LIC extends New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards sponsorship
LIC has reaffirmed its sponsorship of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA) by signing up as a national sponsor for another three years.
The 2011-12 year was one of strong performance for dairy farmer owned LIC.
LIC chairman, Murray King says the volatility of the dairy industry saw an increasing number of farmers invest in innovations that make it easier and more efficient to farm.
"LIC's Protrack farm automation range and GeneMark DNA parentage verification products, for example, enjoyed record sales," he says.
"Our web based software products, MINDA Milk, MINDA Weights and MINDA Land & Feed, also gained significant customer uptake reflecting the value that farmers place on dairy cow performance and being able to make better, more informed decisions on farm."
King says the price freeze which LIC applied to all products in the 2009-10 season, in recognition of the tough financial conditions being experienced on farm, remained in place for Premier Sires in 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 with only a slight increase in the price of MINDA and herd testing.
"These increases were, however, offset by the launch of innovative free products like MINDA Milk, MINDA Weights and Land & Feed."
LIC revenue for 2011-12 was $177 million 7% ahead of the $166 million achieved during 2010-11.
All profit is returned to LIC's 10,500 New Zealand dairy farmer owners/shareholders in products, research and development or dividends.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.