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OPINION: The dairy sector has been told that it cannot afford to rest on its laurels.
Agriculture remains the backbone of New Zealand's economy and the dairy sector is the biggest earner in the sector.
In the year to 30 Junee 2025, New Zealand exported a record $27.15 billion of dairy products.
Dairy now generates more than one in every four dollars of New Zealand's foreign exchange receipts from goods and services exports and employs over 55,000 people.
DairyNZ says there's a need for continued investment in the future resilience of the dairy sector, continuing to push productivity, efficiency, and environmental outcomes.
The worrying thing is that since around 2015, the dairy sector has reached a productivity plateau.
That's why Responsible Dairy, an initiative announced at Fieldays recently, is crucial.
In total, the programme funding is $45.85m over seven years.
$18.34m will come directly from the Ministry for Primary Industries Primary Sector Growth Fund, up to $19.73m via the existing DairyNZ levy, and the remainder from in-kind or cash contributions.
Responsible Dairy will "accelerate innovation, scale up adoption, and efficiently deliver environmental and productivity gains across the dairy sector".
It is expected to speed up the rate at which the sector adopts transformative technologies, getting them into active use years earlier than what might otherwise be the case to keep New Zealand dairy globally competitive.
By 2050, the programme is expected to deliver about 20% growth in milksolids from existing farms and land use change and 20% reduction in nitrogen leaching per hectare.
On top of that, sector profitability will lift 13%.
Dairy is the jewel in New Zealand agriculture's crown.
To remain so, we must future-proof our farming practices. Responsible Dairy will do just that.
The first major update to the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare in more than a decade has been released, marking what DairyNZ describes as an important step in ensuring animal welfare standards continue to evolve alongside scientific evidence and on-farm realities.
DairyNZ deputy chair Cameron Henderson has been re-appointed unopposed for another term.
OPINION: The stats speak for themselves.
Farms across the upper North Island are trialling different pasture mixes as part of a research programme that aims to build greater resilience into farming systems.
Pāmu has released its FY26 Integrated Annual Report, reporting a Net Operating Profit of $113 million, more than double the $49 million recorded in FY25.
Meat Industry Association data, released alongside the Red Meat Sector conference in Wellington, shows export value climbing across the US, China, UK and Canada.
Applications are set to open for the 2027 Zanda McDonald Award, a trans-Tasman award recognised for identifying and fast-tracking talented young leaders in agriculture and agribusiness.
The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (the College) and Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network are calling for investment in a proposed new training pathway for rural GPs, warning that many rural practices are struggling to recruit while a large share of the existing workforce nears retirement.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Synlait has swung to second-half profit as operations stabilise, but the dairy processor still posted a $75.4m annual loss.
