Displaying items by tag: Wade Bell

Early December marks a key transition for many dairy farmers, as weaned replacement heifers head off-farm to grazing.

With spring underway, maize growers across New Zealand are preparing for planting.

I recently had the pleasure of attending an AgFirst event in Hamilton where the results of the 2024-25 Waikato-Bay of Plenty Dairy Financial Survey were shared. Based on a 136ha farm milking 379 cows, average farm profit before tax was $405,892, an incredible 286% increase on the 23-24 season.

Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with many farmers at events and one-on-one.

This season's dry conditions have made one thing clear: not having enough feed on hand can bring your season to an early close.

OPINION: Few things are more stressful for dairy farmers than running out of feed when cows need it most.

In my last article, I covered factors affecting the marginal returns from growing maize on-farm.

Much has been discussed in recent seasons about the rising costs of production on dairy farms, and rightfully so.

In many parts of the country, dairy farmers have enjoyed favourable growing conditions throughout winter and spring, leading to reduced use of stored and imported feed and higher-than-expected production to date.

Well-made, high-quality grass silage is one of the most valuable feeds available to farmers.