Bridging the gap with rural New Zealand
OPINION: One thing I keep hearing from rural New Zealanders is the importance of relationships. Strong relationships don’t just happen - they take trust, consistency, and time.
In a dairy shed, milk quality depends in part on the cleanliness of the bulk milk tank says DairyNZ.
Using a tank cleaning system tailored to the bulk milk tank size, configuration and other available resources (water volume and quality) will minimise the need to climb inside the tank and scrub the surfaces by hand.
Automation of bulk milk tank cleaning can enable the tank to be cleaned immediately after emptying, reducing the risk of milk residues settling on the tank surfaces, and so limiting the opportunity for bacterial growth.
The benefits of selecting the right cleaning system include:
Different methods of cleaning the bulk milk tank require varying labour inputs and offer varying scope for automation.
Manual cleaning involves cleaning of the bulk milk tank using buckets and brushes. It is limited to small lidded tanks because good access to all internal surfaces is needed.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Manual cleaning in place (CIP) involves the fitting of a spray ball or similar device at the top of a bulk milk tank.
The spray ball distributes cleaning solutions to all internal surfaces. Pump sizes, spray ball design and water volumes need to be matched to provide good cleaning.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Limited contact time of detergents if the water is not recirculated.
Optionally, automatic cleaning in place (CIP) has distinct advantages, and some disadvantages.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Do your homework
The CEO of Apples and Pears NZ, Karen Morrish, says the strategic focus of her organisation is to improve grower returns.
A significant breakthrough in understanding facial eczema (FE) in livestock brings New Zealand closer to reducing the disease’s devastating impact on farmers, animals, and rural communities.
Farmer co-operative LIC has closed its satellite-backed pasture measurement platform – Space.
OPINION: The case of four Canterbury high country stations facing costly and complex consent hearing processes highlights the dilemma facing the farming sector as the country transitions into a replacement for the Resource Management Act (RMA).
The 2024-25 season apple harvest has “well and truly exceeded expectations”, says Apples and Pears NZ chief executive Karen Morrish.
Through collaborative efforts with exhibitors, visitors, and industry partners, Fieldays says it is reaffirming its commitment to environmental responsibility with new initiatives for 2025.
OPINION: The Free Speech Union is taking this one too far.
OPINION: New national data from The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA), a leading workplace drug tester, shows methamphetamine (meth) use is…