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Federated Farmers dairy chairman Chris Lewis.
If you're a dairy farmer reading this, then ask yourself, are you a good boss?
Do you value your workers and is their wellbeing your priority?
Most farmers are good employers and to celebrate this, industry stakeholders have launched the Good Boss campaign.
A sector-wide initiative by Federated Farmers, DairyNZ, Dairy Women’s Network and NZ Young Farmers it was launched last month at a Federated Farmers event in Wellington.
The campaign has a simple objective – to celebrate dairy farmers who are good bosses and think about ways to be better bosses.
With 11,500 dairy farming businesses and most employing someone to help run the farm, the campaign is timely.
However, like every other sector, not everyone in the dairy sector turns out to be a good boss.
There are bad employers in the dairy sector; just last week a Twitter user, whose Twitter profile reads ‘English girl experiencing the Kiwi-style dairy systems in New Zealand’ asked fellow Twitter users to clarify what ‘sole charge’ is?
“I drove seven hours back from Kerikeri on Friday to look after this farm for three days. The owner got the cows in on Saturday morning and then left. But because he got the cows in, I don’t get paid ‘sole charge’ rates. Instead I got $40.”
Most farmers, who responded to the story on Twitter, slammed the farmer.
By any imagination, that doesn’t sound like a good boss at all and surely isn’t a reflection on other bosses in NZ dairy farming.
Federated Farmers dairy chairman Chris Lewis says most people can tell you a story about having worked for a bad one.
“They are memories that linger. They are stories that get shared about the pub and now sometimes on social media.
“As a sector we currently don’t have enough people who want to work on our farms. We are short staffed. Many of us live and feel the impacts of this every day.
“Without our 4000 odd (highly valued) migrant workers on temporary work visas we would be stuffed, cows would not be being milked.
“There are of course a number of reasons we can’t find enough capable employees – socio economic policy, urban migration, generational expectations etc. Some of these things are outside our control. But the thing that is inside our control that would make a difference – being a good boss.”
The Good Boss campaign is a great start: let’s hope it delivers a sector of good bosses.
Central Otago District Council (CODC) has voted against a plan to spread treated sewage sludge from Cromwell and Alexandra on farmland near Lauder, a decision Federated Farmers says reflects strong opposition from rural residents.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
The first major update to the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare in more than a decade has been released, marking what DairyNZ describes as an important step in ensuring animal welfare standards continue to evolve alongside scientific evidence and on-farm realities.
Federated Farmers says new legislation replacing the Resource Management Act will cut red tape, unlock investment and help grow New Zealand's export-led economy, after the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill passed their third reading in Parliament yesterday.
Leading figures from the major political parties will be questioned on their primary sector policies at the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton, on 30 September.
Waikato milk processor Tatua has again declared a record milk payout to farmer shareholders, leaving other processors in the dust.
A Labour-led Government won’t be bringing back the controversial freshwater rules of 2020.
National’s much-touted free trade deal with India featured in the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek, Hamilton on Wednesday night.
New Zealand's 2026-27 freshwater fishing season has opened, with anglers encouraged to head to rivers and lakes over the coming days as conditions look favourable across much of the country.
Central Otago District Council (CODC) has voted against a plan to spread treated sewage sludge from Cromwell and Alexandra on farmland near Lauder, a decision Federated Farmers says reflects strong opposition from rural residents.
Pāmu has released its FY26 Integrated Annual Report, reporting a Net Operating Profit of $113 million, more than double the $49 million recorded in FY25.
