If you thought being able to recoup the entire cost of your maize seed was unrealistic, think again.
HSR Maize Seed agronomy sales manager Guy Mason says he has the numbers to prove HSR Maize Seed is one very real way to achieve cost savings this season.
“We know that cost increases, a lower forecast payout and product supply and demand issues are really hitting home for farmers, so they’re looking for any cost savings possible to ease the burden,” Mason explains.
“Growing maize is vital to ensuring feed supply in the coming season. Savings of up to $150 per hectare can be made, simply by purchasing HSR Maize Seed over other New Zealand-based maize seed brands,” he says.
Each bag of HSR Maize Seed is $454+GST (+ FAR levy) and includes 80,000 Poncho-coated seeds. Sown at 95,000 seeds per hectare, the cost of the maize seed is $538+GST (+ FAR levy) per hectare.
Mason’s model, which he describes as a “game-changer”, shows that farmers could reinvest that $150 per hectare savings to purchase part of their urea requirement to spread over their pasture area.
For every hectare of HSR maize grown, the savings would allow for 187kg of nitrogen-rich urea at $800 per tonne to be purchased, equating to 86kg of nitrogen.
“The pasture response to the nitrogen being applied will be 860kg of dry matter, based on a 10:1 pasture response rate,” Mason explains.
“In turn, the milk production response from this feed is 69kg of milk solids. Assuming Fonterra forecast a mid-point price of $6.75 per kg of milk solids, the projected income generated is $466 based on industry standards[1].
“The opportunity cost of using an HSR maize hybrid becomes a powerful tool for generating revenue whilst still putting maize into the farm system,” says Mason.
With industry-recognised growing costs of $3,570 per hectare for typical fertility land, the ability to reduce those costs to $2,990 per hectare when utilising the savings of HSR Maize Seed to purchase urea for the farm’s planned pasture fertiliser programme. In the current climate when the focus needs to be on reducing costs, without impacting production, this is an opportunity that cannot be ignored.
For effluent ground, the effective saving increases to 29% of the total growing cost of $1,970 per hectare.
The reason HSR Maize Seed can offer better value hybrids to its customers is that we supply directly to the grower, therefore farmers immediately benefit from these significant price savings. This philosophy of providing cost-effective feed solutions to farmers extends throughout Nutrinza’s business.
Savings calculated are based on published competitor costs.
[1] DairyNZ – Daily energy requirements, Facts and Figures
