Lower North Island farmers “cautiously optimistic” heading into winter – DairyNZ
Cautiously optimistic is how DairyNZ's regional manager for the lower North Island, Mark Laurence describes the mood of farmers in his patch.
A high performing Jersey herd can generate consistent cash flow now and in the future, a field day heard in Te Awamutu last month.
The 'True Cash Cow' fielday saw Jersey New Zealand and CRV Ambreed teamed up to offer local farmers two days of nutrition, health, production management and breeding programme guidance and support to help maximise their farm profit and increase the value of their herd.
The programme included presentations from award winning Jersey farmers Graham and Lyn Lawry, Dairy Business Centre NZ Limited nutrition consultant Rensinus Schipper, and DairyNZ genetic evaluation developer Melissa Stephen.
Jersey New Zealand representatives and CRV Ambreed's breeding team was also on hand to share the latest developments and successes in their joint venture programmes JerseyGenome and Jersey Genes, which are helping to create valuable progeny and strengthen the overall genetic gain for the Jersey breed.
Attendees visited four Jersey herds where farmers shared their achievements within their breeding programmes and discussed what they are doing to increase the profitability of their herds. Jersey New Zealand president Brian Carter says it was a great opportunity to see the potential of the Jersey breed and how the Jersey cow can be competitive in the national herd.
Jersey New Zealand general manager Warwick Dowse adds that that JerseyGenome and Jersey Genes provide excellent breeding opportunities that will help to achieve efficient production, and create a more valuable herd.
"The Jersey cow is the breed of choice for farmers in both New Zealand and overseas," says Dowse.
As Jerseys are typically a lighter animal with good longevity, Dowse believes this could potentially motivate some farmers in the future to re-think the breed make-up of their herd and how they can best produce a long-lasting, productive cow.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
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