DairyNZ hopes DCD solution is found

However, DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle is urging the two companies, government authorities and dairy companies to work on pragmatic solutions that would enable the product to be back on the market and able to be used by farmers.

"We support this proactive approach to managing the trade risk, but this is a very useful tool for farmers in terms of managing their nutrient loss on farms, so we'd like to see solutions worked on as a priority," he says.

Dr Mackle says there is a suite of tools farmers can use instead of DCD to manage nitrogen loss and its effect on water quality, so farmers will be actively focussed on those in the meantime.

"We're doing a lot of research on other measures to manage nutrient loss so there are other options. But DCD is a particularly effective one so we hope that a solution can be worked on to enable it to be used."