Ex-All Black Sam Whitelock Swaps Rugby for Dairy Farming
Returning to the family dairy farm after playing 20 years of professional rugby around the world is no easy task.
The app-based platform has been developed by a NZ dairy processor and global supply chain solutions company Czarnikow (CZ).
CZ was founded in London in 1861 and has developed similar tools for sugar beet farmers to set fixed prices for physical sugar beet grown in the UK and Europe.
This app-based tool marks their entry into the New Zealand market.
The launch follows a successful pilot with a group of farmers, who highlighted the speed, clarity, and simplicity the physical milk pricing tool brings to the pricing process.
What began as a pilot programme is now moving into broader commercial use and the platform is now positioned to support wider farmer participation.
Will Rook, chief executive of CZ, says New Zealand is the ideal country to launch the innovation.
"One of the hardest things about being a New Zealand dairy farmer is being at the whim of global markets which fluctuate due to issues well beyond the average farmer's control," says Rook.
"This tool allows farmers to fix the price of part of their physical milk, helping them plan further ahead."
Rook says that 30% of the world's dairy exports come from New Zealand, meaning Kiwi farmers should appreciate the ability to set fixed prices for physical milk with transparency and confidence.
"By bringing physical milk pricing into a unified digital channel, CZ is delivering a more modern, efficient, and farmer‑centric approach to milk price management.”
