Southern hub back on case

 “Everything’s been on hold since calving,” Southern Dairy Development Trust chairman Matthew Richards told Dairy News last week.

Not that the trust has been resting on its laurels: it’s been researching in more detail what the 930 dairy farmers in the Southland and Otago area want from the proposed Southern Dairy Hub (SDH).

“They want research that’s relevant to their farms and an ability to demonstrate that at scale. A lot of it is around the environmental space with catchment [nutrient] limits coming fast. Wintering was also an issue raised, and human resources and health and safety.”

SDDT’s aim is to raise enough to buy a farm that could run four herds of at least 200 cows each to allow farm-scale comparative studies, for example, of performance on different forages and management regimes.

The farm would also be equipped with office space for industry organisations and possibly some other businesses, plus facilities for training and technology transfer.

SDDT is seeking $10m from industry partners including Dairy NZ and Agresearch, and at least $4.5m from the local dairy community. $2.5m of the $4.5m will come from the current Southland Demonstration Farm but donations from dairy farms across the region are needed to raise the rest.

“A minimum $2000 donation is the target and we need to raise $2m so really we need the majority of farms on board,” says Richards.

A “founding farmers” wall at the hub will acknowledge all those chipping in with $2000 or more.

The lease on the current Southland Demonstration Farm ends May 31, 2016, hence SDDT wants to have the hub built and ready to roll June 1, 2016.

“That’s not very far away at all,” notes Richards.

“There are several southern businesses keen to come on board with funding who can see the benefit the hub would bring the region, which is a really good sign, but farmers ultimately are the key funders we need.”

A deadline of April 30 has been set to raise the $2m. Assuming the funds can be raised, the trust is looking for a farm within a 45 minute radius of Invercargill airport to either convert or, if already dairying, develop into the hub.

An event to showcase the SDH proposal to media, industry, and some farmers will be held in Winton Monday 9^th Feb, followed by a series of farmer-focussed day and evening information events at Winton, Gore and Balclutha March 2-4.

For more see www.southerndairyhub.co.nz or tel: 0800 336632