Keeping a watch on dairy farms
OPINION: Dairy farmers are under increasing pressure to safeguard their livestock, equipment and operations from a range of security threats.
New Zealand’s special agricultural trade envoy Hamish Marr believes the outlook for the dairy sector remains strong.
He says as the middle class rises around the world, demand for protein, especially that produced by New Zealand, will remain elevated.
Marr was speaking at the Dairy Women’s Network annual conference in Hamilton this morning.
An arable farmer from Canterbury, Marr says his confidence in dairy is reflected on his decision to buy a neighbouring 600-cow dairy farm this year.
“The middle class is rising, and they will be hungry for protein,” he told the conference.
He noted that New Zealand’s dairy offering is unique in the world.
NZ’s low-cost system of rotational grazing is the key point of difference with many other dairy producers, he says.
“Our cows walk to the feed, eat and come back: in many countries under the high-cost model feed goes to the animals.”
But he adds that many countries the New Zealand dairy industry as a threat to their domestic sector.
“They fear New Zealand will flood our market and put cheaper products on supermarket shelves,” he says.
“That’s one thing the dairy sector needs to be cognisant of.”
The Primary Production Select Committee is calling for submissions on the Valuers Bill currently before Parliament.
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) says that commercial fruit and vegetable growers are getting ahead of freshwater farm plan regulations through its Growing Change project.
Lucidome Bio, a New Zealand agricultural biotech company was recently selected as one of fourteen global finalists to pitch at the Animal Health, Nutrition and Technology Innovation USA event in Boston.
Tractor manufacturer and distributor Case IH has announced a new partnership with Meet the Need, the grassroots, farmer-led charity working to tackle food insecurity across New Zealand one meal at a time.
The DairyNZ Farmers Forum is back with three events - in Waikato, Canterbury and Southland.
To celebrate 25 years of the Hugh Williams Memorial Scholarship, Ravensdown caught up with past recipients to see where their careers have taken them, and what the future holds for the industry.
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