Milking longer with maize silage
This season's dry conditions have made one thing clear: not having enough feed on hand can bring your season to an early close.
Fonterra Chairman elect John Wilson says the launch of TAF and opening of the new Darfield site symbolises the strong future for the 100% farmer controlled and owned cooperative.
He says while Fonterra is a global company its roots have always been firmly planted in rural New Zealand, which is why the events were combined at Darfield.
"Both milestones will help the Co-op deliver on its strategy refresh announced earlier this year," says Wilson.
"Trading Among Farmers provides Fonterra with a stable capital base and creates the conditions of confidence for us to invest in the most productive areas to add value, grow our brands beyond existing positions and compete strongly in the most rapidly growing dairy markets in the world – South East Asia, Middle East and, of course, China," he says.
"Today for the first time in Fonterra's history, farmer shareholders are able to buy and sell shares among themselves on the Fonterra Shareholders' Market. At the same time, members of the public can now gain exposure to a New Zealand success story and the world's largest dairy processor by buying Units in the Fonterra Shareholders' Fund."
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.