A SIDE of empowerment

By Sonita Chandar

With the challenges of rising costs, milk prices, regulations and the weather, the past year has been a testing time for dairy farmers and now more than ever they need to be able to adapt to the challenges.

With that in mind, organisers chose the theme, Adapt, Empower and Succeed, says SIDE (South Island Dairy Event) co-ordinator Tineka Johnstone.

“The local committee came up with this little gem,” she says.

“They feel farmers need to adapt to the conditions, regulations, pricing and everything else and by sharing this knowledge, they hope it will empower farmers to succeed.”

Johnstone says farmers have faced many challenges.

“Farmers are coming under a lot of pressure. We had a dry summer in Southland and farmers are still trying to recover.”

SIDE was established in 1998 to provide a forum for those involved in the South Island dairy industry to evaluate and apply knowledge, skills and technology to their business.

The key drivers of SIDE is South Island Dairy Farmers. The focus and delivery of all SIDE events is guided by farmer needs and ongoing evaluation.

Run by farmers for farmers, SIDE lines up industry experts for keynote addresses, networking sessions and practical workshops.

This year, there will be 12 practical workshops, culminating in a field trip to the Southern Dairy Hub.

The workshops involve Q&A sessions, discussion from industry experts and feedback from farmers on their experience with such topics as wearables, efficient N use, utilising catchment groups, and how to be the best boss.

As well as the workshops, SIDE offers inspiration from keynote speakers, including Tyla Nathan-Wong, who has represented NZ at various sporting events including the Olympics and Commonwealth Games; Shaz Dagg, who is NZ’s first elite para-triathlete and Parafed Manawatū’s sport development adviser; and Vangelis Vitalis, deputy secretary of trade and economics at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

A keynote session on the climate is also planned.

MORE:

This year’s conference is at ILT Stadium Southland, Invercargill on June 28-29.

When you order your maize from Farm Source, you also get the benefits of local advice and ongoing support combined with personalised farm insights, to help you get the best out of your crop.

Talk to your TSR today to secure next season’s maize seed order.

nzfarmsource.co.nz/maize