VALUE OF DAIRY
The year dairy joined the essential few Words by: Tim Mackle
T
he year 2020 was a year where dairy faced a range of challenges head-on, while capturing opportunities too. Stepping up as an essential service was a credit to farming but also a challenge, as we faced issues farming during a national lockdown. Being an essential service for New Zealand is a nod to the value we provide our communities, and the world. Keeping everyone safe, while producing food and much-needed export income for NZ, was an experience I suspect few in farming will forget. All our industry organisations, including DairyNZ, switched focus to support the
issues farmers would face as a our sector. As we head into 2021, result – helping make sure we plan to continue a range of Moving Day could go ahead, work to ensure we have great advocating for visa extensions workplaces and that dairy for migrant workers, and is attracting talent onto our information to ensure farms. farmers complied with the new Covid-19 rules. Covid-19 also VALUE OF DAIRY Tim Mackle prompted a campaign to highlight Covid-19 has also shone a light on the opportunities of working in the dairy sector in NZ. dairy. Dairy is playing an increasing role as a In June, DairyNZ launched the GoDairy source of income and employment, but campaign, offering Kiwis who lost jobs showing the public the other great work due to Covid-19 the opportunity to move we do helps increase understanding of into a dairy career. This is a positive step dairy farming. toward bridging the staffing gap on farms Our Vision is Clear campaign has been by drawing newcomers into our sector, and sharing stories of environmental change received wide-reaching public exposure for both onfarm and in our communities, with
“making milking easier and faster”
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for circular and s te ga g in ck ba e iv ct fe ef ut bo A rectangular dairy yards
K. H. McConnel Ltd. Hamilton, New Zealand
www.mcconnel.co.nz
Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | December 2020
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