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Ear sensors keeping cow health under tabs

The chance of an extra set of eyes on a dairy farm is not to be sniffed at, so a recent on-farm show and tell day in the Waikato created a great deal of interest.

NZ dairy expertise helping Sri Lanka post-war recovery

For the first time in their lives, Sri Lankans Nalayini and Chinniah were earning enough money to eat three meals a day and pay for their kids' education - thanks to one cow and a lot of hard work.

Nalayini and Chinniah, both in their 50s, have overcome more obstacles than most couples do in a lifetime.

Stick to the science

The other day I read a couple of articles that made me think. The first, published in Stuff was on a report by Otago and Victoria Universities on the number of Kiwis at risk of getting bowel cancer because they live in areas with an elevated water nitrate level.

Watson to head world's largest breed federation

Holstein Friesian New Zealand general manager Cherilyn Watson has been appointed President of the World Holstein Friesian Federation (WHFF) Council.

Vaccinating animals just as important

Up to 20% of livestock are lost to disease each year.

OPINION: As we struggle to fathom how we ended up in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic, we're reminded of the importance of vaccinations to protect us from life-threatening diseases.

Sour taste

A dairy snack for kids made by the Gloriavale Christian Community has been dropped by two distributors because of "reputational" issues.

Cows in lockdown

OPINION: Over the past year the world has been shown the psychological damage that lockdown can have on human wellbeing.

Seaweed to the rescue

OPINION: Researchers at the University of California report an 82% reduction in methane emissions in cows fed small doses of seaweed a day for 21 weeks.

Foot in mouth

OPINION: A mate of Milking It recently opined that Ag Minister Damien O'Connor is a sitter for the moniker 'Minister of Foot in Mouth Disease' after yet another clumsy public statement.

He has now followed this gaffe in a speech he gave at the CD field days - no doubt trying to pander to his farming audience - by kicking tourism while it's down, Covid-19, he said, has taught the tourism industry "not to be so cocky" after it conceded to dairy as our top export earner.

Towns dependent on tourism are dying and need government assistance, not a kick in the guts.