Does new tech really deliver?
OPINION: New technologies can promise the world but how do we know if they are delivering?
How do you get the best out of a farm business when the payout’s low?
By using the right tools, said Drury dairy farmer Sue Dyer, speaking at recent CRV Ambreed workshops on how technology can be better used to achieve herd improvement goals.
Dyer has used CRV Insight online herd recording app since its launch in 2012 and says it has helped her increase her farm’s productivity.
“I carry my smartphone with me everywhere, so having access and being able to enter data about my cows wherever I am on the farm – in the paddock, shed or at home – is a no brainer.
“I get a great snapshot of how my 370 Friesian, Friesian-cross cows are performing, information about my individual cows, and a full range of reports.”
Global growth consultants Frost and Sullivan recently predicted that by 2018 New Zealand would have 90% smartphone and 78% tablet ownership.
Andrew Singers, information management and information technology manager at CRV Ambreed, says the dairy industry needs to keep up with a growing demand for technology on the go.
“There is still a huge amount of work to do to help dairy farmers adopt and use herd management technology to its full capacity,” he says.
CRV Ambreed herd improvement products and services for dairy farmers include the free workshops referred to above.
The annual Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival – a fusion of books and storytelling - celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
Emissions by dairy cattle decreased by 1.6% according to the latest NZ Greenhouse Gas Inventory report.
Tasman sharemilkers Warric and Rachel Johnson haven't let the 2006 milk payout crash put them out of business.
Labour's agriculture spokesperson says the Government’s decisions are set to hamstring growth within the farming sector.
A recent clinical study has highlighted the potential for a bioactive whey protein to support immune responses to influenza vaccinations.
Many contract milkers in badly drought affected regions around the country are coming under severe financial stress and farm owners are being urged to help them through a bad patch until the start of the new season.