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The dairy industry contributed 37% of the total value of New Zealand's primary exports in 2014-15, according to DairyNZ.
This was revealed last week at DairyNZ's annual meeting in Morrinsville.
Dairy earnings for the year totalled $13.2 billion. Waikato remains the dairy heartland with 34% of the herds; it produced $2.4b of milk last year.
The Waikato's 4020 dairy herds produced 518m kgMS in 2014-15, 27% of NZ's total milk production. But Waikato's $2.4b earnings were down $1.8b on the 2013-14 season when the high milk price ($8.47 average payout) boosted the region's coffers by $4.2b.
Outgoing DairyNZ chairman John Luxton says the 2014-15 season's low milk price has affected all farms as owners and sharemilkers strove to remain profitable.
"The value of milk production to Waikato's economy is huge; the region takes a big hit when farmers do," says Luxton.
The North Island had 74% of herds, producing 59% of total milksolids; the South Island 26% of herds but produced 41% of milksolids.
The industry employed 40,730 people during the year; 27,830 worked on farms and 12,900 in processing and wholesaling.
The total number of herds reached 11,970; average herd size was 419. Last year the industry had 5 million cows.
One person intimately involved in the new legislation to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA) is the outgoing chief executive of the Ministry for the Environment, James Palmer, who's also worked in local government.
DairyNZ’s latest Econ Tracker update shows most farms will still finish the season in a positive position, although the gap has narrowed compared with early season expectations.
According to the New Zealand Dairy Statistics 2024/25 report, New Zealand dairy farmers are achieving more with fewer cows.
Milksolids levies paid by dairy farmers over the past six years have generated nearly $3 billion in value, according to an independent review.
DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown is urging dairy farmers to participate in the 2026 Levy vote, to be held early next year.
Last month's Agritechnica event led to a wide group of manufacturers celebrating successes when the 2026 Tractor of the Year Competition winners, selected by a panel of European journalists, were announced in Hanover Germany.
According to the latest Federated Farmers banking survey, farmers are more satisfied with their bank and less under pressure, however, the sector is well short of confidence levels seen last decade.
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Former Agriculture Minister and Otaki farmer Nathan Guy has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE).
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.
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