Leah Prankerd: A passion for dairying and farmer support
It was love that first led Leah Prankerd to dairying.
DairyNZ will lead a seven-year $21 million research partnership to contribute to cleaning up rural waterways.
The central idea is to breed cattle with less nitrogen in their urine.
Participating scientists will come from DairyNZ, Abacus Bio, A. L. Rae Centre for Genetics and Animal Breeding, AgResearch and Lincoln University.
The Government has granted $8.4m to the project, $11.5m will come from farmers’ levy payments to DairyNZ, and the balance will come from CRV Ambreed and Fonterra.
CRV Ambreed’s genetic discovery that led to the launch of LowN Sires this year is an important aspect of the work.
DairyNZ’s strategy and investment leader Dr Bruce Thorrold applauds the government’s place in the project, a key in dairy’s drive to lower its environmental footprint.
It will be based on large-scale research into thousands of cows on farms nationwide to test the effectiveness of breeding and measure the reduction of nitrogen leaching expected by the change – potentially up to a 20%.
“Equally, it is important to the beef and sheep sectors where animals raised for meat also contribute to nitrogen levels,” Thorrold says. “Beef farmers will be able to rear low-nitrogen cattle bred from dairy herds.
“Better options to reduce nitrogen levels... give choices for our rural communities in achieving environmental gains and maintaining local businesses.”
Thorrold says farmers are determined to solve the nutrient loss problem, by fencing waterways, managing effluent better and innovating on farms.
“It’s a further step towards sustainable dairying, and will continue keep us as world leaders in this.”
The use of the nitrogen-lowering trait to reduce nitrogen leaching was recognised by CRV Ambreed research scientist Phil Beatson.
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
In a few hundred words it's impossible to adequately describe the outstanding contribution that James Brendan Bolger made to New Zealand since he first entered politics in 1972.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
OPINION: Voting is underway for Fonterra’s divestment proposal, with shareholders deciding whether or not sell its consumer brands business.
OPINION: Politicians and Wellington bureaucrats should take a leaf out of the book of Canterbury District Police Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.