2024/25 Dairy Statistics: NZ dairy farmers boost production with fewer cows
According to the New Zealand Dairy Statistics 2024/25 report, New Zealand dairy farmers are achieving more with fewer cows.
DAIRY FARMER cooperative, LIC, has bought the assets and business of Waikato-based Dairy Automation Limited (DAL).
DAL manufactures sensor technology for the real time (on farm) analysis of milk. The new ownership starts tomorrow (March 1) and the business will continue to be known as DAL. It will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of LIC (NZ) Ltd with the same staff and from the same location in Hamilton.
LIC chairman Murray King said while most dairy farmers rely on official herd testing to monitor the production performance of their herds "a number want to make more use of complementary services providing daily insight to the components of the milk their cows are producing – volume, fat, protein, mastitis etc.
"LIC is committed to pushing forward with new innovations that provide farmers with choice in the method of animal performance assessment on their farms, and the acquisition of DAL complements that choice."
Virtual fencing and herding systems supplier, Halter is welcoming a decision by the Victorian Government to allow farmers in the state to use the technology.
DairyNZ’s latest Econ Tracker update shows most farms will still finish the season in a positive position, although the gap has narrowed compared with early season expectations.
New Zealand’s national lamb crop for the 2025–26 season is estimated at 19.66 million head, a lift of one percent (or 188,000 more lambs) on last season, according to Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) latest Lamb Crop report.
Farmers appear to be cautiously welcoming the Government’s plan to reform local government, according to Ag First chief executive, James Allen.
The Fonterra divestment capital return should provide “a tailwind to GDP growth” next year, according to a new ANZ NZ report, but it’s not “manna from heaven” for the economy.
Fonterra's Eltham site in Taranaki is stepping up its global impact with an upgrade to its processed cheese production lines, boosting capacity to meet growing international demand.