Rewarding farmers who embrace sustainability
Winners of DairyNZ’s Sustainability and Stewardship awards in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards have their eyes firmly fixed on progressing a positive future for New Zealand dairy.
DairyNZ says its new strategy Dairy Tomorrow will take New Zealand dairy into the future, as a high-performing, sustainable and responsible sector.
The strategy was launched in November last year.
The two-day Farmers Forum in Hamilton theme is “Dairy Tomorrow Today’.
DairyNZ chairman Jim van der Poel says the forum has a focus on how the industry will collectively achieve the new dairy sector strategy’s vision.
The Dairy Tomorrow strategy has six key goals to be achieved over the coming decade. These are:
- to protect and nurture the environment for future generations
- to build the world’s most competitive and resilient dairy farm businesses
- to produce the highest quality and most valued dairy nutrition
- to be world leading in on-farm animal care
- to build great workplaces for New Zealand’s most talented workforce
- and to help grow vibrant, prosperous communities.
Van der Poel says these commitments are crucial for dairy’s future.
“And as we begin to phase in the Strategy’s goals, we will be looking closely at how we will achieve them. But it will take collaboration by everyone in the sector – from dairy farmers through to the wider primary sector, dairy leaders and government.
“The Dairy Tomorrow strategy and its goals continues the good work being done on farms by a lot of dairy farmers who’ve already been doing great things to build competitive businesses, produce quality product and be leaders in sustainability, animal care, employment and in the community.
“I believe that this strategy will help transition farmers into the future farming systems.”
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.