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UMBRELLAS AND wet weather gear were in order for farmers attending the organic dairying conference at Woodville last week.
In 24 hours just over 100mm of rain fell in the district, such that those taking a farm walk on Gray and Andrea Beagley’s property near the township had to dress for rain and cold. Beagley is the president of Tararua Federated Farmers Dairy section.
He says it’s important organic people get to together for an annual conference because they are a minority. “As Fonterra has found out, we are stretched far and wide around the North Island, so getting like minded people together and sharing ideas is fantastic. We don’t get lot of extension services or discussion groups from the levy we pay to DairyNZ so this is a great benefit to is to see new ideas and the old ideas being rekindled.”
Bill Quinn from Paeroa, who runs a facilitation and education service for organic dairy farmers, says their biggest challenge is having a secure marketplace. He says the Fonterra programme fell short of expectations because they wanted 50,000 cows in the programme and they ended up with 27,000.
“So it wasn’t a case of not having a market, it was case of not having supply. Their announced programme is that they will only pick up milk in Waikato—Bay of Plenty and not in any other region. But people in the group want to stay in the organic business despite what Fonterra is planning to do. One thing people focus on quite dramatically once they get into organics is the difference between production and profitability. There is a classic saying: ‘production is vanity and profitability is sanity’.
Quinn says organic dairy farmers outside Bay of Plenty and Waikato are looking at developing a ‘milk hub’ that will take their milk and sell it to a range of processors.
“There is worldwide demand for the full range of organic products. The domestic market is also strong. You only need to look at the shelves in any supermarket and see the range of products such as cheeses and yoghurts that are on offer.”
But Quinn concedes the organic dairy industry faces some challenges. Organic dairy farmer numbers have dropped from about 107 to about 95. But with a good marketing plan there is no reason why the industry can’t expand, Quinn says. “The demand for our products is certainly there.”
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.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
The 'atmospheric river' of rain that swept down the country last week almost completely avoided one of the worst drought-affected regions in the country – coastal Taranaki.
Much-needed rain finally arrived in Northland, giving many farmers breathing space to get themselves back on track for next season.
The drought in western parts of the North Island is reaching crisis point with many farmers from Northland to Taranaki having to truck in water and feed for their stock at great expense.
New Zealand’s special agricultural trade envoy Hamish Marr believes the outlook for the dairy sector remains strong.
Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s New Zealand Veterinary Association Te Pae Kīrehe (NZVA) awards.
OPINION: The Government's latest move to make freshwater farm plans more practical and affordable is welcome, and long overdue.
Global Dairy Trade (GDT) and Arla Foods have announced that Arla will begin offering European-sourced skim milk powder (SMP) on GDT Pulse from May 2025 as part of an extension to the GDT Pulse pilot.
Farmers in the Australian state of New South Wales will soon be able to use virtual fencing and herding technology to boost farm productivity.
Hawke's Bay teenage entrepreneur Hugo Moffett is helping the rural community access cheaper school uniforms, all without leaving their homes.
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