New associate director for DairyNZ
After 20 years of milking cows, Northland farmer Greg Collins is ready to step into the governance side of dairy.
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.
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.
For Wonky Box co-founder Angus Simms, the decision to open the service to those in rural areas is a personal one.
The golden age of orcharding in West Auckland was recently celebrated at the launch of a book which tells the story of its rise, then retreat in the face of industry change and urban expansion.
Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) awards. As part of a series looking at this year’s rural winners, Leo Argent talked with Ginny Dodunski, winner of the Veterinary Impact Award for raising the profile of the Wormwise programme.
OPINION: The appendage swinging contest between the US and China continues, with China hitting back with a new rate of…
OPINION: The irony of President Trump’s tariff obsession is that the worst damage may be done to his own people.