DairyNZ lifts breakeven milk price forecast to $8.68 for 2025/26 season
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
DairyNZ says its collaborative project with the Nguturoa Catchment Group in the Manawatu aims to understand, model and manage E. coli in rural waterways.
The five-year project aims to understand sources and sinks of E.coli. In doing so, it aims to deliver options for reducing E. coli losses from rural land to streams and inform regulations with respect to what mitigation levels are achievable in pastoral-dominated catchments.
DairyNZ general manager sustainable dairy Dr David Burger says the project will give DairyNZ a better understanding of E. coli processes in farming catchments.
“This will mean we can better build models to develop and demonstrate options for farmers to reduce losses and help build regulatory understanding,” Burger says.
He says the project is part of the levy body’s ongoing work to support farmers to reduce their environmental footprint while continuing to run successful farming businesses.
“Farmers and the sector have a wide range of initiatives underway on-farm to improve water quality, and we acknowledge there is more work to be done.”
The Nguturoa Catchment Group was formed in 2020, after farmers and landowners along the Nguturoa Stream in the Manawatu-Whanganui region began a study into water quality.
Terry Parminter of KapAg, who provides technical support to the group, says the farmers and landowners wanted precise information to establish their farming priorities for improving the waterway and monitoring the effects of management changes.
Monthly sampling and testing were carried out across the catchment. Results showed that E. coli levels were at times elevated compared to national standards, so solutions to address this were needed.
The Nguturoa catchment runs from the ranges behind Linton to the Tokomaru River and down to the Manawatu River. It comprises dairy, sheep and cattle farmers and lifestyle block owners.
“The Nguturoa catchment group is forward-thinking,” Burger says. “Many New Zealand farmers are making management changes to improve the quality of freshwater associated with their farms.”
“Often this occurs in the absence of specific data enabling farmers to understand how their on-farm activities influence water quality or without receiving feedback on how much difference they’re making.”
The catchment group works closely with the Horizons Regional Council science team.
Its initial funding came from Our Land and Water’s Rural Professionals Fund. It has also received funding for waterway testing from Horizons Regional Council, and technical support from Terry Parminter of KapAg.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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