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outgoing DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel.
OPINION: While dairy farmers were busy milking cows last Wednesday morning, 150 leaders and stakeholders of the industry gathered at Parliament over breakfast to celebrate their achievements.
Apart from featuring some delicious dairy products, the gathering heard that the sector is New Zealand’s largest goods exporter, delivering around one in every four export dollars.
The stats are impressive: strong and steady milksolid production – tracking up per cow and per hectare for the last 24 years; and provider of almost 55,000 jobs – 38,000 on farm, 16,000 in processing and a significant contributor to regional gross domestic product (GDP).
Speaking at the event, Ohaupo dairy farmer and outgoing DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel acknowledged a special group who were not in the room – farmers and rural communities.
Without them none of this would be possible, noted van der Poel.
The primary sector contributes 81% of NZ exports and dairy accounts for 45% of that number. But as van der Poel pointed out, with size comes responsibility.
As the biggest exporter of goods in the country, the sector must look outwards to markets, but day-to-day it must remain grounded in communities.
The breakfast was attended by politicians from different parties. It gave industry leaders another opportunity to further strengthen relationships across the political spectrum, critical to the sector’s future success.
Let’s hope last week’s breakfast has strengthened the appetite for politicians to work with dairy farmers and develop policies that will promote farming, not hinder growth.
DairyNZ has pulled together tactics that will help farmers improve on-farm efficiency and have positive benefits for the environment. These tactics are based on research, data, and lessons from leading farmers.
The design and construction of an effective dairy effluent system is a complex process.
After serving three as a DairyNZ director, Waikato farmer Chris Lewis is ready for another term.
DairyNZ has announced the date for its six-yearly Milksolids Levy vote, which will take place from Monday, 16 February to Friday, 13 March 2026.
DairyNZ has announced the date for its upcoming Milksolids Levy vote.
Academic Dr Mike Joy and his employer, Victoria University of Wellington have apologised for his comments suggesting that dairy industry CEOs should be hanged for contributing towards nitrate poisoning of waterways.
Environment Southland's catchment improvement funding is once again available for innovative landowners in need of a boost to get their project going.
The team meeting at the Culverden Hotel was relaxed and open, despite being in the middle of calving when stress levels are at peak levels, especially in bitterly cold and wet conditions like today.
A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.
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