Displaying items by tag: maize

Four years since it was first detected in New Zealand, researchers and growers now know much more about management of maize pest fall armyworm (FAW).

As spring calving cows head into dry-off, the priority shifts to one thing: setting cows up to calve at the target body condition score (BCS).

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

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.

As I write this article, we have just had our first frost in the Waikato, a change in weather signalling that winter is upon us.

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.

As summer progresses, dairy farmers face two critical challenges: maintaining milk production and keeping weight on cows.

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