Teen shines at youth camp
Riley Taylor's leadership skills and ability to surmount challenges has seen him presented with the top award at the 2024 World Wide Sires national all dairy breeds youth camp.
How to breed the herd of the future will be front of mind for dairy farmers attending Fieldays at Mystery Creek.
The Government’s Zero Carbon Bill calls for dairy cow numbers to be drastically reduced to meet the ten year and 30 year targets.
“Kiwi farmers are among the most progressive in the world,” says Hank Lina, general manager of international genetics firm World Wide Sires.
“They constantly achieve the seemingly impossible in all aspects of farming. The prospect of reducing cow numbers by even 10% in as many years is a scary one if they continue to milk the same cows.
“The only solution is to start today to breed a cow which will outperform today’s contemporaries so farmers can milk fewer cows and maintain or increase their production. It is possible, but they need a plan. And that plan starts now.”
Lina cites the old adage ‘if you always do what you’ve always done you’ll get what you’ve always got’.
“New Zealand’s Breeding Worth (BW) evaluation tool was introduced decades ago, its legacy evident in a national herd which averages 380kgMS cow.
“At Fieldays we will promote how farmers can move from a per cow average of 380kgMS to cows which consistently and over a long time produce 550kg plus per year.”
Lina said WWS has genetically advanced bulls selected specifically for NZ’s grazing environment. These produce highly productive, fertile, moderate size cows with udders and feet which will last in the herd.
World Wide Sires will be at site PC12 at Fieldays.
China’s Ambassador Wang Xiaolong says bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and New Zealand has made significant and rapid progress.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.