Otago Regional Council to launch winter flyovers
Otago Regional Council is set to begin its annual winter farm flyovers in the next three weeks.
Southern dairy farmers are being reminded to undertake best practices to safeguard water quality and transport safety when the annual stock Moving Day begins shortly.
Moving Day for stock starts from 1 June and continues for several weeks, a tradition where dairy cow herds and farmers move between farm properties, either by road or more often by stock truck.
Otago Regional Council manager compliance Tami Sargeant says the emphasis is on farmers’ standing their stock the day before moving, and for trucking companies to use the roadside effluent disposal sites.
Sargeant says effluent from stock trucks can put road users and adjacent waterways at risk and asks farmers to stand off their animals, for at least 4 to 12 hours, prior to transporting them.
She says that effluent can get onto roads, become a safety hazard for other drivers, run off into roadside drains, or pollute adjacent waterways.
The ORC and several local authorities now operate nine roadside effluent disposal sites across Otago, with six disposal sites on State Highway 1 between Pukeuri and Clinton, and three on inland highways, at Raes Junction, Brassknocker Rd and Tarras.
Farmers walking their herd along a road should keep them away from roadside drains, and avoid disturbed soil, to stop effluent entering waterways.
Cows should be stood off green feed for at least four hours, but no more than 12 hours, before they are loaded onto trucks, which helps reduce the amount of effluent on trucks.
For welfare reasons, DairyNZ also recommends that a grazed-out paddock or stand-off pad are better options for standing stock, than a concrete surface, as the latter can contribute to tender feet and are not god for stock to lie down on.
Australian dairy farmers supplying Fonterra are getting an opening weighted average milk price of A$8.60/kgMS for the new season or around NZ$9.26/kgMS - NZ74c less than New Zealand suppliers, based on the current exchange rate.
Taranaki veterinarian Dr Rob Mills is the new president of New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA).
Input costs can make or break a season for farmers and electricity is one of the largest expenses.
Zespri says global sales for the 2024-25 season topped $5 billion on the back of strong demand and market returns.
Massey University is returning to the Fieldays with a future-focused, solution-driven theme, showcasing research that delivers practical advancements in agricultural efficiency, sustainability and longevity.
Newly appointed National Fieldays chief executive Richard Lindroos says his team is ready, excited and looking forward to delivering the four-day event next month.
OPINION: The Hound hears that tension was in the air at the recent Silver Fern Farms AGM, with the board…
OPINION: The ongoing saga of the quality of school lunches continues.