Wednesday, 30 March 2016 12:55

Don’t plan a move to sheep milking

Written by  Peter Burke
Sheep milking is never going to come anywhere replacing the bovine industry, says Craig Prichard. Sheep milking is never going to come anywhere replacing the bovine industry, says Craig Prichard.

A warning to dairy farmers: a move to sheep milking is probably not an option.

An organiser of a recent sheep milking conference, associate professor Craig Prichard, of Massey University, says sheep milking is never going to come anywhere near replacing the bovine industry.

He says a Taranaki farmer called asking what sort of sheep milking operation he could run on 100ha.

"I said 'you're asking me the wrong question'. I asked 'where is your market, where is your processor and who are you going to sell your milk to?' Often people in the bovine industry are so used to having someone take their milk. This farmer was asking the wrong question.

"Everyone in the sheep milking business has to solve the market and the producer problem first. They must ask, 'where is my market and who am I going to sell to?' That drives the production process. In the bovine industry they do not think market first; they are a supplier driven industry."

Prichard says every bovine dairy farmer in NZ struggles to see their market; it's an institutional problem. He says he knows of many dairy farmers who say the industry is not connecting with customers.

"On the other hand the sheep milking industry is putting customers right at the core of it and they are the ones who are going to drive this sector."

Prichard says the sheep milking conference had good science presentations and showcased where the industry has got to in a relatively short time.

More like this

Featured

Farmstrong marks 10 years of rural support

Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.

National

Machinery & Products

Farming smarter with technology

The National Fieldays is an annual fixture in the farming calendar: it draws in thousands of farmers, contractors, and industry…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

110,000 visitors!

OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.

Sticky situation

OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter