Dairy Exporter April 2021

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STOCK DAIRY BEEF ISSUES

Beef and dairy need to collaborate Dairy, sheep and beef farmers are coming together to solve the issue of bobby calves. Phil Edmonds, outlines how the organisation is conducting research and investigating the potential for a new market for bobby calves.

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t might used to have been ‘them and us’, but now more than ever dairy farmers and their sheep and beef counterparts have come to realise their respective farming futures are intertwined. So much of the current challenges for agriculture affect both – whether it be tackling greenhouse gases, water allocation, biosecurity, animal welfare and sector capability. To that end, collaboration across sectors at the growing points of shared interest is now more important than ever. This is certainly not lost on B+LNZ in its quest to serve dairy farmers as effectively as it supports the sheep and beef sector. Given that dairy farmers pay two lots of industry good organisation levies – to both DairyNZ and to B+LNZ – it’s no surprise they want to know there’s no duplication, and that resources and capability are being used most efficiently and effectively. Both organisations have come together to try and solve the bobby calf problem, with each recognising there is plenty at stake in failing to take action. As part of its contribution, B+LNZ is looking to build an understanding of how dairy farmers can produce a calf that beef farmers want to buy and finish. But Dan Brier, B+LNZ farming excellence manager says that finding a solution is as much an off-farm, supply chain issue as it is one that dairy farmers can address themselves.

with GEA CowScout collars. B+LNZ farming excellence manager, Dan Brier

“Our part of this will involve investigating a potential new market for bobby calves, and understanding the real costs within the supply chain, including GHG emission from transportation.” Beyond a dedication to collaborative industry leadership, dairy farmers are likely to identify the work B+LNZ does on genetics as being most relevant to their own operation. Dan says his organisation’s investment in beef genetics has a positive impact on the dairy industry as it also supports the dairy herd. “Dairy farmers have a direct interest in genetics that enable shorter gestation lengths so cows come into milk quicker, and deliver smaller calves. The results of the genetics programme about to commence on beef studs will be equally shared by dairy farmers with half the bulls from the programme going into the dairy herd.”

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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Articles inside

Getting the genetics right

2min
page 137

From dryoff to payoff

2min
page 136

Connecting farmers with the right staff

2min
page 135

Why should you hire a farm adviser?

5min
pages 132-133

Full stream ahead for Farmers’ Forum

2min
page 129

Beefing up the dairy calf crop at Kintore Farm

8min
pages 122-124

Vets Voice: Prevent toxic nitrate shock

4min
page 126

Cows stand their ground in pugging study

4min
pages 130-131

Beef and dairy need to collaborate

2min
page 125

EVOLVE at SIDE conference, Ashburton

5min
pages 127-128

CO Diary: Wintering practices improve

7min
pages 119-121

Share farmer: Ann & Scott Henderson

9min
pages 116-118

Trainee: Sophie White

2min
page 113

Trainee: Mattes Groenendijk

3min
page 103

Trainee: Sam Smithers

3min
page 93

Share farmer: John Wyatt

9min
pages 88-92

Dairy manager: Diego Raul Gomez Salinas

5min
pages 86-87

Trainee: Sydney Porter

3min
page 85

Dairy manager: Leon McDonald

5min
pages 78-79

Share farmer: Manoj Kumar & Sumit Kamboj

9min
pages 80-84

Share farmer: Sam Howard

9min
pages 72-75

Trainee: Josh Wilkinson

3min
page 67

Trainee: Tayla Flight

3min
pages 58-59

Dairy manager: Mark Rivers

6min
pages 60-61

Dairy manager: Christopher Gerard Vila

6min
pages 42-43

Dairy manager: Hayden Goodall

6min
pages 48-51

Trainee: Dayna Rowe

3min
page 47

Share farmer: Reuben and Deb Connolly

9min
pages 44-46

Share farmer: Rachael Foy

8min
pages 38-40

Trainee: Ruth Connolly

3min
page 41

Dairy manager: Stephanie Walker

5min
pages 36-37

Using KiwiSaver to buy a house isn’t an option for farm workers

13min
pages 14-19

Trainee: Emma Udell

3min
page 35

Market View: Dairy commodity prices soared in March

5min
pages 22-25

Trainee: Bella Wati

3min
page 26

Global Dairy: 3-breed crossbred cattle are improving US herds

3min
pages 20-21

Niall McKenzie boxes on with some inspiration from Rocky

3min
page 13

Anne-Marie Wells champions onfarm discussion groups

2min
page 12

Carla Staples airs her concerns about freshwater legislation

3min
page 11
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