Herd about the 110% milk solids/liveweight goal?
Methven farmers Earl and Melissa McSweeney are breeders of one of LIC’s best KiwiCross sires, 523092 Plateau Dembe, son of popular 21-code bull Baldricks Spectacular.
LIC HAS launched an ‘online learning centre’ to help farmers to update skills and knowledge without leaving the farm.
LIC’s general manager of farm systems, Rob Ford, says the pace of technology improvements is rising in dairying.
“We introduce new and improved systems every day…. All these things are logical and easy to use but the challenge is to deliver the information in the right way, and at the right time, to match the demands on farm.
“We wanted to give farmers an online resource which would be fun to use and accessible around the clock. Currently the centre contains 48 interactive audio and video learning modules and over time we’ll add more modules.”
Modules on the new centre, which is free to LIC farmer customers, help farmers get more value, easily, from their LIC animal recording. It also contains a module on tagging management.
LIC is finding more farmers are opting to install a farm automation system.
“We’ve now got a range of Protrack farm automation systems which cater to the size of the herd and the needs of the farmer, and the learning centre contains insights and tips for getting more value out of the system. “
And the centre is accessible 24/7 – “whenever farmers want to find out something, either for themselves or their staff.”
Check it out here: http://learnlic.co.nz/
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.
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