThe following recommendations are for guidance only. If replacing conventional sugar beet with Speedi-Beet® direct substitution can be carried out. Because of improved nutrient availability it will be necessary to adjust current feeding regime accordingly. Where Speedi-Beet® is introduced care should be taken to offer in increasing amounts, initially, to achieve recommended levels. As Speedi-Beet® is highly palatable beware of overfeeding.

As a guide horses require 2% of body weight as feed per day. At least 25% must be fed as forage, or high fibre alternatives. Speedi-Beet can be fed up to 30% of the daily feed, depending on the circumstances.

As a forage replacer: When forage is unavailable, mix Speedi-Beet and chaff in a ratio of 1:3, soak prior to feeding and feed at the following rates:

EXERCISE APPROX. SIZE (HH)

BODY WEIGHT (KG)

"CHOP 'N' CHAFF" (KG)

LIGHT 9.0 - 10.0 200 2.0 - 2.5

13.0 - 14.0 400 4.0 - 4.5

15.0 - 16.2 600 6.0 - 6.5

MEDIUM 9.0 - 10.0 200 2.5 - 3.5

13.0 - 14.0 400 6.0 - 6.5

15.0 - 16.2 600 8.5 - 9.5

EXERCISE APPROX. SIZE (HH)

BODY WEIGHT (KG)

HARD FEED* (KG)

SPEEDI-BEET (KG)

LIGHT 9.0 - 10.0 200 1.0 0.25

13.0 - 14.0 400 1.5 0.50

15.0 - 16.2 600 2.5 1.25

MEDIUM 9.0 - 10.0 200 1.5 0.75

13.0 - 14.0 400 2.5 1.25

15.0 - 16.2 600 4.25 1.75

As a feedstuff: Up to 20% of concentrate allowance, either as commercial feed or cereals can be substituted with Speedi-Beet. Adjust feed allowances accordingly.

As a palatant: Up to 5% of concentrate allowance as a top dressing for hard feeds or where palatability is a problem.

As a conditioner: Use 10% of concentrate allowance, mixed into the concentrate to maintain optimum condition in roughed off horses or to fill out of condition horses.

As a nutritional aid: In cases where early grass growth leads to conditions of hind gut acidity, Speedi-Beet can be fed prior to grazing to reduce grass intake. Speedi-Beet is high in pectins and low in starch, allowing correct microbial fermentation and reducing the effect of acidosis related problems.

* Either a branded horse feed or combination of suitable feedstuffs

expands rapidly, the thirst for knowledge is also very high. Some of the key questions dog owners enquired about to the CopRice team was nutritionally focused and in particular owners wanting to match the life

stage of the dog with the correct dry feed to meet there needs. Also the ingredients and value for money of feeding select products in the CopRice range. The growth and demand in majors canine exhibitions will be supported in November

2014 with the first Sydney Dog Lovers Expo, this event will attract major crowds and all the major supply companies will be attending to provide products and services into this rapidly expanding and knowledge thirsty sector.

The Melbourne Dog Lovers show 2014 was a massive event with 25,000 people attending over three days. The large crowds were exposed to a wide range of companies that supply goods into the pet speciality sectors including dog treats,trainers, toys, collars, rugs, portrait photo’s, dog food and many supplements. The event is well supported by a wide range of breed societies and a number of dog training and agility operators attended to impress the grounded onlookers. The CopRice team was extremely busy, talking to many dog owners about the feeding requirements of their canine friends.

The event is only in its second year, but has grown into a must see event on the Victorian dog owners calendar. As the popularity of owning a dog

DOG LOVERS" The event is only in its second year, but has grown into a must see event on the Victorian dog owners calendar."

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Rotational Wormer

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24

MaxiCoat Coat and Hoof Conditioner

Increases body weight

and condition

28% Fat

Quality protein for muscle

building and topline

Vitamins and minerals

for optimum health

Enhanced coat shine

Cool source of energy

Reduces the incidence of

metabolic conditions

Optimal hoof growth and

strength

WeightGain High Weight Gain Formula

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I emphasise that it is not all businesses and we often see great examples of tremendous sales cultures in businesses.

But like all statistics and surveys, there are the good, the bad and the ugly. Even taking the ugly to bad is an improvement!

It is reported that companies are struggling to improve their sales.

So what can be done?

◆ Listen to your customers – understand their needs and wants.

◆ Know your products and services – and communicate that knowledge.

◆ Ensure your customers know what you sell and can offer as a service.

◆ Emphasis service not just price.

◆ Aim to satisfy your customers – within reason – they pay your bills!

◆ Ensure you know your customers – have a good database – communicate with them, build their knowledge and their connection with you.

There is no excuse in today’s electronic world not to know or understand your customers, to not engage with them, to not communicate with them – early, efficiently and cost effectively. Email, social media, SMS, etc are all great tools

when used properly. But don’t use it as your sole engagement. Nothing is better than face to face engagement and asking the right questions.

I had an example the other day where a client ran into a potential client of theirs who was talking about a purchase he had just made (a substantial one at that!). To my clients frustration he learned that the potential client, whilst he broadly knew what my client did, did not know he could supply the relevant service, would have been able to be more timely with it, and importantly would have provided better after sales service and back up!

Needless to say someone is reflecting on how well they communicate, why the sales staff hadn’t really known the target client and how to move from order taker to order maker!

Also think about this – look at your top 20 clients and their spend with you – who and what is different in buying patterns – what are they buying elsewhere, indeed why are they buying elsewhere and where are they buying it – know your customers, their behaviours and your competitors offerings!

Lifting your sales culture will lift your business.

Craig Farrow Chairman of AIRR

HAVING A SALES CULTURE

25

A recent survey has identified a damning fact – Australian businesses are hampered by a poor sales culture.

27

CopRice Rice Bran pellets are a unique nutritional equine supplement ideal for ‘winter conditioning’.

COPRICE RICE BRAN. WHY?Contains high levels of Omega 6 for maintaining healthy skin and producing an excellent coat in horses.

Contains natural anti-oxidants to include Vitamin E and tocopherols, as well as gamma oryxanol to help protect cells against oxidative damage.

Contains natural source of Biotin for hoof health, and important vitamins such as Niacin and Pantothenic Acid essential for fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism.

HIGH IN DIGESTIBLE FIBREHIGH IN RICE BRAN OIL HIGH IN OMEGA 6

A cool economical feed that is intended to supplement equine diets. CopRice Rice Bran pellets are highly digestible and contain high levels of fat and essential amino acids that assist in building condition, muscle and topline.

100% Australian produced rice bran High in rice bran oil and highly digestible fibre Low starch (15-20%) and a low glycaemic Index

Nutrient Specifications

Digestible Energy 14.5MJ/kg

Crude Protein 13.0%

Crude Fat 17.0%

CopRice is a division of Ricegrowers Limited, trading as SunRice. CR569RBC.

CopRice Equine Range is available through your local AIRR Warehouse, or call us on 1800 029 901 for details.

Preparation for Winter:IMPORTANCE OF FEED

during wet winters, for both woolly and rugged horses. Rice bran is also a good natural source of biotin, a key vitamin to hoof strength, and important to hoof soundness during winter. With a high fat content (minimum 17.0%) Rice bran can be added through a complete feed, such as CopRice and NutriRice feeds, and also through supplementation to the overall diet with rates from ¼ kg to 3kg for a 500kg horse. Along with providing a nutrient dense concentrate feed, it is really important your horse has quality hay and water available.

Making sure good quality hay is available will ensure your horse’s digestive system continues to function efficiently and also aids in maintaining their body temperature. It is common that pasture quality and availability decreases during the winter months, and being a forage animal, it is important to have gut fill for efficient digestion and overall health. Good quality hay helps fill this decrease in forage availability and being a high fibrous feed (hay/chaff) also helps generate heat through digestion and fermentation. This heat generated during digestion and fermentation helps your horse maintain their body temperature, and can go a long way with ensuring their overall health during winter. Aim to feed at least 1.5% of your horses body weight as roughage during winter (7.5kg for a 500kg horse).

Your horse’s health and condition throughout winter is hugely determined by their diet, and ensuring they are in good condition during Autumn, with optimal fat, fibre and nutrient intake, gives them the best foundations for the winter months.

Winter is fast approaching, and with the falling temperatures it is really important that our horses body condition doesn’t drop off either. An increase in available nutrients, such as fats and fibre, is paramount to making sure your horse is ready for the winter months and ensuring they are in ideal condition in Autumn gives them the best head start. It is much harder to build condition than it is to maintain it!

One of the key nutrients to maintain their condition is fat, along with balanced nutrients including fibre. Fats are an important form of energy, being a slow release fuel and are a key to keeping your horse in good condition. Fat takes some time to be properly utilised by the horse and should be fed for at least 1 month before the onset of the cooler weather so your horse can fully appreciate the benefits. This will ensure your horse has the body condition and the ability to absorb the calories provided by dietary fats during winter. Fats are available in oil form as well as supplement form, such as rice bran. Rice bran is a high fibrous fat supplement, derived from polishing the bran layer off brown rice. This fibrous layer provides a unique blend of natural antioxidants, including Vitamin E, and is rich in omega 6. Omega 6 is an excellent nutrient for body and muscle condition, as well as skin and coat condition, especially important

26

28 29

“The supermarkets are pricks!” “Rural group X are selling drench for Y.” “How can they do 2 x Supercoat for that price?”

The value of relationships and service supported by a range to suit the local customer base is irreplaceable. Independents all over Australia, especially those who we are proud to call our members are enjoying a deserved era of strength over their core corporate competitors.

EXTERNAL PRESSURES ON RETAILERSThrough evolution and strategic diversification, AIRR plays heavily in two different markets – 1) Rural and 2) Pet & Produce. The irreplaceable elements mentioned above are steadfast, but what is almost polar opposite are the mindsets of retailers and competitive pressures of core competitors and with such a huge variety of stores. Therefore, readers of this piece – it doesn’t matter what you sell or what your core competencies are every business has external forces that add to your challenges – and by goodness do they make being irreplaceable critical.

When looking at your business, what defines you? What do you have that sets you apart? Is it range, service, delivery, advice, location, history, relationships; all of what independents could hang their hat on.

Price is the easiest element of all to copy. Any joker can be cheap – but if this is what they hang their hat on, the pearly gates will loom fairly quickly. I have the fortune of talking to hundreds of members across both the AIRR and Tuckers brands, and the pressures created by competitors are so clearly defined in both markets. In rural, independents are most definitely not the cheapest, but are dominating - yep, dominating guys, we at AIRR know all of the figures, against corporates as all are delivering what corporates can’t; irreplaceable value of relationships and service supported by a range to suit the locals.

Then we have pet & produce, where independents are the most competitive by a mile vs. the likes of groups that I respect like Pet Barn, Petstock, Horseland and City Farmers –. Clearly with large overheads, huge investment in shopper experience and franchise fees beating these guys on price by a fair way is easy;

but is it then the independent down the road is a price cowboy?? Geez Louise!! Price fixing is illegal, so you can’t collude. If only the ‘races to the bottom’ were illegal too!! Independents are the most competitive – and by a good way, in pet & produce. Whilst being a very marketable position for us, come in Mates Rates Everyday @ Tuckers, it certainly highlights the importance of the irreplacable elements and utilising promotional tools to attract customers, as this is where the big players absolutely smash independents. We live in a sophisticated world, so retailers have to think the same way.

WHY IS IT THAT EVERYONE KNOWS SOMEONE THAT IS THROWING AROUND THAT RED HOT PRICE?Super professional retailers (& some not so professional but with marketing budgets that make me and my team salivate) are terrific at talking to your customers. Communication is king, and these days our members have many opportunities to get their names in front of customers – the loyal, irregular and potential customer’s are all important. The best retailers do not do campaigns in isolation; they combine any number of mediums TV, print media, email, flyers, loyalty programs, catalogues and EDMs to get their word out. There is a method to reach every single customer out there, and with so many cost effective options –electronic especially, do as much as you can. There is a preferred medium for everyone so make sure you’re grabbing their attention one way or another. I know one thing, AIRR would be in deep ‘Brad Pitt’ if we didn’t have the critical tool of email – our members do get 10 x the amount of communication vs other categories, but that is our job; to create buying and new range opportunities for members. BUT what then? Do your customers

Kane Law General Manager Group Marketting

IF YOU'VE GOT IT, FLAUNT IT.

Please turn to page 18 to continue reading

31

To communicate in what is a clever and competitive world, give your data a health check today.

DATA

Do we have an email database?

Who maintains our database?

Do my staff ask every customer for their details (email and phone)?

PAPERLESS

Email all invoices and statements. Your customers will be happy and the paper trail is a godsend.

DELIVERY AND IMPLEMENTATION

Do we have the software to put together professional emails?

Who will do the graphic design?

How much ($$) should we set aside?

Do we have the ability to trackdata and measure results?

30

tick spot ons (Advocate, Frontline etc) now too. They are taking market from somewhere, and it isn’t online.

You would be amazed at how many independents out there do not price stock. What a great way to look expensive - the first thing a new or irregular customer thinks if something isn’t priced, when we all know that is simply not the case.

Worst yet, it opens up the price conversation with sales staff – then the bartering kicks off. Not a great spot to put staff in.

If you are going to be cheap on selected lines, shout it from the rooftops – communicate deals to customers and have selected lines merchandised in a hot spot with eye catching price tickets. The big boys make a fortune from hot spot impulse buys. Every bloke gets sucked in at Bunnings, and every bloke’s Mrs. says ‘what did you buy that for’. Bunnings returned a profit of $904 million last FY. Impulse pays.

Everyone needs more from their current customers, and everyone needs more customers in store more frequently. Costs are rising, so every single business needs to capture more sales from their existing clients. This is how the bills will get paid.

Regardless of what your core business is, communication and owning your position is king.

know you have these new lines? Is your database live to the minute?

The key motivation for specials is to attract customers - Simple as that. But you have to own it – communication (outlined above) is the start and what your ever increasing number of competitors specialise in as their point of difference as they cannot compete on range and service. The big issue comes when that part is done the activation at store level seals the deal. You control the results. Communication draws them in, but for those loyal customers already in store why not increase your share of their wallet through impulse buys, merchandising and the absolute sales ‘gimme’ PRICE TICKETS!

Simple, but amazingly effective they catch the eye of your customer and scream ‘deal’. Everyone loves a deal. The best retailers in the country, Coles and Woolworths, capture massive extra sales from their yellow tickets. In every supermarket, when those little yellow suckers are fixed to shelves – the product is always wiped out. I’m no psychologist, but if it looks like a bargain, it is a bargain. It works. Whilst it may be a bridge too far, check out Chemist Warehouse next time you are in a store – their pricing model is determined from RRP, then they mark down from there. Even if prices are the norm, they have pink tickets so that the customer PERCEIVES they are getting a hot deal, but it is really their everyday price. Chemist Warehouse is widely regarded as the best marketed retailer in the nation, and have won many awards to echo this. In the five years to March 2013, the proportion of Australians aged 14+ who shop at Chemist Warehouse in an average four-week period has more than doubled from 10% to 21% (ref graph below from Roy Morgan). They are enjoying the fruits of profit from living, breathing and owning their position. Please note they now sell plenty of flea and

32 33

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Pit STORAGESILAGE Film Baling TWINE GRAIN Bags MULCH Films

NETwrap Degradable FILMS STRETCH Films& Pallet WRAPPERS

Recycled PLASTICS

T: 1300 479 727

‘we go to greater lengths’

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AIRR Mag new spects copy.pdf 1 28/05/2012 11:41:47 AM

Woody Weed Control

Herbicides

PANTHER

SLASHERAXEMAN

ABAMECTIN

Insecticides

ONSLAUGHT

STOCKADE

DINGO

RAVAGEACTIVE250g/L MCPA present as the ethyl hexyl ester, 25 g/l Diflufenican

COMPARABLE PRODUCT Tigrex™, Nugrex™

DESCRIPTIONFor the control of broadleaf weeds in winter cereals and clover.

ACTIVE340g/L MCPA (present as the dimethylamine salt), 80 g/l Dicamba

COMPARABLE PRODUCT Kamba M™

DESCRIPTIONFor control of certain broadleaf weeds in winter cereals and non-crop areas.

ACTIVE600 g/L TRICLOPYR

DESCRIPTIONFor the control of various woody and broadleaf weeds.

COMPARABLE PRODUCT Titan™, Garlon 600™

ACTIVE500 g/L CHLORPYRIFOS

DESCRIPTIONFor post-construction management of subterranean termites in accord with the Australian Standard Series AS 3660 and other domestic insect pests and certain insect pests of fruit, vegetables, field crops, pastures turf, and other situations

COMPARABLE PRODUCT Lorsban™, Fortune 500™

ACTIVE 250 g/L BIFENTHRIN

DESCRIPTIONControls insect pests and mites of apricots, bananas, barley, canola, citrus, clover, cotton, faba beans, field peas, grapes, lucerne, lucerne seed crops, lupins, navy beans, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums subterranean clover, sugarcane, tomatoes and wheat

COMPARABLE PRODUCT Crop Care Astral 250™

ACTIVE 250 g/L BIFENTHRIN

COMPARABLE PRODUCT Crop Care Astral 250™

ACTIVE200 g/L Triclopyr present as the triethylamine salt. 100 g/L Picloram present as the triisopropanolamine salt.

DESCRIPTIONFor the control of unwanted timber by stem injection or cut stump/brushcutter application and control of blackberry, gorse and harrisia cactus by foliage spray.

COMPARABLE PRODUCT Tordon Double Strength™

ACTIVE200 g/L FIPRONIL

DESCRIPTIONFor the control of various insect pests in bananas, brassicas, cotton, wine grapevines, mushrooms, pasture, potatoes, sorghum and sugarcane

COMPARABLE PRODUCT Regent™, Surefire Vista™

ACTIVE 18 g/L ABAMECTIN

DESCRIPTIONFor the control of certain mites on cotton, citrus, apples, capsicums, hops, pears, tomatoes, ornamentals and strawberries and native budworm on cotton.

COMPARABLE PRODUCT Vertmitec™

APPARENT SURROUND TERMITICIDEDESCRIPTIONControls insect pests and mites of apricots, bananas, barley, canola, citrus, clover, cotton, faba beans, field peas, grapes, lucerne, lucerne seed crops, lupins, navy beans, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums subterranean clover, sugarcane, tomatoes and wheat

NEW AIRR WEBSITE

4 Well indexed and much more user friendly.4 Supplier categorisation.4 Virtualisation of the index of our supplier guide, including ads.4 Search by category, and click to view relevant suppliers under it.4 Products setup on site scroll

through on supplier page.

SUPPLIER INFORMATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

OUR WAREHOUSES ON YOUR PC, TABLET & MOBILE

4 Products from warehouse guide and tuckersstore.com.au4 Subtle WH pallet icon to indicate warehouse lines.4 AIRR code shown for warehouse lines.4 More products to be added as we go

4 Easy to navigate dashboard.4 Improved information flow for members and customers. Segmented under

pricelists, promotions & news, latest updates. Includes images and preview text.4 Latest news appears first.4 Very secure.

IMPROVED INFORMATION FLOW TO MEMBERS & CUSTOMERS

3534

Also busy were our technical people who were there to give advice to dairy farmers on dairy nutrition. Much of the discussion revolved around the importance of Lead Feeding dairy cows in the three weeks prior to calving. Lead Feeding is important as it helps maintain a high feed intake leading to maintained milk production whilst reducing weight loss in early lactation. The Anionic Salts in CopRice Lead Feed assist in the prevention of post calving metabolic disorders such as ketosis, milk fever and retained placentas. Added buffers and balanced vitamins and minerals also assist cows to cope with the difficult transition phase. CopRice staff expressed the importance of not ignoring this important step in the feed regime of the dairy cow.

Discussions also centred on Calf health and the reasoning behind the importance of a high protein, good quality, palatable diet during the early stages of a calf’s life. A good quality calf feed such as CopRice Premium Calf Pellets is essential to give calves the start they need to become

" CopRice Premium Calf Pellets is essential to give calves the start they need to become healthy, viable production animals later in life. With added vitamins, minerals, trace elements and rumen buffers."

You work hard to care for your farm. We’re here to care for you.

www.trafalgar.com.au1300 361 899

CARRICK TASMANIAThe CopRice team attended a very wet and windy AgFest near Carrick between the 1st and 3rd of May. However the adverse conditions did not deter hardy Tasmanians from coming out in droves over the three days with reported numbers of around 60,000 attending.

CopRice staff were kept busy over the entire three days fielding enquiries about everything from our Rice and Rice Bran based horse feeds through to dog food and cat food enquiries. An assortment of animals on our stand provided children with a distraction as parents discussed the feed and nutritional requirements of all their animals with our experienced staff

healthy, viable production animals later in life. With added vitamins, minerals, trace elements and rumen buffers - CopRice Premium Calf Pellets can be fed from newborn up to weaning or approximately

three months of age. High palatability helps ensure early feed intake leading to more rapid rumen development which equates to fast, efficient growth. Dairy farmers were advised not to underestimate the importance of early calf

nutrition as an important factor in their herds continuing health and production success.

36 37

Zoetis Australia Pty Ltd. ABN 94 156 476 425. 38 - 42 Wharf Road, West Ryde NSW 2114. © 2014 Zoetis Inc. All rights reserved. PFIEQU0626. May 2014.

We’re sure you’ve heard your customers say that worming horses isn’t their favourite pastime, so the less often it has to be done, the better. Equest® Plus Tape lasts up to twice as long as other wormers and protects horses against a broad range of worm species. Equest® Plus Tape’s low volume gel formulation also means easier administration for the horse owner.

Zoetis is committed to supporting you in-store with a range of promotional materials and exciting initiatives for your customers and your staff. Talk to your Zoetis Representative today about the many ways in which we can help increase your sales of Equest® Plus Tape.

Enjoy a longer break between worming treatments

PFIEQU0626_Equest Plus Tape_Reseller Ad_Animal Supplies_140x210_v1.indd 1 26/05/14 11:21 AM

THE FACTS 777 g/kg of Ammonium Salt including 710 g/kg of Glyphosate acid. Compared with 450 g/L in Glyphosate 450.

4 A 10-kg carton of APPARENT Glyphosate 777 is equivalent to 16 litres of Glyphosate 450 weighing around 19 kg.

4 Balance of product (223 g/kg) comprises (1) highly effective dispersant [Huntsman Tersperse] (2) wetter and (3) adjuvant, Ammonium Sulphate. Therefore, neither a wetter nor Ammonium Sulphate need be added to the tank mix.

4 Highly soluble and will dissolve in cold water with minimal agitation.

4 No drum disposal issues and no drumMUSTER levy is payable.

4 Cannot freeze (a minor problem in Australia) noting that efficacy of thawed Glyphosate is significantly reduced.

4 Higher level of active material compared with most comparable products.

Apparent triple seven herbicide

FAST SALES FACTS

“The event is more than a showcase of Australian cattle – it is about growing the beef industry by creating new export opportunities by engaging the international agribusiness community; it is about improving the productivity of producers through our education program; and it is about building excitement in beef as a product through our consumer awareness activities,” Beef Australia Chairman Blair Angus said.

“Beef Australia 2015 is a celebration of all facets of the beef industry in Australia and facilitates new trade and export opportunities by exposing the local supply chain to the international industry leaders.

"It’s also the industry’s chance every three years to eat, play and learn about all things beef and for the general public to enjoy beef in ways they have never experienced before.”

Beef Australia Chief Executive Denis Cox said the development of the program was well underway, with eight producer and industry led committees in place to drive preparation of different aspects of the event, including the stud and commercial cattle competitions, the carcase judging, the education and seminars programs, and the ever-popular property tours.

“Our International Committee has been in place for more than a year, with promotional materials already produced in 10 different languages and being distributed to our key export markets,” Mr Cox said.

The countdown to Beef Australia 2015 will be celebrated in coming weeks with two industry launch events to be held in Brisbane and Rockhampton.

More information is available at www.beefaustralia.com.au

The countdown has begun with just 365 days to go until Beef Australia 2015, the biggest and most comprehensive cattle industry exposition in the country.Held just once every three years in the beef capital of Rockhampton, Central Queensland, the next event will take place from 4 to 9 May 2015.

The 2012 event attracted more than 85,000 visitors through the gates of Rockhampton Showgrounds, including more than 600 international guests representing 37 different countries.

The Beef Australia 2015 program is expected to feature more than 4500 cattle, 500 trade sites, education facilities and business meeting facilities, as well as a range of restaurants, bars and retail outlets.

COUNTDOWN BEGINS TO BEEF AUSTRALIA 2015

38 39

CopRice is a division of Ricegrowers Limited, trading as SunRice. CR0559AMCLF.

CopRice Livestock Range is available through your local AIRR Warehouse, or call us on 1800 029 901 for details.

Premium Calf CopRice Premium Calf Pellets are a top quality, highly palatable starter that helps to ensure early intake, rapid rumen development and fast, efficient growth.

Fortified with vitamins, minerals and trace elements

Superior protein source for growth and development

Rumen buffer to reduce the risk of acidosis

Highly Palatable for easy introduction

Scientifically formulated

Lead Feed Pellets CopRice Lead Feed Pellets are a high protein, high energy ration designed to be fed to pregnant cows three weeks prior to calving to allow smooth transition to a lactating diet and aid in the prevention of post calving metabolic disorders.

Includes Anionic Salts

Rumen buffer to minimise acidosis risk

Fortified with Organic trace minerals

Reduces weight loss in early lactation

20% Protein

16% Protein

OVERCOMPLICATING THE SALES PROCESS

Firstly I was greeted by a Sales assistant who had very little idea on how to work the copiers she was in charge of, after 15 minutes of calmly pointing and offering suggestions she finally copied the poster I needed. I then asked for 4 more copies and she asked me to fill in this form that made getting a passport relatively simple (A company requirement and the job could not be completed until I filled it in). Once I had completed the form she proceeded to re-write the form as my writing was not clear enough for her. Then she asked for payment, a hefty $1.70 was exchanged and then the clanger came. “Thank you for your business Sir, your copies will be ready after 4pm tomorrow”. When I asked her why she hadn’t just pressed the button 4 more times while I was filling in the 18 page invoice she made me feel even more valued. You have come on unannounced and I have other people in front of you that need their work completed. The store resembled a Western movie and how the town looks just before the gunfight, complete with tumbleweeds rolling down the empty aisles. I couldn’t fathom this untold workload that stopped her from performing a 30 second task and meant I would waste 30 minutes by returning the next day. The end result gets better as she rang me at 11am the next morning and proud as punch informed me that my job has been completed ahead of schedule and I can collect anytime that is convenient. She really couldn’t understand why I didn’t promise to name my next born after her.

The story I have relayed is to often an occurrence in today’s society as more and more corporate entities take over successful chains and the service is made generic and over processed to the point of distraction. The design of a process and the lack of real world understanding results in poor execution and ultimately dissatisfied customers. I am sure the store never intended for my experience to happen, they are none the less still to blame as their culture has removed any room for commonsense and will penalise someone for operating outside of the box. Now the intention from of the chain is to offer a consistent service across their stores and have customers fill in questionnaires to allow for retention marketing and ensure any jobs are completed. Clearly this has been poorly understood and executed by the local store.

At AIRR we aim to make is as simple as possible to sell you something, we know your lives are busy enough that “process for the sake of process” adds no value. Therefore we are rigorous in our review of any

New Process that we implement and it must tick three boxes.

◆ Easy to complete/understand

◆ Save you time

◆ Increase customer satisfaction

Our job is to buy exceptionally well and allow you to concentrate on selling product to customers. With this in mind we have streamlined the Tuckers sell in process and taken the guess work out of the order by reviewing what you have previously sold and then offering a suggested order. It is not a binding order so please don’t get offended, instead review and amend as appropriate. What we want to avoid is the poor customer experience from promising them a product and or a promotion via the catalogue and then not delivering as we don’t have it available in the store. In today’s society people will not wait, so don’t make them! Please work with our sales team to make sure we can deliver on our advertised offers and while you are doing this take a look at your own sales process from your customers eyes – you may be surprised with the results.

Happy Selling

Recently I was in need of photocopying Posters that were outside the dimensions capable on our office copier so I visited a local Office supplies chain. This store is part of a very large chain owned by a multinational and their website states - We are a “Business Team dedicated to helping valued business customers”. Therefore I was very surprised with the service and the complicated sales process.

40

All Natural Dog Food

Range

CopRice is a division of Ricegrowers Limited, trading as SunRice. CR0551AMCA1.

CopRice Dog Food Range is available through your local AIRR Warehouse, or call us on 1800 029 901 for details.

Max’s Cat Range

* with added vitamins, minerals and trace nutrients

Highly palatable formulations containing Rice

Contains no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives

With added vitamins and minerals

Quality Economy Option