Herd production performance soars
New data released by LIC and DairyNZ shows New Zealand dairy farmers have achieved the highest six week in-calf rate and lowest notin- calf rate on record.
LIC HAS launched an ‘online learning centre’ to help farmers to update skills and knowledge without leaving the farm.
LIC’s general manager of farm systems, Rob Ford, says the pace of technology improvements is rising in dairying.
“We introduce new and improved systems every day…. All these things are logical and easy to use but the challenge is to deliver the information in the right way, and at the right time, to match the demands on farm.
“We wanted to give farmers an online resource which would be fun to use and accessible around the clock. Currently the centre contains 48 interactive audio and video learning modules and over time we’ll add more modules.”
Modules on the new centre, which is free to LIC farmer customers, help farmers get more value, easily, from their LIC animal recording. It also contains a module on tagging management.
LIC is finding more farmers are opting to install a farm automation system.
“We’ve now got a range of Protrack farm automation systems which cater to the size of the herd and the needs of the farmer, and the learning centre contains insights and tips for getting more value out of the system. “
And the centre is accessible 24/7 – “whenever farmers want to find out something, either for themselves or their staff.”
Check it out here: http://learnlic.co.nz/
Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand has no intention of backing down in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products.
There have been leadership changes at the Hamilton-based Dairy Goat Co-operative, which has been struggling financially in recent years.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
OPINION: In recent years farmers have been crying foul of unworkable and expensive regulations.
Another 16 commercial beef farmers have been selected to take part in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme designed to help drive the uptake of genetics in the industry.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Kiwi exporters will be $100 million better off today as the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) comes into force.