increase font size
NZ's temperature for raw milk is less stringent than some countries
It's not something dairy farmers needed right now but the message is clear: change or risk losing your competitive edge in the global market.
Changes to milk cooling regulations proposed by MPI may be relatively minor. However, it will require farmers spending $5000-$100,000 to become compliant.
To MPI’s credit, farmers have been given ample time: August 1, 2016 deadline for new farms and those upgrading cooling systems. Enforcement on all other farms starts January 1, 2018.
New Zealand milk is high regarded in the world for its quality and food safety credentials. This is despite our temperature rules for raw milk being less stringent than our major trading partners.
In New Zealand the milk temperature must drop to 7˚C within three hours of milking and remain at 7˚C until collection, similar to the US. In China it must get to 4˚C within two hours of milking, and the same in Russia. In Australia milk temperature must be 5˚C within 3.5 hours of commencing milking. In the EU, 8˚C after milking and 6˚C degrees if not collected daily.
The world is today a sophisticated marketplace; consumers demand quality and safe dairy products and sustainability throughout the food chain.
Food companies are fixated on the sources of food. The world’s largest dairy company, Nestle, audited 50 dairy farms in the South Island this year, in its watch on food safety and quality. Chinese auditors regularly visit our factories and farms.
During these audits overseas regulators ask why our milk cooling is out of line with the rest of the world. We’ve got away with by arguing that our milk quality is above everyone else’s. But producing the best quality milk is not enough for the rest of the world; they want stringent regulations.
The focus on sustainability comes at a cost to farmers. Not all New Zealand farmers will need to spend $100,000 on their farms. There is no one-size-fits-all solution; some small farms will find old ice banks to cool their milk. Some will face a problem of power supply; adding a milk cooler will require upgrading the supply and paying more for electricity.
With the payout under severe pressure, farmers could do without this extra regulatory burden. But they have little choice. As the world’s largest exporter of dairy products we must lead in food quality and safety.
With a third of NZ dairy farmers still running outdated refrigerants, the country's largest farm refrigeration company says the opportunity for quick, meaningful emissions gains has never been clearer.
Farmers are being encouraged to take a closer look at the refrigerants running inside their on-farm systems, as international and domestic pressure continues to build on high global warming potential (GWP) 400-series refrigerants.
Bovonic says a return on investment study has found its automated mastitis detection technology, QuadSense, is delivering financial, labour, and animal-health benefits on New Zealand dairy farms worth an estimated $29,547 per season.
As spring calving farmers around the country enter in the final stage of lactation, the incentive to keep the milk flowing is certainly there. A strong milk price and kind first half of the season has left cows in good nick and milking well.
Correct cluster attachment and removal is crucial during milking.
Potatoes New Zealand has congratulated Peter Reynolds of TA Reynolds Ltd in Pukekohe on being awarded the Horticulture New Zealand Bledisloe Cup, recognising a lifetime of service and contribution to New Zealand horticulture.
Signing up to a benchmarking tool is not about competition, but about improving collectively, says Ximena Puig and Alvaro Luzardo who are 50-50 sharemilkers at a 164-hectare (effective) dairy farm in Eketāhuna in the Lower North Island.
A leading British farming politician says he's impressed with the positive attitude of New Zealand farmers that he met during his recent trip here.
OPINION: With 10,500 dairy farms, New Zealand continues to punch above its weight around the world.
The Southern Dairy Hub (SDH), which runs a demonstration farm for South Island farmers, has a new general manager.
Esther Guy-Meakin has been announced as the new chief executive of the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).
OPINION: The Irish dairy sector is facing a new dilemma - maintaining year-round fresh milk supplies.
OPINION: Could beef cows play an increasingly important role in improving profitability and resilience on hill country farms?
