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Possums are a carrier of bovine tuberculosis, that can affect cattle and deer
The dairy industry has joined with NEXT Foundation and the Department of Conservation in the fight against invasive predators.
Dairy industry funding will contribute to the Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP) programme set up by the NEXT Foundation and DOC. The partnership intends to focus on new and improved ways to remove introduced predators such as rats, stoats and possums from large areas of land and keep them out.
"Diseases and pests are a threat to dairy farming and the New Zealand environment. Farmers already lose millions of dollars due to predators and we want to get behind efforts that accelerate the eradication of pests in New Zealand and protect agricultural incomes," says Fonterra CEO, Theo Spierings.
NEXT Foundation chairman, Chris Liddell says that while current predator control methods like 1080 and trapping can successfully knock back predators, reinvasion is a continual problem and the welcome injection of funding will help ZIP find innovative solutions to the problem.
"Working with the dairy industry will give us access to the dairy farms of New Zealand who are on the front line of the fight against invasive species and allow us to accurately assess the physical and reputational damage that inadequate pest control brings to New Zealand and its strongest export sector," says Liddell.
Director-general of conservation, Lou Sanson sees this as a positive step for the cross sector collaboration.
"This partnership also aims to spark new ideas about predator control and shows what can be achieved when the public and private sector work together for conservation," he says.
Five major dairy companies have committed $5 million to the partnership – including Fonterra, Open Country, Synlait, Tatua, and Westland Milk Products – which will include resources to accelerate the pace of research and development (R&D) capabilities and testing.
"New Zealand's environment and biosecurity is an important driver of our global reputation for high quality, natural dairy nutrition and we want to steadfastly protect that," says Spierings.
Wayne and Ange Moxham of Horowhenua have just been named as Fonterra's top organic performer for milksolids. As well as providing organic milk to Fonterra, the couple also sell Udderly Organic milk to more than 100 outlets in the region and are embarking on another exciting venture producing organic gelato. Reporter Peter Burke went along to see their farming operation.
Fonterra has reduced its forecast 2026/27 Farmgate Milk Price.
Former head of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Peter Chrisp is the new director-general of the Department of Conservation.
A critically threatened endemic freshwater fish found only in Canterbury has been discovered at a Craigmore Sustainables farm near Timaru.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) has announced that its annual Pureora Hunting Competition will open on 16 March.
Oamaru-based livestock handling specialist Te Pari has bought Combi Clamp, the New Zealand manufacturer of Combi Clamp manual sheep handlers.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has admitted that a scheme bringing workers from Pacific nations to work on orchards has become too hard to navigate but says changes are coming.
A new app designed in New Zealand aims to help sheep, beef and deer farmers capture, analyse and use body condition score data more effectively.
Canterbury farmer Andy Macfarlane has been appointed to the board of AgriZeroNZ, the public-private partnership designed to accelerate the development and deployment of emissions reduction tools for New Zealand farmers.
For over 50 years Mel Ewers has been supporting the apple sector navigate through compliance and quality assurance issues.
The apple sector is enjoying a bumper harvest season.
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