ASB and Lincoln University Report: Smarter Land Use Could Unlock Billions for NZ Farmers
A new report from ASB and Lincoln University shows how smarter, more diverse land use could unlock billions in value for farmers and the wider economy.
Lincoln University PhD student Christina Berneheim is inviting farmers to complete an online questionnaire to express their views on the industry.
"As part of my research, I am sending out a survey which allows dairy farmers to express their views on the future of the dairy industry and on what they think needs to be improved (if anything) and how," she says.
"The results will be made publicly available in the hope of lifting the issues that are important to them. The online questionnaire takes about 10-15 minutes to complete and it's all anonymous."
The survey is built on the thoughts and concerns of 30 dairy farmers who were interviewed across the country earlier this year.
The interviewed dairy farmers’ management practices ranged from high to low input, conventional to biological to organic in both modern and traditional dairy farming regions. “I was thus aiming to look at the whole spectrum of adaptations to different future outlooks.”
The research titled “Understanding dairy farming decision-making” aims to understand how dairy farmers change their farming system in response to different trends and stresses, such as regulation, value-add and low cash-flow.
Ultimately, the aspiration is to work towards connecting farmers who have made changes that increase profitability with other interested farmers, and create a platform where information on the benefits and challenges of these transitions to more sustainable systems is easily accessible. The more dairy farmers that take the survey, the more information will be available to perhaps influence industry and policy-makers.
Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.
Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.
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