Editorial: Backing Dairy

New Zealand’s largest export earner, directly providing over 51,000 jobs and a major purchaser of output from many other sectors.

This makes the dairy sector one of New Zealand’s most important economic sectors, according to updated analysis by Sense Partners.

The report, commissioned by DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ), finds the sector’s impact is felt most strongly in regional New Zealand, where it underpins jobs, wages, businesses and local investment.

In regions such as Waikato, Southland, Taranaki and the West Coast, dairy is a major contributor to economic activity and community wellbeing. For example, dairy delivers 12% of West Coast GDP, one in every four jobs in South Taranaki is a dairy job, the Waikato region has over 10,000 employees, and dairy accounts for nearly 50% of the wages paid in Waimate district.

Dairy exports reached $28.8 billion in the year to December 2025, making it the largest goods export sector by a wide margin. As DairyNZ points out, when dairy succeeds, the benefits extend well beyond the farm gate.

Therefore, the onus is on politicians to ensure that our dairy sector remains competitive.

DairyNZ is asking the Government, on behalf of dairy farmers, to get resource management and freshwater systems right, maintain a strong biosecurity system, support a better dairy workforce, boost science funding, promote low emissions technology and invest in rural infrastructure.

Dairy farmers understand that change is a constant.

But they are also looking for certainty and need policy that rewards investment and encourages innovation.