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.
New Zealand Animal Evaluation (NZAEL), a subsidiary of DairyNZ, has set up farmer advisory panel to provide practical, farmer-based feedback on animal evaluation R&D and communication.
NZAEL manager Jeremy Bryant says it is important for farmers to be involved in genetic evaluation development.
“The perspective and experience of farmers is invaluable in enhancing the animal evaluation system.”
The panel will be a forum for discussion between farmers, researchers and the NZAEL team, and to assist NZAEL in identifying practical issues.
The panel’s six farmers have businesses that represent a range of NZ farming systems. They are advocates of genetic improvement, and will meet five times a year to give practical views on R&D proposed or underway by NZAEL and DairyNZ researchers.
It is now giving feedback on two R&D areas: first, a project to reduce the ‘reproof bias’ in AE enrolled sires; second, a mid-term review of the economic models used to generate breeding worth. The review will begin this spring and the panel and other stakeholders will comment.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.