Inside the Southland Dairy Farm Where Robots and Pasture Work Together
In Dacre, near Invercargill in New Zealand’s South Island, Bruce Dinnington is running a dairy operation unlike any other.
A former contract milker has been banned from working in the dairy industry for 12 months for ramming a dairy cow with a quad bike, causing it severe pain and distress.
Christopher Mark Bennett, 56, was working on a farm in Raglan when the abuse occurred in November 2014.
Bennett had been rounding up stock when he rammed a difficult cow that was in full milk, with his quad bike at least twice.
The Ministry for Primary Industries began an investigation after witnesses, who were horse-riding on the farm, reported the incident.
MPI investigations manager, Simon Anderson, says offending of this nature is unacceptable.
"The Animal Welfare Act exists to protect animals from this sort of abuse.
"There is never an excuse for ill-treatment of animals. MPI takes any reports of abuse very seriously. If we find evidence that warrants charges being laid, we will prosecute."
Bennett was convicted and sentenced to 125 hours community work and disqualified from working in the dairy industry for 12 months when he appeared in the Hamilton District Court on July 29.
A spate of southerly winds bringing cold temperatures has presented challenges for Taranaki dairy farmers.
Converting a longstanding cropping farm to dairy was the only way to ensure the land stayed in the family long term, says new dairy farmer Rod May.
As the election heats up, Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) has launched its election scorecard designed to help voters wanting to support policies that grow organic and New Zealand's organic sector.
A 'tsunami' of milk from key exporting countries is winding down and this may be good news for New Zealand dairy farmers.
Will the good times last? That's one of the key issues to come out of the latest Federated Farmers confidence survey.
Outgoing Fonterra Co-operative Council chair John Stevenson says that it has been a privilege to represent the co-op's farmer shareholders.

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