Leah Prankerd: A passion for dairying and farmer support
It was love that first led Leah Prankerd to dairying.
Choosing 15 dairy farmers as NZ’s climate change ambassadors is the next step in the dairy sector’s plan for a culture of climate-conscious agribusiness, says DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle.
“These 15 men and women represent best environmental farming practice for their farm system,” says Mackle.
“They run their farms profitably and sustainably and are serious about reducing onfarm greenhouse gas emissions.
“Many farmers are already leading in environmental practices, but these 15 people have taken it a step further. They have not only been ahead of the game, but have undertaken to share their knowledge and learning with others.”
NZ has an opportunity under the Labour-led Government to set the global standard for climate-conscious agribusiness.
Mackle says rather than focusing on cow numbers, we want to focus on how to keep improving the sustainability of NZ’s agricultural sector.
“The first step is ensuring everyone understands the opportunities that lie ahead.
“The climate change ambassadors are an important part of helping dairy farmers and our farming communities understand how they can make environmental improvements on their farms -- the kinds of improvements that increase economic sustainability and help future-proof their farming businesses.”
Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Todd McClay is encouraging farmers, growers, and foresters not to take unnecessary risks, asking that they heed weather warnings today.
With nearly two million underutilised dairy calves born annually and the beef price outlook strong, New Zealand’s opportunity to build a scalable dairy-beef system is now.
Graduates of a newly-updated Agri-Women’s Development Trust (AWDT) course are taking more value than ever from the programme, with some even walking away calling themselves the “farm CFO”.
Meet the Need, a farmer-led charity, says food insecurity in New Zealand is dire, with one in four children now living in a household experiencing food insecurity, according to Ministry of Health data.
Applications have now opened for the 2026 Meat Industry Association scholarships.
Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) says it is backing aspiring dairy farmers through a new initiative designed to make the first step to farm ownership or sharemilking easier.