increase font size
THE new chairman of DairyNZ, Michael Spaans says farmers are facing challenges on several fronts.
"This is a challenging time for dairy farmers with the low milk price, the ongoing pressures of compliance and the constant community scrutiny of dairy farming," says Spaans.
"We are lifting our game but accelerating the pace of change in our industry has to be managed with the wellbeing of everyone in mind, including farmers and rural communities.
"DairyNZ is funded by farmers for farmers and all of the work we do is aimed at helping them succeed in their quest to farm competitively and responsibly," says Spaans.
Spaans was elected chairman of the industry good organisation at a special meeting of the board on Saturday.
He will serve an annual term as chair, leading an eight-member board, made up of five farmer-elected and three independent directors.
Spaans replaces long-serving chairman and former Cabinet minister John Luxton who retired from the DairyNZ board last month after 12 years of service on dairy industry bodies.
A dairy farmer from Te Aroha in the Waikato, Spaans is also a director of Fonterra.
He also has farming interests in Canterbury, Chile and the US; he also sits on the board of ASB Bank and is a chartered member of the Institute of Directors.
Spaans said there was interest in the role.
"That was a positive sign and we took the time to run a robust process to elect a chair."
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.
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.
OPINION: The phasing out of copper network from communications is understandable.
Driven by a lifelong passion for animals, Amy Toughey's journey from juggling three jobs with full-time study to working on cutting-edge dairy research trials shows what happens when hard work meets opportunity - and she's only just getting started.
OPINION: Westland Milk may have won the contract to supply butter to Costco NZ but Open Country Dairy is having…
OPINION: The Gene Technology Bill has divided the farming community with strong arguments on both the pros and cons of…
