Dairy

At the end of their conference, Federated Farmers held their AGM and Wayne Langford, the 40-year-old dairy farmer from Golden Bay, was elected as the organisation's new national president.

Planning is already underway to make exporters aware of the opportunities of the recently signed free trade agreement between NZ and the EU.

New Zealand's first female FMG Young Farmer of the Year recipient Emma Poole hopes to be an inspiration for other women in the sector.

Fonterra farmers are up in arms about plans to review its Farm Source retail business that could reduce face-to- face interaction with shareholders.

Fonterra says a revamp of its Farm Source field team won’t change the total number of people working face-to-face with farmers.

As part of its strategic choice to lead in sustainability, Fonterra places a strong emphasis on calf wellbeing.

While most dairy farmers are heading into spring calving with lush grass cover, cows may need more starch and energy to compensate for pasture deficiencies this season.

With calving underway, dairy farmers are being urged to be vigilant for coccidiosis by planning their calf feeding regimes and using nutrition to combat the potentially fatal disease.

Planning and preparing for calving with the farm team will reduce stress when calving is in full swing, and help keep everyone safe and healthy, says DairyNZ.