Liefting has watched the sport grow from one competition at the Fieldays to a range of events throughout the country.
"The quality is really high. It's getting to the point where the only way to tell the difference is a spirit level and a tape measure."
Keeping up with Liefting's pace is another thing, though. The South Auckland fencer has been the first off the line in 28 of the 40 years he has competed. In one year he won by 90 minutes.
Liefting plans to spend his free time running workshops and entering regional competitions with two-man teams, encouraging young fencers wanting to get into the sport.
"It can be quite dispiriting when you're just starting out and you only get halfway through your line by the time the other teams finish.
"This way I can pass on some of my skills and techniques."
Competition heats will be held on June 8 with championship finals on June 11. The Fieldays Silver Spades Championship finals will be held on June 12 and the Fieldays Silver Staples, for competitors 21 years and under and enrolled in a training institute will be held on June 13.
Industry under the microscope
The Government has called for a Commerce Commission report on the state of competition in the New Zealand dairy industry.
Announced this week by Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Paul Goldsmith, it is required under the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act, which allowed for the merger of our largest dairy co-operatives to form the Co-operative Group.
"This report into the state of competition is key to assessing whether the act is effectively promoting efficient operation of dairy markets in New Zealand," said Guy said.
Goldsmith said the Commerce Commission "had built up a good deal of industry expertise through its milk price monitoring functions and is therefore well placed to undertake the state of competition report".
The commission will start work on the report next month and is expected to report about the end of February.
"It's important that those affected can have their say, so the Commerce Commission will be engaging with industry and other interested stakeholders throughout this process," Goldsmith said.
Bid to boost beetroot
Heinz Wattie's is to embark on a $480,000, two-year research project with Plant & Food Research, involving beetroot crops grown for processing in Hawkes Bay.
Wattie's has been processing beetroot in Hastings for 70 years, with a sixfold increase in volume over the past four years, from about 3000 tonnes to the 24,000 tonnes processed this season.
The new project aims to develop crop-scheduling tools and crop-management guidelines that will improve the ability of local growers and the company to produce beetroot to specification, regardless of the challenges thrown at them by the climate and growing conditions.
Heinz Wattie's says it is improving the ability to produce the right product at the right time, allowing the processing facility to operate smoothly and efficiently.
The project is being 40 per cent funded by Callaghan Innovation, a standalone Crown entity that accelerates innovation growth within businesses.
One of the factors behind the success of beetroot in Hastings has been the strength of the partnerships with growers and the yield advantage in locally grown product. The increased volume has been grown on significantly less area than previously used by Golden Circle when the crop was grown in Australia.
More than $7 million has been invested in the Hastings factory to process increased volumes into 37 product lines for New Zealand and Australia.
Colour concept
A Queensland farmer has found a novel way to merge the strengths of the alpacas and olives produced on her property west of Mooloolaba.
Alexina Johnson, of Obi Obi Valley, is using the pulp from her olive oil production to dye the white wool produced by her flock, the ABC reported.
She said the alpaca industry had been focused on the best of its wool being white, for spinning and making cloth. However, having the white base was just the start.
"There is now a recognition of coloured alpacas, particularly black, and natural colours that people are so interested in," she said.
"I really enjoy the opportunity to combine my different streams of business, and it was a challenge to use olive pulp and turn it into a dye for the white wool."
Prize bacon
Entries are now open for the 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Competition. Butchers and retailers nationwide will put their skills to the test on July 10 to find the tastiest rashers and most succulent hams.
The competition supports New Zealand's pig farmers, who raise pork solely for the local market.
This year a new category, innovation, has been introduced and all entries will be judged on the commercial viability of the product, whether the product is logical in its production, its appeal to the marketplace, practicality for cooking and serving and the innovation factor.
There are five bacon categories, middle, dry cured middle, shoulder, streaky and middle eye and two ham categories, bone-in and boneless.
Entries close on June 19.
Robinson fires
Young Northern Ireland shearer Jack Robinson, who spent two seasons as a teenager learning his shearing in Hawkes Bay, has continued his good start in the British competition season by winning the Royal Ulster Open title at the Balmoral Show, and the Connacht Shears.
As he had in the opening competition of the season at Donard, he beat lamb-shearing eight-hour recordholder Ivan Scott in both events.
His only defeat was to Scott in the Balmoral Show's All-Nations final.
In that event former Hawkes Bay shearer Matthew Smith, now based in Cornwall, was third.
Ballance roles
Jodi Tong has been appointed general manager customer experience and marketing, Ballance Agri-Nutrients has announced. Edith Sykes has also been appointed general manager people and capability.
