Herd production performance soars
New data released by LIC and DairyNZ shows New Zealand dairy farmers have achieved the highest six week in-calf rate and lowest notin- calf rate on record.
Herd Improvement company LIC is paying out over $2 million this week, as compensation for supplying some dairy farmers bad sire semen.
LIC chief executive David Chin apologised to farmers during a webinar this evening, adding that the farmer-owned co-operative had not lived up to the high standards expected by shareholders.
Chin says an independent internal investigation is underway to ascertain how two batches of bad semen were delivered to 1127 farms around the country - semen collected, processed and packed into straws and then sent to farms on October 15th and October 21st failed to pass quality control tests on day three. The straws were used over three days to mate herds and resulted in lower pregnancy rates. 15 of the 39 straws collected on October 16th and five of 31 straws collected on October 21st were affected.
Chin says LIC is still no closer to finding out how the batches were impacted.
“We are having a thorough investigation and looking at the processes,” he told farmers.
The report will be presented to LIC board and its shareholder reference group.
Chin says the report will help the co-op to improve its operations.
LIC board chair Corrigan Sowman told farmers that the board takes the incident very seriously.
“On behalf of the board, we are disappointed that we have let you down as farmers,” says Sowman, who took over as LIC chair last month.
Chin, Sowman and LIC general manager NZ markets Malcolm Ellis fielded questions from farmers. Some questioned why it took LIC until October 26th to contact affected farmers and until November 14th to contact all shareholders.
Chin responded that it contacted affected farmers on October 26th to inform them “that we had a concern about the day three straws”. The 18-24 day returns of day three straws came back to LIC on November 12th. The next day LIC decided to refund farmers and a letter went out to all shareholders a day later.
LIC is offering affected farmers a compensation package that has two categories and payments will be made on Thursday.
LIC says all affected inseminations across all 6 days will be credited to the value of the original product used.
In addition:
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
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