Sidekick Rural

28/07/2026

Thinking about investing in your farm?

The Government’s Investment Boost has been extended until 31 March 2027, giving kiwi farmers more time to claim an additional 20% upfront tax deduction on eligible assets.

But what does that actually mean?

It doesn’t mean you get extra deductions over the life of the asset. It simply brings part of the tax benefit forward, helping improve cashflow at the time you make the investment.

Whether you’re upgrading machinery, purchasing equipment, investing in technology or making improvements to your business, it’s worth understanding how this could affect your numbers.

We’ve written a refresher article on:
• How Investment Boost works
• What assets qualify
• What to consider before investing

Read the full guide here: https://www.sidekickca.co.nz/investment-boost-refresher/

26/07/2026

If you haven’t see the latest NZ Dairy Magazine write-up about our Wairarapa clients Stolte Ag Ltd, check it out here 👇
Elise and Clarence have worked hard to build their business from the ground up, and their hard work is getting the recognition it deserves.

Stolte Ag Ltd owners Elise and Clarence Stolte have spent nearly two decades building their farming business, progressing from sharemilkers to farm owners and becoming recognised leaders in New Zealand’s dairy industry. Their efforts were recently acknowledged with top honours at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

Alongside strong production results, the couple has invested in environmental restoration, community involvement, and innovation on-farm. Their story highlights the value of continuous learning, sustainability, and long-term commitment to farming excellence.

BakerAg, Sidekick Lawson Avery, Grays Contracting Ltd, South Wairarapa Veterinary Services

Full story👇

23/07/2026

Do you know how your season stacked up?

We've taken a look across our Dairy and Sheep & Beef clients to see what the numbers are telling us.

The result is our free Sidekick Rural Insights Reports.

Inside you'll find insights into what's happening across the sector, helping you compare your own performance and better understand the trends shaping New Zealand farming.

Knowing how your farm compares is one of the best ways to make better decisions for the season ahead.

Take a look at our latest blog, and download your free Dairy or Sheep & Beef rural insights report today.

https://www.sidekickca.co.nz/rural-insights-2026/

15/07/2026

Look who’s just been being named a finalist for The Gap Advisor of the Year…
Congrats to our very own Richard!

If you've ever worked with Richard, this recognition won't come as a surprise.

Whether he's helping farming businesses make better decisions, mentoring our team, or sharing his knowledge across the industry, he’s is always looking for ways to help people be more successful.

That's what great advisory is all about. Helping people understand their numbers, make confident decisions, navigating some tough conversations along the way.

Richard has been instrumental in building Sidekick Rural into what it is today. He's respected by clients, trusted by referral partners, and the kind of advisor many of us aspire to be. Even our CEO, Ric, will tell you he still learns from Richard and strives to follow his example.

We couldn't be prouder to see our local advisor recognised alongside some of the best in the country!

Congratulations, Richard. We'll all be cheering you on at the GAP Awards.

14/07/2026

Richard (Sidekick Rural director, and our roving reporter) landed in Singapore, but he didn’t just take in the sights.

He’s been thinking about how global trade impacts your farm’s bottom line back home.

Have you heard of the Food-for-Fuel Agreement?

It's a trade agreement between New Zealand and Singapore that helps keep essential trade moving, even when the rest of the world gets a bit shaky.

Here’s why this is a win for Kiwi farmers 👇

1. Fuel security
– Around a third of New Zealand's fuel is refined in Singapore. Keeping that supply flowing helps keep farms, trucks and machinery moving.

2. More certainty
– The agreement helps reduce the risk of major supply disruptions and unpredictable cost spikes.

3. A reliable export market
– New Zealand continues to supply premium food products to Singapore, creating another strong market for our primary sector.

4. Better planning
– The more certainty there is around fuel and trade, the easier it is to budget, forecast and make confident decisions for your farming business.

Global events can have a real impact on what's happening at the farm gate. This treaty builds a vital safety net around your input costs and output revenues.

What are your thoughts?

13/07/2026

Wairarapa ladies, this is a great excuse to get off the farm for a few hours.

Plenty of practical advice, good company and a chance to connect with others in the community.

Hope to see a few familiar faces there. Ticket details in the post below 👇

Ladies, if you're looking for an excuse to get off the farm for a few hours, catch up with other rural women and hear from some fantastic speakers, this ladies lunch is well worth putting in the diary.

The Rural Support Trust - Wairarapa is bringing together experts in women's health, nutrition and fitness for a conversation around hormone health at every stage of life.

Get the girls together grab your tickets 👇
https://events.humanitix.com/wairarapa-rural-ladies-lunch

07/07/2026

We’ve been crunching the numbers across our Sheep & Beef clients, and on average, they’re seeing a cash surplus of $230/ha more than last year at $661/ha.

That’s great news! But it also means many Sheep & Beef farmers could be looking at:
+ around $65/ha more tax this year.
+ will need to budget an additional $65/ha on top of their existing tax for the 2027 year.

That can add up quickly if you haven’t planned for it.

This is your sign to review your numbers regularly and adjust before cashflow gets tight.

That’s exactly what we use our quarterly advisory meetings for.

In these meetings we review:
• Progress against your goals
• Deep dive into your farm financials
• Re-forecast cashflow and tax
• Build a practical plan for the next 90 days

If your tax bill is always a surprise, maybe it’s time for a different approach.

Tax surprises will be a thing of the past, and decisions will be insight driven, and you’ll have more confidence in where the farm’s heading.

Send us a message and let’s talk about getting your farm future-ready.

03/07/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the Sidekick Roadshow in Wairarapa and Timaru. What a couple of weeks it's been!

Last week, more than 100 local business owners and farmers came along to our Wairarapa event. And yesterday, we kicked things off in Timaru with an invitation-only rural session for 30 local farmers and agri professionals before the sold out evening event.

There were plenty of great questions, valuable conversations, and practical insights shared along the way. It's always encouraging to see so many people investing time in understanding what's happening in the economy and what it means for their business.

If you came along to one of Cameron Bagrie's sessions, we'd love to hear from you. ⬇️

What was your biggest takeaway?

25/06/2026

How good! Congrats on a great season Corban Sprague Motorsport

22/06/2026

Super cool to watch our Wairarapa clients feature on Hyundai Country Calendar over the weekend. Tap the post below to watch the episode 👇

Here's a link to our latest show, about a Wairarapa family farming on an historic sheep station and sharing a love of the ocean: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/player/tvepisode/country-calendar-s2026-e17-on-giants-shoulders