Monday, 03 October 2016 11:11

Guy welcomes Sri Lankan FarmIQ pilot

Written by 
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy. Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has welcomed the announcement of a FarmIQ technology pilot in Sri Lanka.

The pilot was part of a joint announcement by Prime Minister John Key and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

“The FarmIQ management system has been developed through the Primary Growth Partnership (PGP), and is cutting edge technology that can be applied to a range of farming activities,” says Guy.

“It works by capturing and analysing data throughout the value chain so farmers can better link on-farm practices to farm outputs and revenue.

“The Sri Lankan FarmIQ pilot will specifically measure the impact of dairy farm inputs and practices against milk output, quality and profitability, and will help support overall dairy sector development in Sri Lanka.”

The joint initiative between New Zealand and Sri Lanka is another activity under the Dairy Cooperation Arrangement signed between the two countries and has been extended to 2018/19.

“I visited Sri Lanka in 2014, and got a good understanding of some of the challenges their small-scale dairy farmers face,” says Guy.

“While we export milk powders to Sri Lanka, Fonterra also has in-country facilities that process local Sri Lankan milk, benefitting farmers from both countries.

“New Zealand has a lot of valuable expertise to share with the Sri Lankan dairy industry, and officials from both countries believe FarmIQ will make a real difference to the performance of local farmers.

“The pilot could also lead to further opportunities for the FarmIQ system – such as those occurring with other PGP programmes like Steepland Harvesting which is exporting forest harvesting machines to British Colombia.

“The two-way trade relationship between our countries is now progressing very well, especially with the commitment the Sri Lankan Government had made with respect to dairy tariffs,” says Guy.

More like this

Bikinis in cowshed

OPINION: An animal activist organisation is calling for an investigation into the use of dairy cows in sexuallly explicit content posted on social media and adult entertainment subscription site OnlyFans.

Featured

People-first philosophy pays off

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.

Farmer anger over Joy's social media post

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.

From Nelson to Dairy Research: Amy Toughey’s Journey

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.

AgFirst marks 30 years of agribusiness advice

AgFirst, New Zealand's largest independent agribusiness consultancy, is turning 30 - celebrating three decades of "trusted advice, practical solutions, and innovative thinking".

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Faking it

OPINION: Demand for red meat is booming, while it seems the heyday of plant-based protein is well past its 'best…

M.I.A.

OPINION: The previous government spent too much during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite warnings from officials, according to a briefing released…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter