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DairyNZ's general manager of extension, Andrew Reid, says dairy farmers are looking closely at their feeding systems in the light of the low payout.
The payout has come as a shock to a lot people and farmers are now challenging their own farming systems, he says.
Anecdotally they don’t appear to be changing from one system to another, but rather are looking at refining and cutting costs in their existing systems.
“People are destocking or making sure they are not carrying passenger cows through this current season.
“They are making best use of home grown feed instead of buying supplements. And they are looking at all farm inputs.”
Reid says many farmers have been through tough times before and they are now hunkering down to ride out the storm of low prices.
Many farmers got rid of passenger cows in the late spring in anticipation of a tight season, reducing reliance on supplementary feed.
But Reid says the cold wet winter has been a problem in many areas so the use of supplementary feed is going to be a focal point over spring.
The prospect of El Nino raises issues for farmers, he says. Southland farmers are already talking about growing fodder beet to take them through next winter.
DairyNZ has pulled together tactics that will help farmers improve on-farm efficiency and have positive benefits for the environment. These tactics are based on research, data, and lessons from leading farmers.
The design and construction of an effective dairy effluent system is a complex process.
After serving three as a DairyNZ director, Waikato farmer Chris Lewis is ready for another term.
DairyNZ has announced the date for its six-yearly Milksolids Levy vote, which will take place from Monday, 16 February to Friday, 13 March 2026.
DairyNZ has announced the date for its upcoming Milksolids Levy vote.
Brett Wotton, an Eastern Bay of Plenty kiwifruit grower and harvest contractor, has won the 2025 Kiwifruit Innovation Award for his work to support lifting fruit quality across the industry.
Academic Dr Mike Joy and his employer, Victoria University of Wellington have apologised for his comments suggesting that dairy industry CEOs should be hanged for contributing towards nitrate poisoning of waterways.
Environment Southland's catchment improvement funding is once again available for innovative landowners in need of a boost to get their project going.
The team meeting at the Culverden Hotel was relaxed and open, despite being in the middle of calving when stress levels are at peak levels, especially in bitterly cold and wet conditions like today.
A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.
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