Milking longer with maize silage
This season's dry conditions have made one thing clear: not having enough feed on hand can bring your season to an early close.
A new dairy industry workplace accord will be launched in May as part of a range of industry actions aimed at helping farmers attract and retain skilled people to work on farms.
"The Quality Workplace Accord is a commitment to improving the work environment of dairy farms," says DairyNZ's strategy and investment leader for people and business, Mark Paine.
"The overarching goal is to achieve quality work environments through helping farmers implement good people management practices.
"We need a positive reputation for employment practice and we need it now. We have to show our commitment to delivering that for the people who work in our industry and who are considering coming into it.
"This Accord is going to be a strong, visible and public commitment. The accord will have deadlines and set out timeframes for meeting key targets around safety, legal obligations and remuneration policies."
www.dairynz.co.nz
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.