Rowarth appointed DairyNZ deputy chair
DairyNZ has appointed Jacqueline Rowarth as its first deputy board chair.
Making your farm a ‘biosecurity island’ can help you protect your business sustainability.
Last month I compared farms in the DairyNZ Economic Farm Survey of the 2016-17 season.
The data, over time, has shown that high input farms have, on average, made more profit, had greater equity growth, had a higher return on assets and had lower term liabilities/kgMS.
While financial performance is important for business sustainability, the recent outbreak of M. bovis has highlighted the impact that a biosecurity breach can have on business sustainability. Farmers have moved swiftly to attend meetings and upskill themselves to deal with potential biosecurity outbreaks on their properties.
M. bovis, due to the efforts of MPI and other industry organisations, is unlikely to directly affect most of us. The actual effect of M. bovis is a huge wake-up call to farmers about biosecurity. Most of us had become very slack at averting the risk that bio-hazards (i.e. weeds, pests and diseases) could have on our systems. Because of M. bovis that has now changed.
Farmers face many biosecurity threats: cropping farmers face threats from, e.g. velvetleaf, alligator weed, Chilean needle grass or broomcorn millet. All these weeds (esp. velvetleaf) have enormous potential to undermine the sustainability of cropping. Here are some tips to reduce the chance of your farm becoming infected:
We have noticed that many farmers are moving to be completely self-contained feedwise by growing all their feed on land they control. This enables them to keep their cows at home over winter, so reducing the risk of cross infection.
The approach by dairy farmers in preventing new incursions of M. bovis is exactly the same as cropping farmers need to take, i.e. consider your farm an ‘island’ with you as the custom control officers.
Lastly, my heart goes out to all those farmers who have become innocent victims of the reckless behaviour of one individual. Hopefully, if we all remain vigilant, the chance of any further incursions of harmful substances will be greatly reduced.
• Ian Williams is a Pioneer forage specialist. Contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford is claiming “some real success” on the 12 policy priorities it placed before the Coalition Government.
Federated Farmers is throwing its support behind the Fast-track Approvals Bill introduced by the Coalition Government to enable a fast-track decision-making process for infrastructure and development projects.
The latest report from ANZ isn’t good news for sheep farmers: lamb returns are forecast to remain low.
Divine table grapes that herald the start of a brand-new industry in Hawke’s Bay have been coming off vines in Maraekakaho.
In what appears to be a casualty of the downturn in the agricultural sector, a well-known machinery brand is now in the hands of liquidators and owing creditors $6.6 million.
One of New Zealand’s deepest breeder Jersey herds – known for its enduring connection through cattle with the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – will host its 75th anniversary celebration sale on-farm on April 22.
OPINION: Talking about plant-based food: “Chicken-free chicken” start-up Sunfed has had its valuation slashed to zero by major investor Blackbird…
OPINION: Synlait's financial woes won’t be going away anytime soon.