Great grazing

A recent DairyNZ nationwide survey highlights dairy farmers continue to focus on wintering well and caring for their animals and land, no matter the conditions.

Last year, 74% of farmers implemented at least five good management practices to support their cows and manage winter conditions. Importantly, 96% of farmers also said they had strategies to provide comfortable lying conditions.

Farmers, especially in Southland, have been harassed by so-called 'environment warriors' for their winter grazing practices. The DairyNZ survey shows the opposite of what the worriers claim - farmers use a range of tactics to care for cows over winter.