News
FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – December 13, 2021
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‘More from less’ in record year Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz NEW Zealand dairy farmers have set a new record for milk production, producing 1.95 billion kilograms of milksolids (MS) for the 2020-21 season. The 2.7% lift in milksolids from the previous season was achieved from 4.9 million cows, a small 0.36% decrease from the 2019-20 year, according to the annual New Zealand Dairy Statistics report, released by DairyNZ and LIC. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says it is great to see a continuation of the ‘more milk from fewer cows’ trend because it shows a continuing focus on milking better cows and farming even more sustainably. “Farmers are focused on developing more productive and efficient cows and farming systems, with a lighter environmental footprint. They want to retain our unique pasture-based farming system and remain world leading,” Mackle said.
Increasing milksolids with a reduced cow population is an achievement the whole sector should be proud of.
Favourable weather conditions also contributed to good grass growth, while higher milk prices meant many farmers extended their milking season in 2020-21. Per cow production also lifted from 385 to 397kg MS.
Herd numbers fell for the sixth year in a row, with 145 fewer than the previous season, totalling 11,034. The average herd size was 444, which was four cows higher than the previous season. The percentage of cows mated
to artificial breeding rose to 71.3% (up from 70.8% in 2019-20), and the number of cows herd tested is the highest on record (3.735 million cows, or 76.2%, of the national herd). LIC acting chief executive David Hazlehurst says the greater uptake of herd improvement services demonstrates farmers’ intent and focus on producing the most sustainable and efficient animals. “Mating season has always been an important time to get cows in-calf but now with a focus on cow quality over quantity, more farmers are investing in premium genetics to help ensure their next generation of replacements are more efficient than the last,” Hazlehurst said. He says young, genomicallyselected bulls and sexed semen, which generates female replacements from top cows, are examples of the high-impact tools farmers are adopting to increase the rate of genetic gain in their herds. “It’s really pleasing to see these stats provide farmers with
Increasing milksolids with a reduced cow population is an achievement the whole sector should be proud of. David Hazlehurst LIC reassurance that the tools they’re investing in to increase their herd’s production efficiency and reduce their farm’s environmental footprint are working. Increasing milksolids with a reduced cow population is an achievement the whole sector should be proud of,” he said. Mackle says the report showed that despite a range of challenges such as the covid-19 pandemic and staff shortages, farmers are working hard to keep milk production flowing, benefitting the whole country.
Nats move ag to front bench Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz NEW National Party leader Christopher Luxon has made clear his intention to win back disillusioned rural voters by promoting Shadow Agriculture Minister Barbara Kuriger to the party’s front bench. Luxon has in media interviews since taking over leadership of the party last week, spoken of the economic importance of the primary sector and his intention to rewin the support of rural voters who deserted the party at the last election. He appears to have put that into action this week by announcing
that Kuriger will retain the portfolio she was given by previous leader Judith Collins and promoted from number 14 in the shadow cabinet to number 10. She is also responsible for biosecurity and food safety. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor is ranked number 14 in Labour’s cabinet and has the heavyweight portfolios of trade and export growth and biosecurity. National’s David Bennett has progressively slipped down the National Party’s hierarchy since appointed shadow agriculture spokesperson in 2020, with a ranking of 11. He lost agriculture to Kuriger
in February, but kept horticulture and biosecurity and in Luxon’s reshuffle has slipped to number 20 with oversight of economic and regional development. Scott Simpson is ranked 11 by Luxon and picks up the shadow climate change portfolio from Stuart Smith, while retaining environment. Smith, ranked 17, retains viticulture, and Judith Collins (19) gets research, science, innovation and technology. Of those unranked, Ian McKelvie keeps forestry, Jacqui Dean conservation and Todd McLay trade and export growth. Luxon has appointed three associate agriculture
RANKING RISING: Shadow Agriculture Minister Barbara Kuriger is now 10th in National’s shadow cabinet, having moved up from 14.
spokespeople, Tim van der Molen, Nicola Grigg and Joseph Mooney. In addition to those roles, Van der Molen is also responsible
for horticulture, Grigg for rural communities, land information and animal welfare and Mooney water.
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