Page 36 - 2020 NZ Hereford Magazine

Our Breeders

Koanui spreads climate risk

with expansion

THE RAIN CAME BUT SO DID THE BUYERS FOR THE ANNUAL KOANUI

POLLED HEREFORDS BULL SALE IN HAWKE’S BAY. THE WEATHER DIDN’T
DAMPEN THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE BIDDERS, WITH 62 OF 63 BULLS SOLD

FOR AN AVERAGE PRICE OF $10,088.

WORDS KATE TAYLOR
PHOTOGRAPHS HUGH CHESTERMAN / ANDY KING
AND COURTESY OF PGG WRIGHTSON KOANUI POLLED HEREFORDS,
HAVELOCK NORTH, HAWKE’S BAY

ALTHOUGH THE WEATHER CLOSED IN at the last minute OWNERS: CHRIS, JENNIFER AND FRED
for Koanui’s annual sale, spreading climatic risk was one of the CHESTERMAN.
reasons owners Chris and Jennifer Chesterman expanded their SIZE: 1800ha (total).
business into Manawatu and Tararua. It has also helped with TYPOGRAPHY: Medium to steep.
access to a valuable dairy market. CLIMATE: Temperate.
From an original 400ha home farm, known as Koanui and RAINFALL: 762mm to 1650mm.
home to the Koanui Polled Hereford Stud since 1972, their land ALTITUDE: 100m to 350m.
total has grown to more than 1800ha. Including the Koanui, STOCK UNITS: 13,000 cattle.
Otanui and Ormond blocks, and a number of smaller blocks
bought from neighbours, the Chestermans farm 1240ha at
Maraetotara, east of Hastings. They bought the 487ha Te Kura
Farm at Aokautere near Palmerston North in 2002 and a 107ha
farm south of Pahiatua in early 2019.
“We’re expanding gradually, for scope as much as area,
which gives us more flexibility,” says Chris.
“It gives us climatic and market diversity. The critical thing for
us, or the pressure point with having so many breeding cows, is
always going to be a drought, and Hawke’s Bay is typically summer
dry. We’re not interested in intensive farming from an irrigation
point of view, so having properties in other areas spreads our risk.
The Manawatu and Tararua blocks are in dairy regions and that fits
with marketing our breeding programme as well.”
The Chestermans calved more than 800 registered Hereford THIS PAGE, TOP: The weather closes in on sale day at Koanui.
cows at Koanui in 2019. They sell more than 200 bulls a year, ABOVE INSERT: Jennifer, Fred and Chris Chesterman at home
with the top bulls kept for their own breeding programme or on Koanui.
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