People change behaviours when the rewards are right. These rewards can be economic and/or emotional – but they have to be greater than the cost (including energy) of implementation of the change, and the cost of not changing. 

WITH THE final piece of the National Animal Identification and Traceability (NAIT) scheme jigsaw in place – the legislation – I decide it's time to bite the bullet and register our 10ha farmlet.

FEWER, BETTER fed cow looks set to deliver much more milk for little extra cost on Lincoln University's Dairy Farm this season, judging by a field day late last month on the showcase irrigated Canterbury unit.

MUCH OF the research in the Waikato is, perhaps understandably, more relevant to dairy farmers than sheep and beef farmers.

The overall incidence of mastitis in cows this year is down, a field day at the Westpac Taranaki Agricultural Research Station at Hawera last week heard.

When trikes and quads first appeared on farms they were primarily for all terrain transport – fairly basic and with moderate power.

It was love at first sight when Malcolm Taylor visited New Zealand on holiday back in 1972.

Recent releases by Statistics New Zealand point to a bumper export performance led by our farm system, largely due to a wetter summer which allowed many regions to increase productivity. However, some dark clouds are gathering.

Taranaki dairy farmers dealing with the effects of the weekend's storm are advised to remember cows are resilient and careful management will get them through any missed milkings.

The weather bomb that struck the west coast of the lower North Island has affected a number of farms.  The priority is animal welfare, especially stock access to drinking water.