Investing in genetic gain for long-term resilience
The dairy sector is in a strong position, with high milk prices, declining interest rates, and renewed confidence.
This month the industry celebrates two such stories: the development of a cow breed that will produce more milk in tropical climates, and organic chocolate milk that is taking the domestic market by storm.
Dairy Solutionz Ltd, Hamilton, has led an expert genetics team to develop a cow that thrives in lower-altitude tropical climates and achieves high milk production under heat stress. Soon these cows will be milked on large-scale farms in the US, Colombia and Ecuador.
Earlier this year, research by Serdal Dikmen and the University of Florida pointed to 2L/day improved milk yield per animal through better heat tolerance. Multiply this increase over a large or national herd and the end result is a whopper.
Since 2007 Dairy Solutionz has worked with international partners to design and integrate best-of-breed technologies into its large-scale offshore pastoral farms. Their hard work is paying off.
For the small dairy company Lewis Road Creamery it took only two years to hit the sweet spot. Its fresh chocolate milk is said to be flying off the shelves in supermarkets and boutique stores. Its key ingredients are organic milk and Whittakers chocolate.
Consumer demand is phenomenal. This small company works 24/7 pumping out the product, each week consuming 3000kg of Whittaker’s five roll-refined creamy milk chocolate and 24,000L of milk.
Security guards are monitoring supermarket fridges containing the product and customers are queueing to buy it.
One Auckland supermarket operator says his stocks have run out every day since it was launched: 500 bottles delivered each morning were selling out within 90 minutes.
He’s immensely surprised, says the retailer. “We’ve had some pretty good product launches in the past but this takes the cake.”
Since dairy is New Zealand’s top industry it needs continuing innovation along the whole value chain to anchor it, and the New Zealand economy, in position.
Dairy Solutionz and Lewis Road Creamery are two shining examples of this.
