Together with her husband, Lyons has spent over 20 years building a career in the dairy industry, working their way from farm management to farm ownership.

Since moving from Northland to the Tararua District in 2005, the couple have grown their farming business from sharemilking in Woodville to purchasing their first farm in Dannevirke in 2006, before moving to a larger farm in Pahiatua in 2015. 

Now in her 30th season farming full-time, Lyons says the constant variety, challenge and opportunities to keep learning are what first drew her to the agricultural sector and what continue to motivate her today.

Her career has evolved significantly since graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Science in 1996, but after being diagnosed with osteoarthritis in her hip in 2023, Lyons realised it was time to expand both her study journey and future career opportunities. 

“The diagnosis pushed me to complete my graduate diploma but also highlighted the need for a hip replacement. Although I kept farming, I realised my body was wearing out and I needed an exit plan if it resulted in an inability to continue working on the farm,” she says.

Returning to study after years in the workforce brought both confidence and uncertainty. 

“I was, and still am, a little uncertain of my ability. But having life experience to draw on does help, though it can be harder to move away from established views and ways of thinking. It’s good to learn and grow, and I like to be challenged – this has certainly challenged me,” Lyons says.

She enrolled in the Integrated Farm and Environment Management course in 2025, where she found some aspects aligned naturally with her day-to-day farming experience, while others pushed her outside her comfort zone.

“I’m farming every day, so I had a good knowledge base, but the geology part was more difficult as I had less experience to draw on.”

Lyons says she found value in reconnecting with formal learning and engaging with both lecturers and fellow students. Now completing postgraduate study through a mix of on-campus and distance learning, she says the classroom environment remains her preferred way to learn. 

“I enjoy being on the Manawatū campus as I find it easier to learn in a lecture classroom environment, alongside other students. Being able to discuss ideas and draw on other people’s knowledge really helps consolidate learning. However, studying via distance for the second semester is necessary, as even trying to find the time to sit down to get assignments done during calving is difficult!”

Her academic efforts were recently recognised with the New Zealand Society of Soil Science Undergraduate Prize, which recognises excellence in soil science research, technology and advocacy. 

“It’s a real honour to receive, though I still find it difficult to accept that I deserve it!”

Lyons says her study experience has also reshaped the way she approaches farming and environmental management, particularly around freshwater farm planning and sustainability. 

“It’s helped me better understand the complexity of farming systems and environmental policy. It’s taken away a lot of the unknown around freshwater farm plans and shown me how they can become an integrated and effective part of sustainable farming.” 

Following the completion of her postgraduate certificate, Lyons is considering a master’s degree, though balancing it alongside farming remains a challenge.

“Apart from milking, there is no such thing as a typical day on the farm! For most of the season, it’s only me and my husband, though we employ an international student over the summer for a couple of months as part of their agricultural qualifications.”

This allows Lyons to tutor Primary Industry Training Organisation students completing their level three and four qualifications.

She and her husband 

share the workload, but there’s always plenty to do – from calf rearing, feeding out and pasture management, to fencing, fertiliser spreading, compliance paperwork, financial planning, winter management, soil care and tending to the stock in their care. 

The sheer variety of responsibilities is what Lyons says makes agriculture such a rewarding and versatile industry, with the range of skills developed on-farm coupled with education opening doors in countless directions. 

“The opportunities for development and upskilling are limited only by imagination. Someone graduating with an agricultural degree could become a Member of Parliament, a company director, a dairy farm or herd owner, or a leader of a lobby group. It’s about forming a plan, working towards your goals, finding support and continuing to invest in education and personal development.” 

Around 200 representatives from Fonterra's 24 New Zealand manufacturing sites gathered recently to celebrate the incredible achievements across the network over the past season.

This year, 20 awards were presented, recognising excellence across a wide range of categories - from quality and health and safety through to sustainability and innovation - showcasing the depth of capability across the co-op's manufacturing network.

Celebrating Employees

Fonterra chief operating officer Anna Palairet says it's wonderful to celebrate the incredible work the team does every day.

"What stands out is our people. The work they do from collecting milk from our farmer shareholders all the way through to getting amazing high-quality products to our customers. They've done some incredible mahi."

Best Site Cup Marks 20 Years

The Best Site Cup, now in its 20th year, is a long-running highlight for the co-op.

It shines a spotlight on the more than 7,000 manufacturing employees across the country, recognising the critical role they play in delivering value for farmer shareholders, customers and communities.

"It's brilliant to be here to acknowledge all the people who are here to celebrate with us, and also all our people at sites working on a daily basis to make that happen," says Palairet.

Fonterra's director of New Zealand Manufacturing, Chris Kane, says it's a proud moment to reflect on what teams have achieved over a busy season.

"With strong milk collections across the country, it's been a demanding season for everyone at our sites. These awards are about more than results - they reflect the daily commitment to safety, quality, teamwork and continuous improvement that keeps our co-op strong."

These were just some of the conversations that Massey University initiated at its site at Fieldays recently.

Danny Donaghy, Professor of Dairy Production Systems and joint Deputy Head of the School of Agriculture and the Environment at Massey, says their Fieldays site and also the Science in Farming site where they had a presence was designed to bring farmers' attention to simple practical solutions to some significant issues they face.

Capturing Nitrogen Before It Reaches Waterways

Donaghy says Massey University and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) made various models which they had on the sites which demonstrate how nitrogen can be captured on farm using a woodchip bioreactor - one of which is already in use at a farm in the Manawatu.

He says another model showed the value of a detainment bund at the bottom of a slope which can capture phosphorus and also soil.

"One cropping farmer from the South Island told me that he installed a detainment bund and when there was a heavy rainstorm, two hectares of his crop and soil was washed down the hill, but it was stopped from going into the stream by the bund," he told Dairy News.

"As a result of this... when the soil dried out, he was able to recover about a dozen truckloads of it and restore the hillside. He says he never realised how much soil could be wasted by such an event," he says.

Donaghy says this is just one of the many simple solutions that are now available and are becoming more necessary as the frequency of adverse weather events increases.

Pasture Mixes Designed for Climate Resilience

Another issue for farmers who are having to cope with climate change and unpredictable adverse weather events - be they floods or droughts - is getting pasture mixes that can help mitigate some of the impacts.

Donaghy has various cocktails of pasture mixes that could make a difference.

He says for summer dry, ryegrass with chicory and red clover and also tall fescue, red clover and lucerne. Then for areas that get waterlogged, species such as tall fescue with timothy and strawberry clover.

Learning to Live With Kikuyu Grass

"Another issue that has created a lot of interest is how to deal with kikuyu grass which is dominant in Northland but has now spread south into the Waikato and down the coast to the Manawatu. For years people have been asking how to deal with it and it's come to a stage when we just have to live with it and find ways of better dealing with it," he says.

Donaghy says he's been looking at a range of options to mix with kikuyu and these include prairie and brome grass, lotus and white clover.

He says all these species were on show at the Fieldays and the aim has been to provide options and to get farmers and their advisors to see which species of pasture best suit their environment and specific production requirements.

Held at the Sudima Hotel Auckland Airport during the 2026 Holstein Friesian NZ Conference and streamed live via bidr®, the auction attracted enthusiastic participation from breeders and supporters from around the country.

PGG Wrightson Auctioneer Brook Cushion kept the energy high throughout the evening as 26 lots went under the hammer. 

This year’s catalogue featured a wide range of items including elite genetics, animal health products, clothing, homeware, artwork, premium beverages and two mystery lots that added an extra element of excitement to the auction. 

Funds raised through the auction will be channelled directly into Holstein Friesian NZ’s youth initiatives, helping provide opportunities that encourage, develop and support the next generation of breeders and dairy industry leaders. 

Lot 26, donated by Semex NZ - 25 straws of Holstein Friesian sire Westcoast Alcove – fetched $5,000 and officially kicked off the fundraising for the six-strong team, scheduled to be announced tonight, that will represent New Zealand at the 2027 European Young Breeders School.

Holstein Friesian NZ Black & White Youth convenor Bradley Parkes said the proceeds of the youth auction helps the committee run high quality events and programme for Black & White Youth members. 

“We have great thoughts of what we can do for our youth, and the youth auction ensures the committee can continue supporting our youth members,” he says.

This year’s success surpassed last year’s auction result, which exceeded $17,000, and highlights the ongoing commitment of breeders, sponsors and supporters to investing in the future of the dairy industry. 

Holstein Friesian NZ thanked to the sponsors of the 2026 Black & White Youth Auction: Agvance, Alleva, Bay of Plenty Branch of HFNZ, Bell-Booth, bidr®, Boehringer Ingelheim, Canterbury Branch of HFNZ, J & A Cockrem, O & C Copinga, CRV, Cummings Family Trust, Fonterra, Hansen, Hawke’s Bay Branch of HFNZ, LIC, Manawatu Branch of HFNZ, Nelson/Marlborough/Golden Bay Branch of HFNZ, Northland Branch of HFNZ, Nutritech, Open Country, Otago Branch of HFNZ, PGG Wrightson, Power Farming, RePro IVF, Samen, Semex NZ Ltd, Shearwell, smaXtec, Southland Branch of HFNZ, Taranaki Branch of HFNZ, W & L Taylor, TechMix, Vetpak, Waikato Branch of HFNZ, D Wilde, World Wide Sires and Zoetis.

He wants the industry to continue pushing productivity, efficiency and environmental outcomes.

"It's about investing in the future resilience of the dairy sector and making sure that we can continue to push the boundaries because we have plateaued in the last 15 years.

"So, how do we continue to push what is possible in terms of productivity and efficiency? And it's an 'and-and' story, and the environment, we can't do it without balancing that."

Responsible Dairy Backed by Major Government Investment

Parker spoke to Dairy News at the National Fieldays after the Government announced a major investment, as part of its Land Use Flexibility package, to support a more productive and sustainable future across six sectors including dairy.

The package includes $18.3 million in government funding towards a seven-year co-funded programme called Responsible Dairy that DairyNZ will lead on behalf of the dairy sector.

Parker says Responsible Dairy is a programme of co-investment into thee long-term resilience of New Zealand dairy that recognises its status as New Zealand's most valuable export sector.

Dairy Remains a Cornerstone of the Economy

"The New Zealand dairy sector is a cornerstone of the national economy, contributing significantly to exports, employment, and regional development. In the year to 30 June 2025, New Zealand exported a record $27.15 billion of dairy products."

Dairy now generates more than one in every four dollars of New Zealand's foreign exchange receipts from goods and services exports and employs over 55,000 people, says Parker.

Addressing a Productivity Plateau

"Since around 2015, the dairy sector has reached a productivity plateau.

"Responsible Dairy will build resilience and value in the dairy sector by helping lift all farmers up to the next level of productivity, efficiency and sustainability within their individual farming business, while continuing to drive further environmental gains across the sector."

Government and sector co-investment is pivotal to accelerate innovation, scale up adoption, and efficiently deliver environmental and productivity gains across the dairy sector, he adds.

The investment is expected to speed up the rate at which the sector adopts transformative technologies, getting them into active use years earlier than what might otherwise be the case to keep New Zealand dairy globally competitive.

In total the programme funding is $45.85m over 7 years. $18.34m will come directly from the Ministry for Primary Industries Primary Sector Growth Fund, up to $19.73m via the existing DairyNZ levy, and the remainder from in-kind or cash contributions from partners.

Responsible Dairy includes partnerships with leading farmers and dairy and technology companies.

The new plant will have the capacity to process 30,000 tonnes of butter per annum and will be commissioned at the end of 2027.

Open Country Dairy (OCD) is also boosting production at its first butter plant in Waharoa, Waikato.

The plant, which opened in November last year, can process 20,000 tonnes of butter; another 5,000 tonnes of capacity, mainly producing small packs for retail, is being added.

OCD chief executive Mark de Lautour says the expansion will give the company a nice balance between North and South Islands.

Milk Fat Has Become Increasingly Valuable

OCD chief executive Mark de Lautour says the expansion will give the company a nice balance between North and South Islands.

De Lautour told Dairy News that currently there's a big focus on the fat component of milk.

"For years everyone said processing milk was about taking the water out of milk.

"It's not that anymore, it's taking out the protein and fat, which are of course the valuable parts."

Global Butter Prices Have Stabilised After Record Highs

On the Global Dairy Trade auction, milk fat prices rose to record levels last year before coming down in recent months.

Butter prices rose to a record US$8,000/metric tonne one year ago. In the latest GDT auction, butter price dropped 2.4% to US$5516/MT.

Anhydrous milk fat price dipped 1% to sit as US$6601/MT at last week's auction. It reached over US$7600/MT earlier this year.

Expanding Product Options Across Protein and Fat Categories

De Lautour says the investments also ensure the company has options on protein and fats.

"For proteins we've got skim and whole milk powders and cheese; cheese of course is casein and whey is an increasingly valuable protein that falls out of the cheese-making process. So, we've got plenty of options on the protein side.

"But on the fat side, we only had AMF or whole milk powder. Butter has therefore given us the optionality of WMP, AMF or butter to utilise the fat component of the milk."

The company looked at other milk fat options like cream cheeses and UHT cream, which are performing better than butter right now.

However, they are currently limited for market options and pricing is largely "China-driven", noted de Lautour.

"Especially the UHT cream, a lot of that going into China," he says.

"And the big Chinese manufacturers are also building UHT whipping cream and cream options.

"So, we'd rather do products where you can sell it to 20 or 30 countries rather than just a handful.

"That's a very Open Country thing - pick a product, do it very efficiently at a high quality level and keep it simple. But make sure you've got options."

While butter plants don't necessarily require more milk, Open Country is still looking for new suppliers.

De Lautour says they are looking at additional cheese plants on both islands.

"We're just working out what type of cheese, and which is the priority, North Island or South Island."

A Big Year

It's been a busy 12 months for Open Country Dairy.

Apart from opening its new butter plant at Waharoa, the company acquired two milk processing plants - Miraka in Mokai (near Taupo) and Mataura Valley Milk in Gore.

The ice cream business of Open Country's parent company Talley's has also come under its fold.

Mark de Lautour says processing capability at both plants has improved and they are now making money.

"Both those sites had significant inefficiency and high costs and we've tightened it up.

"It's been a really big year: the company is significantly bigger than it was a year ago.

"So, this year is just getting our arms around that, making sure everything delivers."

'Milk Price Plus'

On the milk supply side, it's also been a good year for Open Country Dairy.

The company recruited over 60 new suppliers taking its supplier base to "well over 1200", says Mark de Lautour.

He says the company will always welcome new suppliers.

"We're always looking for people who want to come and give us a go.

"We give farmers a choice and there's lots of interest from farmers to give us a go."

Open Country offers farmer suppliers choices when it comes to milk payments: both options provide monthly advance payments, but they can then either be settled in full four times per year or they can choose the ‘Milk Price Plus’ payment model. Under this system, they are still paid advance rates, but the final milk price is what the farmer would get paid under Fonterra’s farmgate milk price (FGMP) model, plus an additional 10c/MS.

“They can choose on the fast cash, four settlement model, or they can do the more traditional dairy industry payment plus 10c model,” says de Lautour.

“When we pay suppliers using the more traditional full-season wash-up way, we benefit working capital-wise.

“The fact that we get to hold onto this money longer saves us interest costs, which we then return by way of the extra 10c.”

Glass, who stood down at the end of May, said that moving on has given him the chance to reflect, and appreciate that what was created in Dairy Holdings was "quite special".

"As always, it's about the people that you deal with rather than necessarily what you achieve, but certainly the company's gone from strength to strength, from what was reasonably humble beginnings way back in 2001, to what it's become now," he said.

"Very, very proud of the team and some of the underlying success stories that I've had the privilege of being involved with," he told Dairy News.

For the immediate future, Glass is now concentrating on the family dairy and bull beef farm at Methven he shares with wife Paula and daughters Hannah and Olivia and seeing how it can be further developed.

However, it's clear that governance roles in the industry may not be too far down the track, and Glass agrees that a governance role with Fonterra is something that "gets raised from time to time".

"It's not something that I'm considering just at the current point in time.

"But certainly, you know, Fonterra's success is New Zealand's dairy farming success. So, I've certainly got an eye on that, potentially in the future at some stage, but not at the moment."

Building One of New Zealand's Largest Dairy Businesses

Dairy Holdings now holds around 90 farms, both dairy and support, producing around 33 million kgMS annually.

Under Glass's leadership the company continued to grow right to the end of his tenure, with the acquisition of the Rangitata Partnership's farms, under a deal which only went unconditional on his last day at work, and was settled on the Wednesday of the following week.

With Rangitata holding several dairy farms in South Canterbury and a large grazing block in Tarras, Glass said it was "quite a large transaction and good one to get under our belt at the end".

Glass said the success of the company was the testament to the vision and courage of the founders, Allan Hubbard, Colin and Dale Armer, and Alan Pye, to pick up the farms of the former Tasman Agriculture and Dairy Brands groups when their then owners decided to sell up in 2001.

As Tasman Ag's chief financial officer at the time, Glass came with the deal and he proceeded to lead the new company through an extraordinary growth period for dairying.

Overcoming Early Challenges

Glass said many of the challenges of the early years were the sometimes very involved legal processes around water take consents that had to be pursued through various regional council hearings and in some cases all the way to the Environment Court.

"Out of all of that, there were some amazing learnings and that really has set Dairy Holdings up for the future.

"Most of those 70-odd dairy farms in Canterbury now are all incredibly well irrigated with reliable, relatively low-cost, and affordable water. That's really added to the company's low-cost farming model. So it's meant that the overall portfolio is now really, really resilient and able to understand most price shocks.

"The piece for me that was quite nice, was how the team and everyone involved at that time was able to take some of those challenges and knockbacks and learn from them, and it was out of that that the company really grew.

"When you look back now, any difficult times we experience is always what makes you stronger. Never have you finished your learning and if you just stay focused, you can always get there in the end."

Sustainable Growth

While the growth in the dairy industry of the last 20-odd years will never be replaced, there was currently some resurgence of dairy conversions going on.

However, it was being done in a very sustainable way, says Colin Glass.

Dairy farming had massively changed over the years with state-of-the-art irrigation, AI-driven algorithms and other technologies transforming efficiency.

"That's been happening right across the dairy industry as people have developed their own farming systems and models and invested in their farms," he says.

"There's more riparian planting, there's a beautification of farms like we've really not seen in the generation, and so you've got a real sense of pride in ownership within the sector that that only comes with success."

Dairy remained the absolute cornerstone for rural New Zealand and so many businesses livelihoods were dependent on it, he says.

"Thank goodness that we do have dairy because if we didn't, you know there wouldn't be too much really holding up the New Zealand economy at the moment."

That's the view of special agricultural trade envoy Nathan Guy, who recently returned from a visit to key export markets - the US, the UK, and Europe.

Paris Agreement Withdrawal Could Trigger Trade Renegotiations

He says, as the election campaign steps up, politicians should be careful.

"We've got to continue to show and prove that we are sustainable, that we are focused on the environment and doing our utmost to meet expectations from these high-value markets," he told Dairy News.

"That's why in this election campaign, when some political parties propose to pull out of Paris, they should be careful about what they are calling for.

"Because if this happened, we would have to renegotiate two very important free trade agreements, being the UK and the EU FTAs.

"What would happen is we'd have to put two gold-plated FTAs through this shredder and renegotiate."

Election Debate Intensifies Over Paris Agreement Membership

While National has ruled out withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, an international treaty adopted in 2015 to limit global average temperature increases, coalition partners NZ First and ACT differ.

NZ First leader Winston Peters confirmed at Fieldays this month that his party would campaign on leaving the accord.

ACT says it will campaign on reforming the Paris Agreement and, if that fails, to withdraw.

Dairy and Red Meat Exports Could Face Immediate Pressure

Guy, a former Minister for Primary Industries for National, warns that schedule prices for dairy and red meat will drop overnight if the EU and UK FTAs are dismantled because they don't meet the expectations of consumers.

"It took us decades to get a high-value free trade agreement with the EU.

"I was doing the rounds when I was Minister, talking to countries about the importance of this free trade agreement."

Half a Billion Consumers Value New Zealand's Sustainability Reputation

The EU's 450 million consumers, predominantly a growing middle class, trust New Zealand products.

Across the English Channel, the UK market adds another 70m consumers, again a well-urbanised and high-value market.

"These are two markets made up of half a billion people that love New Zealand products, where our reputation of sustainability and quality standards is paramount.

"Why would we want to sit down and have to re-negotiate two gold-plated FTAs?"

UK Supermarket Buyers Hold Significant Influence

Guy also noted that during his trip, he found that the top four UK supermarket buyers have a lot of power.

The buyers, who source products for the respective supermarkets, are focused on ESG - environment, social and governance.

The big four supermarkets are Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons.

He says these buyers should be brought to New Zealand to see first-hand the standards practiced by our food producers and processors.

"We must get these key influencers down to New Zealand to understand our quality standards, to get in processing plants, to stand in the middle of farms, to understand and see. Seeing is believing.

"We don't want to lose sight of the fact, as a small trading nation in the South Pacific, brand New Zealand is paramount to getting our product to market.

"We've got to continue to show and prove that we are sustainable, that we are focused on the environment and doing our utmost to meet these high-value markets."

In September 2024, council compliance officers inspected the defendant’s farm and found effluent had overflowed from the sump, causing extensive ponding onto pasture. Further ponding was found to have occurred from a travelling irrigator operating on already saturated paddocks. Both discharges posed a significant risk to contaminating groundwater.

In sentencing, Judge Dickey described the offending as careless, noting that effluent management systems on the farm were vulnerable to failure and had not been adequately overseen. The court found that the effluent pond was full, creating pressure to irrigate at a time when paddocks were already saturated, and that a simple alarm system could have prevented a sump overflow.

Waikato Regional Council regional compliance manager Patrick Lynch emphasises the importance of proactive and vigilant effluent management.

“Dairy effluent systems need to be fit for purpose, robust and carefully managed at all times to avoid environmental harm.

“Discharges like this pose real risks to water quality, particularly in the wetter months where soils are already saturated and waterways are nearby,” Lynch said.

The sentences were imposed in the Huntly District Court by Judge Melinda Dickey in two decisions released recently. The prosecution was taken under the Resource Management Act by Waikato Regional Council. 

 In June 2024, council officers conducted two inspections at a Tuakau farm owned by Sunrise Dam Limited. On the first occasion they found a significant volume of dairy effluent had been unlawfully discharged onto land from a storm water diversion, on the instructions of the farm’s contract milker, Yubraj Subedi. They also found a leachate discharging from a stock feed bunker into a roadside drain. 

During a second inspection later that month, council officers found the feed bunker was still discharging leachate into the same drain, a drain with the potential to discharge into the Waikato River. 

Subedi was convicted and fined $49,000 for his part in the offending, and Sunrise Dam Limited $17,500 in respect of the leachate. 

“This case highlights the importance of clear responsibility for environmental compliance on dairy farms, particularly where farm operations are delegated to others,” said regional compliance manager Patrick Lynch.  

“While the court has recognised that Sunrise Dam Limited had finally upgraded infrastructure since the council intervened, the convictions and fine reinforce that both farm owners and those managing day-to day operations must ensure that systems are fit for purpose and appropriate management procedures are in place at all times to prevent harm to the environment.”

The package includes $18.3 million in Government funding towards a seven-year co-funded programme called Responsible Dairy that DairyNZ will lead on behalf of the dairy sector.

Building a More Productive and Sustainable Dairy Sector

DairyNZ CEO Campbell Parker says Responsible Dairy is a programme of co-investment into the long-term resilience of New Zealand dairy that recognises its status as New Zealand’s most valuable export sector.

“The New Zealand dairy sector is a cornerstone of the national economy, contributing significantly to exports, employment, and regional development," Parker says.

"In the year to 30 June 2025, New Zealand exported a record $27.15 billion of dairy products. Dairy now generates more than one in every four dollars of New Zealand’s foreign exchange receipts from goods and services exports and employs over 55,000 people," he says.

“Since around 2015, the dairy sector has reached a productivity plateau.

"Responsible Dairy will build resilience and value in the dairy sector by helping lift all farmers up to the next level of productivity, efficiency and sustainability within their individual farming business, while continuing to drive further environmental gains across the sector."

Accelerating Innovation and Technology Adoption

Parker says Government and sector co-investment in the programme is pivotal to accelerate innovation, scale up adoption, and efficiently deliver environmental and productivity gains across the dairy sector.

"It is expected to speed up the rate at which the sector adopts transformative technologies, getting them into active use years earlier than what might otherwise be the case to keep New Zealand dairy globally competitive," he says.

"Responsible Dairy will be led by DairyNZ on behalf of the sector. In total the programme funding is $45.85m over 7 years. $18.34m will come directly from the Ministry for Primary Industries Primary Sector Growth Fund, up to $19.73m via the existing DairyNZ levy, and the remainder from in-kind or cash contributions from our partners."

Responsible Dairy includes partnerships with leading farmers and dairy and technology companies to enable testing and demonstration of next-generation low footprint farm systems, transformative dairy conversion options, and stacked technologies on commercial farms.

Focus Areas for the First Two Years

In the first two years, Responsible Dairy will deliver initiatives that build strong foundations of a resilient dairy sector, including:

• Showcasing low footprint, high productivity dairy farms via the establishment of a national network of 35-40 partner farms
• Evaluation and initial testing of new/near-to-market technological and nature-based options to improve productivity and environmental outcomes
• Demonstrating next-generation on-farm practices and transformative dairy conversions that improve productivity while reducing environmental footprint
• A menu of farm system and nature-based options for use in case study catchments and demonstration farms, and a decision framework to guide where they should be used
• A credible national blueprint for a resilient dairy sector. This will integrate spatial mapping (regional and catchment scale), refined economic modelling and analysis of climate resilience to guide policy, investment and planning.

Goals for 2050

By 2050, the programme is expected to deliver:

• Approx. 20% growth in milksolids from existing farms and land use change
• 20% reduction in nitrogen leaching per hectare, and a focus on doubling nature on farms through a 60% increase in riparian planting alongside a 50% increase in protected wetland areas
• 13% increase in sector profitability.

Parker says that much like the current DairyNZ strategy, Responsible Dairy will use science-led innovation, coordinated action, and put practical tools into the hands of farmers to improve the resilience and economic performance of the sector.

“Arguably dairy farmers have done more to lift standards than any other sector. We’ve spent years investing into environmental improvements, better infrastructure, planting, effluent management, genetics and more resilient farm systems. That progress provides a strong foundation for the next phase of change. But standing still is not an option," says Parker.

“Our global competitors see the same opportunity as we do. They are innovating and adapting at an incredible rate and by comparison, we may not have challenged ourselves as hard as we could have as a sector.

“To protect value and stay ahead of global competition, our challenge is to grow and evolve the sector in ways that strengthen environmental outcomes and social license, while enhancing the provenance and sustainability attributes that underpin the premiums high value customers and consumers are willing to pay for New Zealand milk.

“The reality is that future value growth will look different to the past. There will be an abundance of opportunities for dairy systems that are supported by modern infrastructure, better environmental management, improved genetics and emerging technologies.

“Responsible Dairy supports that. It will give farmers options. As well as the tools and information that they can choose from to improve efficiency, productivity and environmental outcomes,” says Parker.

Responsible Dairy is backed by a coalition of co-funding partners across science, farming, finance, technology, fertiliser, and government including: DairyNZ, MPI, dairy companies, Craigmore Sustainables, Dairy Holdings, Pāmu, the Fertiliser Association of New Zealand, Rabobank, Halter, and Gallagher.

Science will be provided in partnership with Bioeconomy Science Institute Maiangi Taiao and Earth Science New Zealand.

ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker says it is also an important time to reflect on injury prevention and encourage farmers to look after themselves and their team.

"Fieldays is an awesome event and one that our rural communities look forward to every year," says Whitaker.

"We are encouraging farmers to take a moment during the week - where they have some time and space off farm - to reflect on their processes and ensure they are prioritising wellbeing."

"We know that farming is an all-consuming role and that is easier said than done during the busy seasons, but the most valuable asset on the farm is the people and we need to make sure our farmers are going home safe and healthy every day."

Agricultural Injury Statistics Highlight Ongoing Risk

In 2025, ACC accepted 17,057 work-related agricultural claims which came at a cost of $119 million to help people recover.

These injuries resulted in almost 210,000 days of weekly compensation for New Zealanders which came at a cost of $29.8 million.

"We know that when a person sustains an injury, it has a flow on effect to their family, their friends and their workmates so it is always better to prevent the injury happening in the first place," says Whitaker.

Most Common Injury Types and Regions

"Our research shows that most injuries are predictable and therefore preventable and the farming environment is no different."

The leading regions for work-related agricultural claims in 2025 were Waikato (2,715 claims), Canterbury (2,490), Hawke's Bay (1,518) and Southland (1,507).

The age group with the highest number of work-related agricultural claims in 2025 was the 30-34-year-olds (1,933 claims) ahead of the 35-39 age group (1,851).

A total of 64% of injuries were soft-tissue injuries and the parts of the body most impacted were the lower back/spine, finger/thumb or shoulder.

Improving Safety Systems on Farm

"New Zealand farmers are some of the best in the world at what they do - they spend their lives growing our food and milk and helping our economy. But they're not so great at looking after themselves," says Whitaker.

"Farmers can get better at putting in systems to look after the most important asset on the farm, themselves and those who work in the business."

ACC partners with Farmstrong to help prevent injuries in the agricultural sector and the wellbeing organisation will have a stall at Fieldays.

Whitaker encourages all farmers to take the time to engage and think about how they can apply some of the principles from Farmstrong into their operation.

Farmstrong is a nationwide wellbeing programme for the rural community. Their aim is to help New Zealanders to live well to farm well.

Former All Black Sam Whitelock is a Farmstrong ambassador, and he will be at Fieldays.

"To farm well, you need to live well. And that's where the five ways to wellbeing comes in. I've made them part of my life and I encourage you to do the same," says Whitelock.

www.farmstrong.co.nz 

The company, owned by David and Sue Fish, employs 12 staff drawn from all over the world and looking after them is the owners' top priority.

Annual Awards Recognise On-Farm Excellence

Last month, David and Sue Fish, their staff and group of sponsors gathered for their annual awards luncheon to honour each member for another year of achievements, dedication and teamwork.

Prizes were awarded for farms that produced the top performing cows, top quality milk and reared the best calves.

Westmorland operations manager Dries Verrycken says the 2025-26 season was a standout one for the company.

He told Dairy News that the Westmorland business built on teamwork, humility, and a deep passion for the dairy industry.

"What began as a small, determined team has grown into a multicultural powerhouse - people who show up each day with pride, professionalism, and genuine care for the land, the animals, and each other."

Strong Culture and Work-Life Balance

"A defining part of Westmorland Estate Ltd's culture is its commitment to work-life balance. The business proudly operates on a 5x2 roster, with controlled hours to ensure every team member gets home on time.

"Westmorland Estate Ltd believes that great results come from people who are rested, supported, and able to enjoy life outside the farm.

"This philosophy has strengthened morale, improved performance, and created a workplace where people genuinely thrive."

Team Performance Across Three Farms

This year, the Westmorland team - comprising Dries Verrycken, Paola Verrycken, Daniel Bautista, Jezer Ragasajo, Emilio Ayerdi, Barbara Hinton - took out the top prize for best cows and lowest somatic cell count and the farm pride award.

The Sandhurst team - comprising Dries Verrycken, Paola Verrycken, Daniel Bautista, Jezer Ragasajo, Emilio Ayerdi, Barbara Hinton - won the best calves award.

The Somerset team - made up of Aubrey Fish, Jose Urbina and Steven Munro - scooped the lowest empty rate award.

Recognising Industry Partnerships and Support

Prizes were provided by Rabobank, Fonterra, Baker Tilly, GEA, FIL, LIC, DairyNZ, Agrihealth, Donaghys, Horwen, PGG Wrightson and Vet Clinic Morrinsville.

Verrycken says Westmorland Estate has spent years building strong, meaningful relationships with sponsors.

"This relationship is grounded in trust, respect, and shared passion for dairy farming. These sponsors are more than supporters; they are part of the Westmorland Estate Ltd team."

HR Leadership and People Development

The annual awards luncheon is organised by human resources manager Paola Verrycken.

Sue Fish says the annual awards celebration has become a defining moment for the estate.

She says Paola Verrycken's commitment to people, culture, and strong relationships ensures the event continues to evolve.

Fish says Westmorland Estate Ltd enters the future with confidence and gratitude.

"The achievements of 2026 are not just awards - they are the result of people working together, supporting each other, and taking pride in the dairy industry they love.

"Our philosophy remains simple and powerful: strong relationships, strong teamwork, and strong values create strong results," she says.

Federated Farmers says its election platform, Backing Kiwi Farmers, is a practical blueprint for whichever parties form the next government.

President Wayne Langford says this isn't just another wish list of a collection of vague ideas.

"It's a clear roundup built by farmers to double farm productivity, cut costs, and improve environmental outcomes."

The wish-list was launched to coincide with National Fieldays, which gets underway in Hamilton on Wednesday.

The five-point plan focuses on: cutting the cost of farming, enabling technology and infrastructure, empowering community conservation, supporting young farmers, and fixing local government.

Cutting Costs and Improving Flexibility

To cut costs, farmers want ten new permitted activity standards for farming and incoming guarantee flexible land use in every region, to stop incentivising whole-farm conversions to permanent carbon forestry, use farm plans to replace resource consents and introduce no new taxes for farmers.

"These priorities are all about making sure farmers have the right rules and government backing to improve profitability and grow the economy," says Langford.

Each of those high-level themes has very specific and practical requests for whoever forms the next government.

"We've made our asks extremely clear, so politicians have absolutely no doubt what farmers are actually looking for this election," he says.

Building on Previous Election Commitments

Federated Farmers released a similar list of election priorities in 2023, which it says were geared towards restoring rural confidence.

Langford claims they got all 12 of those priorities across the line over the past three years.

"As a result, while costs are still high and some regulations are still a niggle, rural communities are feeling a lot more positive about the future.

"That's why we've shifted focus, launching 2026 election priorities designed to continue that momentum and unlock the full potential of rural New Zealand."

A Call for Political Engagement

Federated Farmers wants political parties to engage with its proposals over the coming months.

"This election platform is ultimately about backing the people who produce the food, fibre and products that keep this country moving," Langford says.

"Farmers are problem-solvers by nature. Give us the tools, geet out of the way, and we will deliver a stronger, more productive New Zealand for future generations."

Widely respected across New Zealand’s rural industries, Maber is well known for transforming his family’s modest retail machinery business in the heart of dairy country, Maber Motors, to establish the Power Farming Group — one of New Zealand’s largest privately owned, tractor and farm machinery importers and retailers.

Building Power Farming from Local Roots

After joining Maber Motors soon after leaving school in the 1960s, Maber helped steer the company through growth, innovation and expansion, with a turning point in the 1970s when he recognised that farm mechanisation in NZ was changing rapidly and importing and distributing agricultural machinery brands at scale could become far bigger than a local dealership business.

Today, Power Farming has grown to become a major multi-national operation across NZ, Australia and the USA, built on strong partnerships, with local joint-venture ownership models, long-term supplier relationships and an unwavering focus on people.

In New Zealand, Power Farming operates across 20 outlets, employing around 350 people and approaching $300 million in annual turnover.

Despite challenging market conditions, the business has experienced strong growth over recent years, driven by its joint venture partners, longstanding relationships, customer support and investment in local teams.

A Unique Partnership Model

Maber says he is proud of the people behind the group’s businesses and the partnerships that have driven Power Farming’s success.

“Our business has always been about people, partnerships and backing local communities. We’ve built a model that empowers local people to invest in the business, grow alongside us and genuinely share in the success. If our joint venture partners are not succeeding, then we are not succeeding either.”

The Australian business, established from the ground up more than 25 years ago, has grown into a business of similar scale to New Zealand and today supports more than 200 independent dealers through a nationwide distribution network.

Power Farming entered the US market in 2018 with the world renowned Deutz-Fahr tractors and recently celebrated achieving the milestone of 5000 tractor sales, with the current focus of hitting 10,000 sales by 2030.

Maber credits much of the company’s success to the strength of the people around him, commenting: “I’ve fortunate to have been supported by our outstanding board members, three world-class CEOs across our operations, alongside incredible staff and some of the very best people in the industry.”

A Family Business

Family also remains at the heart of the business, with Geoff’s sons Craig and Brett Maber both holding leadership roles within the company. Geoff says seeing the business continue into a third generation is one of his proudest achievements.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to have Craig and Brett involved in the business and helping lead the next chapter of Power Farming,” say Geoff.

He also acknowledges the support of wife Linda, describing her as a constant source of support throughout the journey and someone who has helped bring balance, perspective and strength to a life heavily centred around business and agriculture.

Reflecting on the journey, Geoff paid tribute to his father Laurie Maber, describing him as a great teacher, mentor and role model whose values continue to shape the business today.

“This all started with my father Laurie. He was a self-made man, a great teacher and someone who instilled strong values, hard work and integrity into the business. Those values are still deeply embedded in Power Farming today.”

His recognition in the King’s Honours reflects not only the remarkable growth of Power Farming, but also the lasting impact he has had on New Zealand’s rural economy and agricultural sector over more than six decades.

Maber is still very actively involved in all areas of the family business with no plans to retire soon and says his more than 60-year journey in the industry has been both humbling and immensely rewarding.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learnt in business, it’s that you have to have the energy to win.”

Woodford told Dairy News that it was also a privilege to stand alongside others from agriculture and agribusiness who have previously received the award.

"I have also been humbled by all the nice comments I have been receiving since the Honours List was announced.

"I am also aware that there are a lot of other people who equally deserve to be recognised."

Career Shaping New Zealand Agribusiness

Woodford was Professor of Farm Management and Agribusiness at Lincoln University for 15 years through to 2015.

He is now principal consultant at Agrifood Systems Ltd.

He's a regular media commentator on the agribusiness sector.

Agriculture in a Strong Position

Woodford says the current state of New Zealand agriculture and agribusiness is that the sector is overall in good stead.

"The major players are more efficient and in much better stead than ten years ago.

"However, there is a need for everyone in the sector to use the current record prices within animal-based industries to build financial resilience."

Preparing for Long-Term Global Change

Woodford says we "are very much in a changing world" and we too will need to change.

"In less than 20 yeears, all our major markets will be exhibiting major population declines. China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand are already exhibiting population declines.

"Other countries will soon follow, with all major markets already exhibiting birth numbers below replacement level of 2.1 children per woman. In that emerging world, our agribusiness industries will have to look very different than now."

A practical placement with a local Waikato Vet Club - then Animal Health Centre, Morrinsville - under the tutorship of Scott McDougall led to a job offer.

"I was offered a job and have never looked back as I am still working within this organisation, now Anexa Vets," she told Dairy News.

This month, Roberts was one of several rural professionals honoured in the King's Birthday Honours List.

Roberts became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her services to the dairy industry and community.

She says she feels extremely humbled and overwhelmed.

Contributing to Major Dairy Industry Programmes

During her career as a vet at Anexa, Roberts has been involved with many dairy industry projects.

These include working through DairyNZ programmes like Feedright, Healthy Hoof and the redevelopment of the national herd fertility resource the InCalf programme.

She has worked in both the research (Cognsoco) and veterinary divisions of Anexa.

For the past 15 years, she has also been a farm advisor through both Anexa and Headlands (Intelact Group).

In 2024, Roberts was named the Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year for her service to the farming sector.

Passion for Supporting Farmers

Roberts says she grew up on sheep and pig farms in Australia and has always loved working alongside farmers.

"I am passionate about the contribution that vets can have, not just at the cow and herd level but also with the farm team."

Optimistic About Agriculture’s Future

Roberts believes it's a great time to bein involved in agriculture in New Zealand.

"Working alongside farmers, I get to see firsthand every day how much they care for the land, their cows and the people that work with them.

"However, that doesn't mean that there isn't always room for improvement, as we are always learning and growing," she adds.

That’s how Labour’s former agriculture minister Damien O’Connor described the recent Budget.

He says there was very little in the Budget for any sector and says that the main gain was the news of investing $79 million in new money to tackle the wilding pine problem. But he adds that this money is coming out of the existing budgets of MPI and the Department of Conservation.

“This is a significant amount of money that is coming out of the already squeezed budgets of these departments,” he told Dairy News.

O’Connor says the Minister of Finance seems determined to squeeze out what money she can from departments to pay for the tax cuts and tax breaks that were given earlier in the year.

He says there appeared to be some good education initiatives, but there didn’t appear to be anything for health that specifically targeted the additional challenges of rural health, in particular the distances that people in isolated communities have to travel for such services.

O’Connor says a recent report shows that quality rural infrastructure is a key component to grow our industries. He says while there is money, a large chunk of it is being directed at one project – the Waikato expressway.

“The roading network is critical to all our sectors but it’s under severe stress and degradation and increasing pressure from heavier trucks that the roads were never built for. The problem is compounded by an increasing number of climate events that undermines the integrity of the system,” he says.

According to O’Connor, some of the roads are still basically horse and cart tracks that were built more than 100 years ago.

“As I see it, most people in rural NZ would take a hard look at this Budget and consider it miserable at a time when we need investment, particularly in science research and development,” he says.

Budget days used to be exciting events - mainly with people trying to guess whether the price of alcohol or tobacco would rise in price - but for many years, this one included, it was a boring affair.

Most of the main announcements were made in advance leaving the Minister to read her speech and the Opposition parties to pick holes in it.

$437 Million for Agricultural Emissions Technology

For the rural sector, the news of more money to deal with wilding pines came before the Budget.

Agriculture Minister Todd McClay was left to announce that $437 million will be spent over four years to accelerate the development, availability, and use of new tools and technologies to reduce on-farm agricultural emissions.

Also, $266 million over four years is allocated for the primary sector growth fund, and $40.5 million  - again, over four years - for farmer-led catchment groups.

Ongoing Support for the Ministry for Primary Industries

McClay says the Budget confirms $4.77 billion in baseline funding over the next four years for the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to support the primary sector and protect the funding.

"We are working hard alongside farmers and growers to achieve more with less. Alongside investing in innovative technologies and land management initiatives, we're supporting farmers and growers to boost productivity and their long-term resilience," he says.

$400 Million for Climate and Infrastructure Resilience

The other item of interest to the rural community was the setting aside of $400 million to provide resilience to keep critical routes open during and after adverse weather events.

Some of the projects singled out for funding include SH2 Waioweka Gorge between Gisborne and Opotiki and the Awakino Gorge on SH2, north of New Plymouth.

Closure of these roads due to adverse weather has put a huge strain and cost on local people and businesses.

In the South Island, work to be carried out on SH60 the Takaka Hill road will also come as a relief to locals.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says this investment allows for the strengthening of many of the weak points in the roading network, aiming to do this before they fail again, reducing the cost of rebuilding them afterwards.

"These are roads that communities, freight operators and tourists rely on every day. When they close, the impacts are felt far beyond the immediate area," he says.

Sound Thinking - Feds

Federated Farmers has come out in support of the roading initiative, saying for some time they have been calling for more funding for rural roads and key regional freight and access routes.

Feds spokesperson on infrastructure Mark Hooper says the move is "sound thinking".

He says this is in line with the truism that a 'stitch in time, saves nine' and building better resilience ahead of the next flood or storm makes sense.

Hooper says the cost of repeated highway and rural road patch-ups quickly mount.

"We can't continue to see communities like the East Coast or Golden Bay cut off every time a major rain event occurs. Ultimately, however, if experience shows a route or piece of public infrastructure continues to be highly vulnerable to weather events, investigation and funding of alternatives if needed," he says.

It follows the release of the industry body’s quarterly update, which forecasts a breakeven price of $8.79/kgMS.

Breakeven Milk Price Climbs Higher

DairyNZ also forecasts that farm working expenses will likely hit $6.19/kgMS, up from a forecast $5.84/kgMS this time last year, while operating profit will drop to $3.88/kgMS.

Mark Storey, DairyNZ’s head of economics, says this is largely due to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.

He says that the crisis has caused increases in prices for fuel, feed, and fertiliser, but also indirect price increases.

DairyNZ Adopts Scenario-Based Forecasting

“For the first time in doing this forecast, we’ve presented our analysis as a package of scenarios,” Storey told Dairy News.

One scenario, the faster recovery scenario, would see the Strait reopen in July 2026 and export restrictions on energy and fertiliser lifted by December 2026.

The expected scenario sees the Strait reopen in August 2026, with restrictions lifted by May 2027.

Meanwhile, the prolonged disruption scenario has the Strait reopening in September and restrictions lifting by December 2027.

Storey says that scenario would also likely see interest rates rise as well.

Why Long-Term Cost Inflation Matters

“The prolonged disruption scenarios aren’t unrealistic,” he says.

“The consequence of that scenario is that it would take longer for things to come back to normal,” he adds. “In fact, some of these price increases may become sort of a new normal.”

“The longer the disruption takes matters because what might become a short… shock effectively isn’t only embedded in the prices this season but would come into the 2027/28 season as well.”

He says that, typically, after a shock – for example, the Russia-Ukraine conflict or the Covid-19 supply chain disruptions – prices don’t return to the baseline that existed prior to the shock.

“You’re getting this upward stickiness and that’s what concerns us with this current crisis… it takes a long time before these prices come back to their pre-shock baseline, if at all,” Storey says.

He says that, while it’s not always the case, the risks around those price shocks tend to concentrate around springtime.

DairyNZ Recommends Conservative Cashflow Planning

“We are strongly recommending that farmers look at different scenarios in their cash flow forecasts, that they don’t plan for the best case, that they actually have some more pessimistic scenarios in place that they’ve identified and they be very selective with their nitrogen fertiliser use.”

He says farmers also need to plan for higher fertiliser and feed prices to persist into the 2027/28 season.

The good news, Storey says, is that farmers are coming into the 2026/27 season off the back of a good production year which had a good milk price, meaning they are in relatively good cash positions.

“It’s all about using that buffer they’ve built well in a season where the margins may become much more constrained.”

But she notes that New Zealand farmers start the season with a marked squeeze on margins, driven by persistent and broad-based cost inflation.

"The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz - now approaching its fourth month - is creating conditions reminiscent of past stagflationary shocks," she says.

"Initial impacts, particularly higher energy prices, are now flowing through into key upstream dairy inputs, including diesel, fertiliser, and industrial goods. Second-round effects are also emerging, with elevated energy costs feeding into broader inflation expectations.

"From here, the outlook becomes significantly more uncertain, warranting scenario-based planning.

"The key variablee is the duration of disruption: the longer the closure persists, the slower and more uneven the normalisation of energy and input markets is likely to be."

Higgins says while their base case scenario does not currently assume a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the risk of a more extended disruption - beyond what markets are currently pricing - cannot be ignored.

“Inflationary pressures and weakening consumer sentiment are already testing demand resilience in dairy markets, and we expect this to continue over the months ahead.”

However, she says it’s also possible that, in a prolonged disruption scenario, global food import demand could rise sharply in a bid for food security, as energy-importing nations move to secure supply amid deteriorating terms of trade.

“This would likely support dairy commodity prices, with milk powder potentially returning to prior cycle highs and lifting New Zealand farmgate milk prices in the near term.

“The volatile operating environment farmers are now in underscores the need for wider-than-usual scenario planning across both costs and revenues, and for caution in treating commodity price spikes driven by geopolitical shocks as structural rather than temporary.”

While Fonterra's forecast mid-point olf $9.75/kgMS signals a strong start, ANZ is forecasting $9.20/kgMS.

Dilly says they expect downward pressure on dairy prices and upward pressure on the NZ dollar as the season progresses.

Downside risks include a global economic downturn, which would decrease dairy demand.

Global Economic Slowdown Remains a Key Risk

Dilly says that if the Middle East conflict gets resolved, lower oil prices may put downward pressure on dairy and many other commodities as oil and gas exports return to normal.

"It would also likely push the NZ dollar higher, hurting farmgate returns demominated in NZ dollar."

There are also upside risks including an emerging El Nino, which usually leads to poor milk production in the Southern Hemisphere.

The ongoing Middle East conflict also has the potential to lead all commodity prices sharply higher, including dairy.

Dilly says dairy prices are often correlated with crude oil and other commodities.

Profit Margins Could Remain Tight

"In addition, food producers globally are facing higher fertiliser prices, which in the end will be passed onto consumers."

Dilly believes the cost of production for many farms this season will be different.

"The conflict in the Middle East has lifted costs for diesel, fertiliser, and most other petrochemical-derived farm inputs.

"While some prices have drifted lower since peaking at the height of the conflict, diesel retail prices are currently up 70% in New Zealand relative to pre-conflict levels.

"In addition, interest rates are higher as financial markets adjust to the prospect of higher inflation and wider risks to the global economy."

DairyNZ Raises Breakeven Milk Price

DairyNZ recently updated their breakeven milk price for 2026/27, revising it up from $8.36/kgMS to $8.79. 

Dilly says that while their forecast is higher at $9.20/kgMS, this will still be uncomfortably close to breakeven for some farms.

"There is a wide range of uncertainty around any milk price forecast at this point in the calendar, and a wide range of cost structures across farms, so a milk price below breakeven for some is very possible.

"At any rate, narrower margins will put cost management into focus this season."

Current president and Golden Bay dairy farmer Wayne Langford is eyeing an unprecedented fourth year in the top job.

This sets up a potential leadership race with vice-president Colin Hurst who says he's standing.

Wayne Langford Considers a Fourth Year as President

Behind the scenes, Langford's desire to do another year is raising more than a few eyebrows among many past and present members of the organisation.

Some are perplexed, while others are said to be deeply unhappy and concerned about the move, saying it has the potential to cause something of a split at the Feds' AGM in Auckland.

For most of the Federation's 82 years, the term of all key officers, including that of president, has been set at three years.

In its early days it was four years, but this quickly changed and has remained three years ever since.

Dairy News understands that this is the first time a sitting president has openly indicated a desire to stand for an extra year.

Langford told Dairy News, "that if there was support from members, I am keen to stand".

Questions Around Governance and Constitutional Process

This all began at the Federation's National Council meeting, held last November in Wellington.

The council consists of the national board, the provincial presidents and the chairs of the industry groups such as dairy, meat and fibre and arable.

It's understood that at that meeting, a motion from the floor was passed indicating that if a sitting president or vice president sought an extra year, this would be possible under the constitution.

However, in recent months, the legality of such a motion has been called into question with suggestions that advance notice had to be given for any change.

A Rare Competitive Election

With the AGM just a few weeks away, it's uncertain what might transpire.

The only certainty is Feds current vice president, Colin Hurst, has already lodged his nomination for the presidency. In theory, he as national vice president is the natural successor to Langford.

Still unclear is Langford's motives for seeking an extra year.

Dairy News is only aware of one instance in the past when this happened and it was apparently because no one was interested in the role.

What is also unclear is what support Langford may have if an election was held.

For the most part, Feds AGMs have been passive set piece events. Only in 2011 at Rotorua was there a challenge in which Bruce Wills beat three other challengers for the top job.

Leadership Style and Legacy

Langford has been a high-profile president of the Federation and whether the grassroots members want another year of his style of leadership is up for debate.

The alternative is the status quo - the three-year term and a new person in the job.

Whatever the outcome, Langford's apparent bid for an extra year, may yet define his legacy as president of the organisation.

Based at Site E80, LIC’s programme will cover genetics, animal health, and herd improvement, giving farmers the chance to speak directly with specialists and discuss what’s happening in their own system.

MINDA sessions will focus on helping farmers get more value from their data through better integration with on-farm tools and reducing double-handling of information.

As part of the programme, former Kiwi rugby league captain and Waikato farmer Tawera Nikau will host a special session on resilience, leadership and mental wellbeing, drawing on his experiences in elite sport, farming and life after the motorcycle accident that resulted in the loss of his right leg.

Numbers for the event will be limited, with registrations available through the LIC website.

LIC will also be part of the Science for Farmers hub at Site E38, showcasing work underway in areas such as thermal tolerance and how technology is helping accelerate genetic gain.

Farmers visiting the site can bring along their participant code, grab a coffee and something to eat, and make use of the kids’ area while they’re there. Visitors can also have a go at the LIC dartboard for the chance to win merch and credit on their LIC account.

Session timings, including Tawera Nikau’s event, will be available on the LIC website and across LIC social media channels.

Today, the co-operative released its third quarter business update, which revealed a Total Group operating profit of $1.8 billion for the year-to-date, up $103 million on the same time in 2025.

Higher Farmgate Milk Price Amid Strong Sales Performance

The forecast Farmgate Milk Price midpoint for the current season is unchanged at $9.70 per kgMS, with the range narrowing to $9.60-$9.80 per kgMS.

The Co-operative has also announced an opening forecast Farmgate Milk Price for the 2026/27 season of $9.75 with a range of $8.00-$11.00 per kgMS to reflect potential impacts across the season from ongoing geopolitical risks and inflationary pressures. 

Richard Allen, who took over as Fonterra's chief executive earlier this month, says strong milk production and high shipment volumes have underpinned the result.

"Milk production is up considerably this season, and despite disruption in global supply chains, our sales book is well contracted and our shipping volumes are strong, with the highest third quarter shipment volumes in a decade," Allen says.

“As we look ahead to next season, we expect milk collections to remain high, in line with this season. Our in-market sales teams are anticipating solid demand from across the regions despite potential volatility, and this is reflected in our opening forecast range." 

Profit Growth Driven By Ingredients and Foodservice

A disciplined focus on strategy has driven a Total Group year to date operating profit of $1.8 billion, up from $1.7 billion the prior year, and profit after tax of $1.1 billion, equivalent to 65 cents per share.

Adjusting for Mainland’s result to reflect the Co-operative's underlying business, the Co-op delivered $946 million profit after tax, equivalent to earnings per share of 57 cents, up from 53 cents this time last year.

The Ingredients business benefited from ongoing protein demand in the US and Europe, while Foodservice continued to achieve both volume and margin growth.

Mainland Sale Supports Strategic Shift

Allen says the Co-op is committed to delivering on its strategy and growing value for farmer owners as a global B2B dairy provider.  

“During the quarter, we completed the sale of Mainland Group and returned $3.2 billion to shareholders and unit holders," he says.

"This marked a significant step in the delivery of our strategy, with the Co-operative firmly focused on growing our high-value Ingredients and Foodservice businesses."

Major Investments Progressing

Allen says the co-operative has advanced work on its $35 million pastry butter sheet capacity at Edgecumbe.

The co-operative has also reached the product validation stage on its $75 million Studholme protein hub, and progressed on its $75 million butter expansion at Clandeboye and $150 million UHT cream build at Edendale. 

“I’m also pleased to announce that we’ll be progressing with the planned expansion of our organic business into the South Island, following strong interest from farmers wanting to join our successful organic programme," Allen says.

The co-operative has also declared a forecast Organic Milk Price range of $13.90 - $14.10/kgMS, with a record midpoint of $14/kgMS.

"Our opening forecast for the 2026/27 season is $13.00 - $15.00 per kgMS, also with a $14.00 per kgMS midpoint, reflecting the value customers see in our organic farmers’ milk," Allen says.  

“These initiatives all reflect real momentum in the Co-op’s performance as we head into the final quarter of the financial year.”

Outlook Remains Positive Despite Global Uncertainty

Allen says that looking ahead, Fonterra has strong foundations and a clear strategy to deliver value through its Ingredients and Foodservice businesses.

"Our full year earnings guidance reflects the strong shipment volumes expected in the final quarter of the year," he adds.  

“However, we acknowledge the uncertainty caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Like our farmers, and others around the world, we are experiencing cost inflation and shipping disruptions. 

“We are confident that our deep relationships with customers and logistics partners will continue to help us navigate these challenges,” Allen concludes. 

This follows strong interest from farmers wanting to join the programme.

Anne Douglas, group director of Fonterra Farm Source, says the expansion will be welcome news for those farmers.

"We’re pleased to be able to extend a specialty milk offering like this to South Island farmers and support them to be a part of a well-established organic programme,” Douglas says.

“We’re now working towards processing organic milk in the South Island from 2028/29, while we also focus on helping converting farmers achieve organic certification over the next couple of seasons.”

Douglas says the expansion will help Fonterra meet the growing demand for organic products globally and strengthen the contribution organics makes to the wider Co-op’s earnings.

“It’s another example of the value the Co-op can create for its shareholders when customer demand, on-farm capabilities and long-term investment decisions are all aligned,” she says.

Record Forecast Organic Milk Price

The confirmation of the expansion comes as Fonterra announces a record forecast Organic Milk Price for the current season.

The 2025/26 forecast Organic Milk Price range is now $13.90 - $14.10 per kgMS, with a record midpoint of $14.00 per kgMS. This is up from the previous forecast midpoint of $13.35 per kgMS announced in February.

Fonterra also announced today an opening forecast range for the 2026/27 Organic Milk Price of $13.00 - $15.00 per kgMS, with a midpoint of $14.00 per kgMS.  

Strong Global Demand For Organic Dairy

Fonterra's general manager organics, Andrew Henderson, says the forecasts reflect the value global customers place on high quality New Zealand organic dairy.

“Our organic dairy remains highly sought after and that demand reflects the work our farmers put in each day to produce high-quality organic dairy that meets those expectations,” Henderson says.

“We’re looking forward to supporting the farmers who have signed up to join our existing pool of organic farms, including those who will now be converting their farm systems.”

Support Available For Farmers Converting To Organics

Fonterra’s support package for farmers making the switch to organic includes conversion incentives, advice, networking opportunities and linking farmers up with peers who can mentor them through the process.

Henderson is encouraging farmers still considering their options to get in touch and learn more about the organic business.

“There’s still room to expand our organic programme and we’re welcoming conversations with farmers in both the North and South Islands about what converting to organics might look like for their business.”

Speaking to the NZ Institute of International Affairs, he pointed out that the world we now trade in is harder and much more uncertain than it was five years ago.

He says trade rules are more contested, relationships more complex, disruptions more frequent and what's more, he doesn't expect that to change anytime soon.

"The major economies are really playing outside the rules with very sharp elbows. These shifts are the clearest signal yet of a broader global trend: we are moving from a world governed by shared rules to one increasingly shaped by power. For a small trading nation, that shift matters more than it does for many other countris," he says.

Shift From Rules-Based Trade to Power Politics

McClay says events in the past year have increased the pressure on NZ - in particular, the war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has made getting exports to that region harder and more expensive.

Disruption to the supply of oil to NZ has driven up costs right through the supply chain.

He says the situation remains fragile, and exporters are navigating challenges with sourcing key inputs, maintaining competitiveness in the face of rising production and distribution costs, and finding reliable routes to market.

"Even before that conflict, our exporters were already navigating a fundamentally changed approach to tariff policy from the United States. And the US is not the only one. Just ask our dairy exporters to Canada," he says.

McClay says for a small nation like NZ, rules-based trade has always mattered more to us than the larget economies who have far more leverage internationally.

He says Kiwis believe in fairness and the rules deliver that.

"It is worth remembering that despite everything, 72% of world trade still takes place under WTO rules. The system is battered, but it is not broken, and NZ has a clear national interest in saving as much of the multilateral furniture as possible," he says.

FTAs Are Vital

McClay admits that progress at a multilateral level is too slow for our exporters, which is why he says FTAs are vital and why the Government has invested heavily in these.

He says in 2025, 71% of NZ's exports were covered by 17 high quality FTAs and results from these are tangible.

"Since our EU FTA came into force two years ago, our exports there have grown by NZ $3 billion. And in the 18 months since our FTA with the UK took effect, our exports there grew by 13%," he says.

McClay adds that NZ exports to the UAE have seen record growth of 33% following that agreement's entry into effect and says the new FTA with India will produce further export growth and stability to our primary exports.

While there has been a strong focus on securing FTAs, McClay says NZ has been making progress on a number of olther key initiatives.

These include the CPTPP, the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, a Green Economy Partnership and RCEP.

But one of the biggest and most insidious issues facing NZ trade is the raft of non-tariff trade barriers (NTBs) which currently affect $9 billion worth of our exports. These are rules randomly applied by importing countries which impede the flow of our exports to a country and reduce the return to NZ producers.

“Last year alone we resolved some of these to the tune of $600 million dollars, but there is clearly plenty more work to be done,” he says.

Looking to the future, McClay says the present challenges that NZ faces are not new and the hard work of the past must continue to be more creative, persistent, constructive and bring more energy and urgency to the task. He says it’s important for NZ to make itself known to the world, hence the emphasis on trade missions and an investment agency which establish strong political and business relationships.

That's the word from the EU's Ambassador to NZ, Lawrence Meredith, referring to a comprehensive nationwide perceptions study done by the EU of relations between the two jurisdictions.

The report is timely in that it coincides with the second anniversary of the FTA between NZ and the bloc.

Meredith says the survey shows that there's strong support among New Zealanders for deeper engagement with Europe across trade, innovation, security and shared values - reflecting the growing momentum of the EU-NZ partnership.

"The EU-NZ relationship as one built on shared values, trust, and a long-standing partnership between like-minded partners," he told Dairy News.

Trade Remains the Strongest Connection

The key findings in the survey show that 93% of NZ respondents view the EU as an important trading partner and that trade was identified as the most important aspect of the relationship, followed closely by innovation and science, security cooperation, and people-to-people links.

The report also noted respondents associated Europe strongly with culture, sustainability, quality of life and innovation.

The report also highlighted the fact that the EU ranked second only to the US as a perceived leader in international politics.

EU-NZ Trade Agreement Boosting Exports

The findings come as cooperation between the EU and NZ continues to expand across multiple sectors.

Meredith says since the EU-NZ FTA came into effect, NZ exports to the EU have increased by more than NZ$3 billion, making it one of our fastest-growing export destinations.

He says research and innovation cooperation is also accelerating through Horizon Europe, the EU's flagship research and innovation programme with NZ becoming its first global partner.

Awareness of FTA Still Developing

While trade with the EU surges on, perhaps a little surprising is that just over a third of those surveyed were not actually aware of the FTA between the two jurisdictions.

That aside, it is clear that the overall political and trade relationships between the EU and NZ are stronger than ever and according to Meredith will continue to grow.

"At a time when countries are looking for trusted and reliable partners, the EU and New Zealand are building a modern partnership that delivers practical benefits across trade, research, innovation, climate action, security and people-to-people connections," he says.

A Major Boost

Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay says the New Zealand-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is delivering a major boost to the economy and supporting jobs nationwide.

"Because the FTA entered into force early, our exporters got an immediate head start with tariff cuts and better access into what is now our fastest growing major market," McClay says.

Exports to the EU hit $8.8 billion in the year to December 2025 - up 29% or nearly $1.9 billion. Two years ago, exports wrre $5.7 billion.

"On the agreement's second anniversary, Kiwi exporters have now chalked up an extra $3 billion in sales. This growth has significantly exceeded forecasts and expectations and shows what's possible when we back our exporters and open new doors.

"It means the world is choosing more of the high-quality food, fibre and products our farmers, growers and businesses are known for."

Some of the standout gains in the last year include butter exports up 121% and meat up 38%.

Data released last month by REINZ suggests the market is shaped by increased positivity and confidence, reflecting the combination of strong commodity prices, improved balance sheets, accessible credit, and a marked shift in public perception of the sector.

REINZ rural spokesperson Shane O’Brien says concerns remain regarding cost inflation for the rural sector, with tight on-farm operating costs.

“These pressures continue to weigh on overall sector confidence, prompting businesses across the rural economy to reassess budgets, adapt operating models and look for greater efficiency as they navigate a persistently challenging cost environment, in many sectors,” O’Brien says.

Dairy Farm Sales Surge Across Key Regions

The dairy sector has proven to be the standout performer with dairy sales increasing by 38.2% in the 12 months to March 2026.

Key regions, including Northland, Otago and Southland, were especially active with dairy confidence flowing through into broader provincial economies.

“Performance has been supported by strong farmgate returns, with demand clearly concentrated in tier-one properties,” O’Brien says.

He says that activity is driven primarily by largescale family businesses and farmer-to-farmer transactions.

Dairy Industry Leads Rural Market Recovery

According to REINZ’s report, while overall rural confidence has been at its highest since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, dairy has proven to be the primary engine of that confidence.

“Buyers have re-engaged with the market following a more stable outlook from processors and improved liquidity from recent seasons – specifically in South Otago where market activity reached levels not seen in the last 7-8 years,” the report states.

The first quarter of 2026 recorded an increase of transactions, supported by strong underlying demand.

According to the REINZ analysis, in the 12 months to March 2026, there were more dairy farm sales exceeding $10 million than in any equivalent 12-month period since records began in 1997.

Buyers Focused on High-Performing Farms

“Buyers across New Zealand tend to prioritise farms that deliver consistent performance, with proven production, established infrastructure, and being environmentally compliant while most farming sectors have displayed varied activity this quarter,” O’Brien says.

The report says that seasonal conditions have generally been helpful to the dairy sector across New Zealand, supporting pasture growth and production, reducing pressure on supplementary feed and helping farms maintain output.

Inflation Pressures Continue to Challenge Farmers

However, the report states the main area of concern for the sector is cost inflation.

“Diesel prices initially raised concerns due to their immediate impact on production costs, but the flow-on impact, notably fertiliser prices, will continue to contribute to rising farm input costs,” the report states.

“Dairy support farms benefited from the strength of the broader dairy outlook, including recent Fonterra payouts and dairy expansion generally, all of which have translated into demand for support land in dairy-intensive regions.”

Looking ahead, the REINZ report says it will be interesting to see what impact the Fonterra capital payments have on the market.

“In the meantime, buyers remain very disciplined and focused on quality assets.”

Rosemarie Costar, the newly elected Auckland Federated Farmers president, told its recent conference that waste was something all farmers hated to see.

But last April, after Fonterra shed inspections were carried out, new rules came into place meaning farmers had to write on drug containers when they were first opened and discard any contents that were left over according to the instructions and the date on the packaging.

When she became aware of this as Auckland Dairy chair she started talking to food quality auditors, QCONZ, Franklin Vets and the co-op to see if there was a solution to the problem.

High-Cost Vet Drugs Often Discarded Early

An example of the waste which could occur was the anti-inflammatory Metacam 40 which is commonly used during calving. It costs $450 for a 100ml bottle which needs to be discarded 28 days after opening even if only one 7ml dose had been used.

A similar product costing $340 for a 250ml container needs to be discarded 90 days after opening. This is because of the risk of needles, particularly those which have been used, going back into the bottle which could cause contamination. This could also come about if the bottle cap wasn't kept clean.

Initially it was an animal welfare concern as farmers were saying that they would no longer use such expensive products if they would quickly have to throw away the unused contents, as there was no way they would go through a whole bottle in as little as 28 days, she said.

"The missing piece of the puzzle was finding the ability to keep using the drugs within the rules."

Collaboration Finds Compliance Solution

Discussions between representatives of the four groups revealed that under Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) regulations, vets could provide alternative instructions for drug use by writing it on the farmer's RVM script.

This could be by specifying that a dispensive gun needed to be used so that when it clicked into place the drug bottle was only broached once and there was no ongoing contamination risk.

"Then farmers would be compliant against the regulations and wouldn't have to discard unused drugs," she said.

The vet would have to provide their recommended timeframe for using the drugs and the actual expiry date on the bottle would still have to be adhered to by farmers.

As giving different instructions to those on the drug container would be considered off label use specific advice would need to be given by vets at their discretion to each individual farmer client.

"Franklin Vets did quite a lot of homework on this and QCONZ and Fonterra were extremely helpful in finding a solution, but it took us a year for us all to be comfortable," Costar said.

"It's a win in reducing wastage and maintaining our very high levels of animal welfare."

The task was to get the message out to farmers so they could speak to their vet about what approach would best suit their farming needs.

New President

Rosemarie Costar and her husband, Bryce, run 300 cows on 160ha at Onewhero, south of the Waikato River, producing 520kg milksolids (MS)/cow under DairyNZ system 3-4.

She was Auckland Federated Farmers Dairy chair for the last four years and a Waikato District councillor from 2012 to 2015.

She takes over as president from Alan Cole who spent seven years in the role.

John Caradus who is chief technology officer for Grasslanz Technology and someone who has spent a lifetime in plant breeding says the best starting point to reduce GHG emissions in New Zealand is at the pasture level and looking at what the animals eat.

Much research is already underway in this area at Grasslanz, which is now part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute, in collaboration with other organisations both in NZ and offshore.

Alternative Pasture Species Under Investigation

He says the two predominant pasture species grown on NZ farms are perennial ryegrass and white clover, but notes that there are other species that could be used such as tall, meadow fescue, cocksfoot and a number of minor legumes.

"But one of the problems with some of the other pasture legumes is that they don't compete well in our grazed swards. So, if we could find a way of getting a legume such as Lotus corniculatus, also known as birds-foot trefoil, into our grazed pastures that would make a difference," he says.

Caradus says birdsfoot trefoil can produce condensed tannin of the appropriate type and amount in its leaves.

He adds that if we could integrate these types of species into our perennial ryegrass sward it would aid in reducing methane production and probably nitrous oxide too.

Mixed Species Pastures Gaining Research Attention

The idea of mixed species is one that is being closely researched and trialled at present.

For example, Massey University and others are looking at what difference plantain, chicory and white clover can have on reducing GHG emissions.

There is also work going on in the field of genetics to produce animals with low methane emitting traits.

Calls for Science Funding Aligned with Farmer Needs

While new research is taking place, much of this can be traced back to work done by agricultural scientists in the 1970s.

Caradus believes this was due to the funding regime at the time when scientists had more control over their research than now, whereby the funder - by default the Government - sets very tight limits on what research can be done.

However, under the new funding system that is about to get underway, there is hope that science funding will be better aligned with farmers' needs.

"However, the reality is that today, in terms of pasture development and management, we are still relying heavily on the work done by the scientists in the 1970s," says Caradus.

Managing Grass

While scientists can develop new grass species that reduce methane and nitrous emissions in animals, success at a farm level depends on how the pasture is managed, says John Caradus.

He says high stocking rates - particularly on dairy farms - is not conducive to pasture persistence and therefore the gains available in grasses cannot be realised.

"Pasture persistance is a real issue. This is because of the impact of droughts and insect pests. Even with fungal endophytes in ryegrass which protect the plant from insects. It's that combination plus overgrazing that can drive down the persistance of our ryegrass pastures," he says.

Caradus says it's a matter of getting farmers to back off a little on grazing pressure.

Developing new methane reducing legumes is not easy he says because our major species of ryegrass and tall fescue grass don't have the secondary metabolites that will reduce GHG emissions. One option for this he says might be to use gene editing or genetic modification.

For Caradus and the teams of scientists working to develop new grass species it is encouraging that in general New Zealand farmers are willing to try new opportunities and can be regarded as early adopters.

He says this became evident when a new endophyte strain of ryegrass - AR1 which protects the plant from Argentine stem level and reduces ryegrass staggers - was introduced in the early 2000s.

“Our dairy farmers are some of the best in the world and these awards are a chance for us to highlight the innovation of our sector and show other farmers what’s possible on farm,” says Campbell.

“It was also great to see such a strong focus on people and team culture.”

Share Farmers of the Year Recognised for Leadership and Team Culture

The 2026 Share Farmers of the Year Award went to Scott and Stacey Mackereth who are contract milking for Fortuna Group at Edendale.

The judges were impressed with their support for staff including implementing the Te Whare Tapa Whā holistic Māori health model.

The couple also won DairyNZ People & Culture Award, the Trelleborg Sustainable Pasture Award, and Federated Farmers Leadership Award.

Dairy Manager and Dairy Trainee Winners Announced

Dairy Manager of the Year was Lauren McConnachie, farm manager for Theland Farm Group at Purata, milking 2170 cows on 563ha.

The judges said Lauren had extremely strong theoretical knowledge, was very organised and brought a structured approach to her planning and farm management.

The DairyNZ People & Leadership Award in the Dairy Manager category was awarded to Annie Gill.

The Dairy Trainee of the Year was Mark Ready from Maruia who was praised by the judges for his planning and progress. The farm manager has managed to save and buy his first line of cows, which will enter the herd this year, and has set himself a timeline to achieve herd ownership.

The DairyNZ Practical Skills Award in the Trainee category was won by Jack Foster.

Sustainability and Industry Leadership Recognised

Tony Dodunski won the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award for his work in the Lake Ellesmere/Te Waihora catchment while Alvaro Luzardo and Ximena Puig from Eketāhuna took out the ASB Alumni of the Year Award.

The Fonterra and ASB First Farm Award was won by Johno and Tania Burrows, Jonathon and Stacey Hoets – both from Canterbury/North Otago – and Marc and Nia Jones from Waikato.

Former DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel was also celebrated with a special award for outstanding service to the dairy industry.

Dairy Industry Awards Trust chair Paulette Johns said van der Poel was recognised for his commitment to the dairy sector, including his long-standing governance roles with Fonterra and DairyNZ.

“Jim is recognised as a distinguished leader across the dairy sector, having made a sustained and influential contribution over more than four decades of farming, governance and national industry leadership,” Johns says.

The inaugural Rural Industry Leaders fundraisers, the brainchild of Taranaki's Mike Green and Marton's Sue Foley and ably supported by Roger Beaumont and Peter Parussini, both from Auckland, was reportedly a roaring success, raising over $300,000 for the benefit of the Rural Support Trust.

"We were blown away by the response last year with a remarkable turn-out of leading rural companies and business leaders coming together for the benefit of Rural Support Trust's important work," says Mike Green.

Fundraiser Supports Rural Communities and Wellbeing

"Thanks to the outstanding efforts of the rural industry the Rural Support Trust was able to bolster its great work helping country communities in their times of need."

This year a total of 32 notable rural sector companies have taken the opportunity to come onboard with another 30 providing sponsorship and online and live auction contributions for the June 10 event.

Debate Event Returns with High-Profile Rural Figures

A highlight of last year's dinner event was a battle of wits with a light-hearted debate bringing the house down with clever banter and verbal jousting delighting the packed venue of 540 guests.

"The debate was a huge hit so we're excited to have Hon Shane Jones, Hon Kieran McAnulty, Suze Redmayne MP, Te Radar and Jessica Mutch Mckay joining us on 10 June, all under the watchful eye of adjudicator Dr Jacqueline Rowarth," says Green.

Online and Live Auctions to Feature Major Rural Items

"We're also thrilled to be going live with an online auction which runs through to Sunday 14 June. Here you'll find up to 60 valuable items generously donated by a wide range of sponsors including water troughs, grass seed, fence posts, a motorbike, generator and cattle stop - to name but a few."

This will be complemented by a live auction at the evening event with outstanding experiences from Blue Duck Station, VIP tickets to the NZ Golf Open, Afimilk collars and stunning sculptures from up-and-coming talents Jamie Thomas and Blake Harnett.

The original team who enabled last year's dinner, debate and auction event has cemented itself through the formation of the Rural Industry Leaders entity with its focus on supporting wellness and growing opportunities.

More information can be found at www.ruralindustryleaders.nz 

During a discussion at Auckland Federated Farmers Conference recently, Environmental consultant, Richard Gardner, who was formerly a policy analyst with the lobby group, said he was recently watching via the internet members of the Environment Select Committee of Parliament hearing submissions on the Natural Environment and Planning Act.

“I just had a feeling that AI had been used by some Members of Parliament to ask some of their questions,” he said.

“That made me worried as AI has its limitations. Does the federation have a strategy to deal with its use?”

Federated Farmers Acknowledges Need for AI Strategy

Chief executive Mike Siermans, who attended the meeting, said the lobby group didn’t at present.

“We probably need one.”

Mark Hooper, the federation’s board member with responsibility for the Resource Management Act (RMA), part of which will be replaced by the Natural Environment and Planning Act, who was also at the meeting said AI was useful to some extent in summarising submissions but not in formulating policy.

RMA Reform Remains a Key Concern

While the federation was very supportive of the Government’s intent in reforming the RMA, it felt the draft policy produced didn’t align with that.

“We hope we can get some issues resolved, but it’s a big ask,” he said.

“We’re holding our breath and waiting to see.”

Farmers Concerned About Environmental Limits

The major concern centred around the setting of environmental limits on farms as the natural inclination was to try to make improvements to current levels

“But that can become a hard limit, and farmers could be worse off than they are at present,” he said.

Questions Raised About Future Role of AI in Policy

After the meeting, where Gardner was made a life member of Auckland Federated Farmers, he said around 10,000 submissions had been made on The Natural Environment and Planning Act.

“But when I watched on the internet I wondered what was happening at the select committee,” he said.

“I had the distinct feeling that in some cases the submissions had been summarized and AI had been used when it came to what questions should be asked.”

“If that’s the case what else could be done with AI? Is there any point in having politicians and making submissions?

“It does worry me. Things should be done in a different way. The federation needs to know what’s happening and have a policy to address that.”

'AI Is Here'

Hooper says the use of AI in advocacy is already here.

He says this technology is a useful tool that’s being used successfully by a lot of organisations to increase productivity and efficiency in the workplace.

“There are some very useful applications when it comes to analysing complex data, brainstorming, research, or automating simple and mundane tasks,” he told Dairy News.

“As a sector, we can’t shy away from these kinds of technological advances – it’s no different to when the computer or the internet first arrived. This is just the next wave.”

Hooper believes in time AI will be like a computer or internet is today – used by everyone in some way.

However, he wants AI to be viewed as a ‘tool’, not a replacement for human input or thought.

“The technology is very impressive, but it also has its limitations.

“We do still need that human input, critical analysis and thought, but I think the two can work together well in a complementary way.

“It’s by no means a replacement for our expert policy advisor, lawyers and communicators – but it can help them do their jobs faster or more efficiently.”

Earlier this month, AWDT announced it would be phasing out over the course of the next 12 months.

AWDT was founded 16 years ago by Lindy Nelson with the aim of understanding the needs or rural women, removing barriers to leadership, and creating pathways for their growth.

Since then, the organisation has supported thousands of women through its Escalator, Understanding Your Farming Business, Wāhine o te Whenua, It’s All About You, and Next Level programmes.

AWDT Helped Shape Leadership Opportunities for Women

Jones says that in the past 16 years there has been significant change for women in the sector.

“When AWDT began, there were fewer visible pathways, networks, and leadership opportunities for women in agriculture,” she says.

“Today, we see more women leading farming businesses, stepping into governance roles, influencing industry conversations, and supporting each other through strong networks and communities.”

She says AWDT has been proud to play a role in that shift alongside others in the sector.

Declining Enrolments and Economic Pressure Impact Sustainability

The announcement of the winddown comes after a period of declining enrolments over the past 12 to 18 months.

Jones says those declining enrolments have been accompanied by increasing economic pressures on rural communities which have impacted the ability for women and farming businesses to commit to the trust’s programmes.

“After careful consideration, we reached the view that continuing in the current form was no longer sustainable,” Jones told Dairy News.

She says the decision is reflective of the current environment, not the historical value or impact of AWDT’s work.

Programmes to Continue During Transition Period

As the organisation winds down its work, it will continue to provide its currently scheduled and committed programmes into 2027.

Jones says the wind down of AWDT will be phased over the next 12 months.

“As part of that process, we will explore whether there is an appropriate home for AWDT programmes within existing organisations,” she says.

“We are not in a rush to make those decisions. Any process will be fair, transparent and considered.”

Leadership Support Still Needed for Women in Agriculture

However, despite the current economic climate, Jones says there is still a place for the leadership programmes for women in agriculture.

“The need for leadership development, confidence building, connection, and capability support for women in agriculture remains important,” she says.

“What has changed is the environment people are operating in. Economic pressure and competing priorities are making it harder for many women to step away from businesses, farms, and families to participate in programmes in the same way they may have previously.”

She says that there are other organisations, networks and industry groups available to support women across the rural sector.

“While AWDT has had its own unique approach and community, we hope women will continue to access learning, support and connection through existing organisations, and that this may include some form of AWDT programmes finding appropriate homes within that wider ecosystem.”

The Southland Water and Land Plan (Regional Plan) currently requires farmers to prepare and submit a farm plan by 27 May 2026 before improvements to the national freshwater farm plan system are finalised.

However, last week Cabinet decided that Southland farmers and growers will now have until the end of November 2027 to submit their farm plan and benefit from the updated system.

The extension makes sure Southland farmers remain compliant with the regulations.

Federated Farmers Welcomes Deadline Extension

Southland Federated Farmers president Chris Dillon told Dairy News that the government announcement is "a big relief" for the regions 3400 farmers.

"The extra time will mean national and regional farm planning systems are well aligned to avoid duplication and unnecessary costs to farmers," Dillon says.

Government Promises Simpler National Farm Plan System

Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says the announcement gives farmers the clarity they deserve.

"Southland farmers were staring down a May 2026 deadline to submit farm plans under the current regional system," says Hoggard.

"That would have meant wasting time and money on a whole lot of complex paperwork that simply won't be needed under our updated national rules. That is the definition of pointless bureaucracy."

Hoggard says farmers' efforts wouldn't go to waste.

"We are bringing in a new, improved national system. This extension ensures farmers won't spend time and money complying with old rules when better ones are on the way."

New Rules Aim to Reduce Red Tape

The Government is introducing a slimmed-down system that strips back the most frustrating parts, like overly bureaucratic land blocking and mapping, according to Hoggard.

He says the new legislation will deliver clear expectations.

"We are clarifying exactly what farming activities need a certified plan, cutting out the fluff.

"Farmers should be out on the land producing world-class food and fibre, not stuck at the kitchen table trying to decipher red tape. We're getting the rules sorted and getting Wellington out of the way."

Environment Southland Says Farm Plans Remain Important

Environment Southland chair Jeremy McPhail says the extension gives farmers and growers more time to finalise strong farm plans and make good use of the support available as the updated national settings are finalised.

"Farm plans remain an important part of improving freshwater outcomes, and this extension gives farmers extra time to continue developing plans that are practical, well-informed and tailored to their property and catchment.

"Farm plans are here to stay, and most farm operations in Southland will still need one."

McPhail says Environment Southland had supported the need for farm plans for a long time as a way for farmers to demonstrate environmental responsibility and increase the uptake of mitigations.

"These are one of the key tools in Southland for improving water quality across our catchments."

He said farm plans remain an important tool for identifying practical actions on-farm, reducing environmental risk, and driving year-on-year environmental improvements.

The strategy sets out how New Zealand will create a system that promotes mental health and wellbeing for all, and provides mental health and addiction support and services that meet people's needs.

Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) welcomes the strategy's direction, and has used its submission to bring the lived reality of rural communities to the Ministry of Health's attention.

"Anyone who has lived rurally knows that getting help is rarely simple," says Bronwyn Main, Health Policy Action Advisory Group convenor.

“You might be hours from the nearest service, juggling the farm, the kids, the animals and still trying to find the courage to ask for help in a small community,” she says.

The submission draws on the experiences of RWNZ members to show how distance, cost, stigma, and workforce shortages combine to push rural people to crisis point before they can access support.

Welcoming his appointment, Environmental Defence Society (EDS) chief executive Gary Taylor says Chrisp understands the importance of the conservation estate, and the natural environment more generally, to New Zealand's economic welfare.

"He will be well placed to argue for adequate resourcing for the department which manages one-third of our country.

"There are clearly big challenges ahead for DoC with yesterday's announcement of further public service cuts."

Chrisp also has direct experience of conservation challenges on the ground through his work as chair of Predator Free Wellington.

"EDS looks forward to working constructively with the new director-general when he takes office at the end of June. We share common ground in wanting positive conservation outcomes for Aotearoa," says Taylor.

And his outstanding leadership in delivering responsible dairying outcomes on the farm earned him the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award at the recent NZ Dairy Industry Awards.

Beaumaris Dairies has been owned by the Dodunski Family since 2017.

Farming Within a Sensitive Catchment

Tony Dodunski, who manages the farm, told Dairy News that when the family first looked at buying the property, they understood the environmental constraints it has.

The farm has heavy soils and low-lying areas where overland flow of nutrients, sediments and phosphorus is the biggest environmental risk.

Dodunski says they identified that early and built a concrete feed pad to stand cows off and capture effluent during high rainfall events.

"We've also implemented a number of other initiatives including sediment traps, riparian planting, a low application rate effluent system, grid and all paddock soil testing with targeted fertilisr application, breeding smaller cows, focusing heavily on pasture utilisation, and installing solar to help power the cowshed."

Dodunski says he has come to acknowledge the farm for what it is.

"It's not an A-class Canterbury dairy farm, so rather than pushing the system too hard, we're comfortable farming at a slightly lower intensity to create something that is environmentally, financially and operationally sustainable long term."

Profitability Key to Long-Term Sustainability

Dodunski's message to dairy farmers is to focus on building profitable and resilient farm systems first, because profitability gives a farmer the ability to invest in sustainability long term.

"I also think sustainability is broader than just environmental outcomes. It's about people, energy, financial resilience, community, and the long-term sustainability of the wider dairy industry as well.

"The good thing about New Zealand dairy farming is that many of the practices that improve environmental outcomes also improve operational performance and resilience.

"Sustainability doesn't have to be about big statements, often it's the accumulation of lots of practical decisions and continuous improvement over time."

A Team Effort

Dodunski says the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award means heaps to him, his family, and the people who have been part of the journey.

"My name might be on the award, but there are so many people who have contributed to it over the years, so it's just as much a reflection of their contribution as it is mine. I'm very proud and grateful."

New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards say Dodunski has demonstrated that high environmental performance can be achieved through deliberate system design, evidence-based decision-making, and long-term commitment.

"His work exemplifies responsible dairying in action: delivering verified environmental outcomes, building capable and motivated people, and strengthening the long-term sustainability of the dairy sector."

He claims the listed company faces a deeper issues of "control, confidenced and complexity".

His comments come as Synlait starts the search for its fourth chief executive in five years.

Synlait Continues Search for Stability

Richard Wyeth resigned as CEO this month after just one year in the role and will stay with the company until June 30 to support an orderly transition and handover.

Synlait has been struggling to improve its financial performance since Covid impacted infant formula sales, particularly in China.

Leon Clements resigned as CEO in April 2021 after three years in the role.

In October 2024, Grant Watson resigned after nearly three years in the role.

Wyeth, a former CEO at Miraka, was also head of Westland Milk until he stepped down early last year.

Shareholder and Customer Pressures Create Difficult Environment

Synlait's ownership has evolved over the years, and two relationships now define Synlait's future: a2 Milk as a major customer and shareholder, and Bright Dairy as the controlling shareholder.

Lees agrees and adds that Wyeth's resignation shows that Synlait's problem is bigger than who sits in the CEO chair.

"Synlait sits between two powerful forces: a2 Milk, its major customer and shareholder, and Bright Dairy, its controlling shareholder and financial backer.

"That makes the CEO role unusually hard. The company must restore manufacturing reliability, rebuild quality confidence, meet a2's infant formula supply needs, protect Bright's investment, reassure farmers and repair profitability - all at once."

Lees points out that for Bright Dairy, Synlait is more than a financial investment.

"It is a major overseas acquisition and a test of its ability to own and govern a profitable international business," he says.

"For a2, Synlait is about supply, quality and trust. The recent US recall of Synlait manufactured a2 Platinum infant formula is a reminder that, in infant formula, there is little room for error."

He says Wyeth may not have been the wrong leader, rather he may have been in an almost impossible role.

"Synlait's leadership churn is not just a CEO problem. It is a sign of a company trying to rebuild profitability while meeting the needs of a powerful customer and a controlling shareholder."

Synlait Appoints Interim Leadership

In a filing with NZX, Synlait thanked Wyeth for making a strong contribution to the business since his appointment.

He led Synlait "through a particularly challenging period with a clear focus on addressing key operational, quality and financial issues, rebuilding customer relationships, and positioning the company for its next phase".

Synlait director Leon Fung has been named acting chief executive.

The company says Fung is "ordinarily resident" in New Zealand and joined Synlait as a director in June 2024, serving as chair of its People, Environment and Governance Committee from November 2025.

It says Fung developed a strong understanding of the company's operations and challenges, which positions him well to lead the business forward.

Richard Wyeth, who was appointed to the role one year ago, has resigned, according to a NZX filing by the listed company.

Wyeth will remain with the company until June 30 to support an orderly transition and handover.

Synlait director Leon Fung has been named acting chief executive.

Struggling Since Covid-19

Synlait has been struggling to improve its financial performance since Covid impacted infant formula sales, particularly in China.

Leon Clements resigned as CEO in April 2021 after three years in the role. In October 2024, Grant Watson resigned after nearly three years in the role.

Wyeth, a former CEO at Miraka, was also head of Westland Milk until he stepped down early last year.

Both Westland and Synlait are controlled by Chinese dairy conglomerates.

Wyeth Made A 'Strong Contribution' to Synlait

Synlait says that since his appointment, Wyeth has made a strong contribution to the business, leading Synlait through a particularly challenging period with a clear focus on addressing key operational, quality and financial issues, rebuilding customer relationships, and positioning the company for its next phase.

“The board thanks Richard for his leadership, commitment, and contribution to the business and wishes him well for the future.”

Fung To Take Over

Synlait says Fung, an ordinarily resident in New Zealand, joined Synlait as a director in June 2024 and serving as chair of its People, Environment and Governance Committee from November 2025.

It says Fung has developed a strong understanding of the company’s operations and challenges, which positions him well to lead the business forward.

The tasting panel described the butter as "complex", "Rich, salty and decadent", and "Yellowy, buttery goodness".

Alex Turnbull, chief executive of Westland Milk Products which manufactured Westgold, says the results confirm one of Westland's best-kept secrets.

Grass-Fed West Coast Advantage

Turnbull says the secret to Westgold's taste and colour is that the cream used to make the butter is sourced from grass-fed cows raised on the West Coast.

"Given our location and the knowledge and skills of our butter team, we know we have a lot going for us, but this result still fills us with pride," he says.

The simplicity of mixing only grass-fed fresh cream and salt gives Westgold butter a distinctive texture, while Westgold’s distinctive gold colour is a result of the more than 97% grass-fed diet of its West Coast dairy cows cared for by partner farmers.

Traditional Churning Methods Deliver Premium Quality

A centuries-old churning method built into the butter plant Westland commissioned in 2022 at Hokitika on the West Coast is used to process cream into butter.

This is a slower processing method that results in a higher-quality product.

Perhaps the most important ingredient, however, is the time spent perfecting the craft of making butter.

Westland's butter team have spent an average of 20,000 hours (or 10 years) producing butter.

Dean Robinson, Westland's cream senior production manager, has been with the company for over 30 years.

“Our butter-team has more accumulated knowledge than any other team at Westland and, potentially, more knowledge than any other butter producers in the country,'' Robinson says.

"After making butter for so many years, everyone working in the factory has the eye for it and just knows when it is right. Our butter churners all have their own characteristics. Our staff have been able to use the instinct that comes from extensive experience.”

New employees are trained by those who have the most experience to make sure that everyone gets the benefit of the team’s knowledge.

This all drives the taste of Westgold Butter as more people around the world – and at home – are discovering. 

Sales of Westgold butter are booming and have grown around 40 per cent over the past four years in New Zealand.

Owning two farms, Ngakanui, adjacent to the main school campus, runs to 16ha and carries 60-65 Friesian cows, milked through a De Laval VMS (voluntary milking system).

Farm Manager Highlights Importance of Operational Standards

Farm Manager Finn MacDonald explains that the location - which is currently seeing a large-scale housing development on its nothern boundary of up to 1000 homes - means the farm must be seen to be doing things correctly.

"We ensure we operate under an industry best-practice regime at all times, meaning we keep things very neat and tidy and animals are in tip-top condition."

An output of 28,000kgMS/annum sees an average production of 450kgMS/cow and 1855kgMS/ha.

Winter feed takes the form of 50 tonnes of bought-in maize silage, complemented by 100 bales of grass baleage.

Manawanui Farm Supports Sheep, Beef, and Forestry Systems

The school's second farm, Manawanui, is located on the hillside to the west of the town, running to 81ha and operated as a beef and sheep unit, with the primary outputs being finished trade lambs and cattle, complemented by some small-scale forestry.

Summer cropping of 15ha chicory and 6ha of rape is used in Jan/Feb to supplement grass, with a return to grass after grazing.

Finn explains, "we typically finish up to 2000 trade lambs, alongside Hereford-cross cattle that head off to the works at around 550kg liveweight".

Agricultural Education Pathway Attracts Hundreds of Students

Interestingly, with a total recall of 1600 students, 600 choose to be involved in the agricultural and horticultural pathway during Year 9 and 10, then carrying on with a combined course through Years 11 to 13.

These courses focus on the place of NZ agriculture, livestock production, soil and plant science, plant propagation, primary production and sustainability.

Alternatively, students can apply to take part in the Primary Industries Programme in Year 11, then attend a one-day farm placement per week in Years 12 and 13. This course focuses on livestock handling, drenching and vaccination, fencing, safe operation of farm vehicles, dagging, crutching and shearing.

An extra-curricular programme allows students to sign up to agrisports, rural games, beekeeping, wool handling courses, crutching, dagging and shearing courses, interhouse shearing and wool handling, and Lamb and Calf Day.

Rural/Urban Mix

Head of Agriculture and Horticulture, Kain Nixon says that students on the agriculture and horticulture courses are typically from a 70:30 rural/urban background, moving through the years in a 50:50 male/female mix.

“By the time they reach Year 12 and 13, this switches to an 80:20 in favour of the girls.”

He goes on to explain that the aim of the courses is to give students a broad overview of an industry that is a key driver of the NZ economy and sow the seeds to agriculture as a subject to follow in higher education.

“We would love to offer an even greater overview, showing that an agricultural qualification is not just about working on farms, but the pathway to a multitude of support industries within the sector. But like many other establishments, unfortunately we don’t have a finite budget.”

With Agriculture evolving rapidly with new smart technologies arriving on an almost daily basis, farm manager MacDonald explains, “I typically have three students acting as my shadow on most days, so its important to expose them to day to day tech such as the VMS robot, our weighing and identification systems using EID tags, while also ensuring they take on basic skills like sheep shearing- which is also very popular, but not forgetting hygiene issues like crutching and dagging, which usually aren’t undertaken with so much enthusiasm.”

www.feildinghigh.school.nz

Researchers from DairyNZ, the Bioeconomy Science Institute (formerly AgResearch), and Lincoln University explored two decades worth of data and used multiple data sources to assess the impact of good farming practice implementation on nutrient loss reductions.

Good Farming Practices Linked to Lower Contaminant Losses

The results show a clear link between the widespread use of good farming practices and lower contaminant losses from land to water on New Zealand dairy farms.

DairyNZ senior scientist Dr Katrina Macintosh says farmers should be confident that the actions they are taking on their farm are having an impact, without affecting productivity.

"Over the past 20 years, dairy farmers have implemented a range of good farming practices, including better fertiliser use, effluent management, reduced soil cultivation and improved irrigation scheduling. Until recently, few studies assesssed its impact, and when improvements in water quality might be detected," she says.

"In recent years, we've been working with milk processors using the data they are collecting from their suppliers via their farm environmental plans to better understand environmental improvements.

"Working with Fonterra and Open Country Dairy, plus capturing information from DairyBase, we were able to analyse multiple anonymous datasets to determine the level of good farming practice implementation around the country and what that means for reducing nutrient losses and improving water quality."

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Losses Trend Lower

One of the studies looked at five dairy-dominated catchments ranging from 598 hectares to 2480 hectares between 2001 and 2020, a period where extension programmes began to be rolled out, and water quality and farm practices were being regularly monitored. The research found good farming practices reduced phosphorus, E. coli and sediment concentrations.

Another study looked at uptake of good management practices across a 10-year period between 2013-2022 and the influence they had on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses to water from dairy-farmed land.

The study found that N management, and improved irrigation and cultivation practice contributed to lower N loss trends, while P fertiliser and effluent storage methods were the most influential parameters for reducing P loss.

No Negative Impact on Milk Solid Production

Notably, the analysis found that while the adoption of good farming practices decreased N and P losses on farm, it did not impact negatively on milk solid production.

"Good farming practices are generally accessible and cost-effective for farmers to implement on farm to deliver improved water quality outcomes. Fresh water management is a long-term game and it's great to be able to show farmers the impact of their efforts on farm over the past 20 years or so," says Macintosh.

The research is building a strong evidence base showing how farming practices on New Zealand dairy farms have changed over time in pastoral catchments to deliver environmental outcomes.

Paul Bennett, the Bioeconomy Science Institute Maiangi Taio’s integrated bioenergy portfolio lead, says New Zealand has up to three million hectares of unproductive land, including a million hectares of growing scrub.

He says that land could be converted to short-rotation forestry, providing a larger long-term supply and support demand for coal, gas and marine fuel replacements.

“Early bioenergy deployment would generate a market for further biomass production,” Bennett told Dairy News.

“Woody biomass growth can therefore be achieved without displacing food or timber or pulp production,” he adds. “This can be part of the solution for NZ’s energy security.”

According to Bennett, New Zealand could access approximately seven million green tonnes of low-grade wood for bioenergy production, including the sustainable and accessible biomass from forest harvesting operations, and low-grade industrial logs currently exported.

“This is plenty of biomass to replace the coal burnt in New Zealand and to start on the journey of aviation and marine fuels from wood,” he says.

Bioenergy improves energy security by producing fuel locally, meaning New Zealand would be less reliant on global suppliers, Bennett says.

He says there are four main reasons why the Bioeconomy Institute has been investigating bioenergy options within New Zealan – climate change; energy security and resilience; market access; and local economic development.

Currently, Bennett says the Bioeconomy Science Institute is looking at practical steps the country can take to reduce its energy insecurity.

“We are scaling up locally produced bioenergy and biofuels using existing woody biomass resources and have been working with a range of stakeholders across a range of energy sectors such as aviation, marine, processing and power generation.

“The current global fuel crisis has highlighted why New Zealand needs these locally produced sustainable fuel options as part of the solution to its energy insecurity.”

At Fonterra's Clandeboye depot near Timaru, Tanker Operator Joe Emmanuel is part of a fleet of 70 tankers collecting around 2.6 billion litres of milk each day.

His day starts much like anyone else's.

Supporting a Deaf Tanker Operator

"I arrive at work and wait for the manager to give me the instructions of what I need to do that day. I'll read it through and then just get stuck in," he says.

But behind the routine is a team that's made simple, practical changes to support Emmanuel.

Driver Trainer Assessor, Brett Maddren, says he was unsure at first how training a deaf tanker operator would work.

"Because of the way we communicate, I thought it would be difficult. Then I went home and thought, 'how could I actually do this and make it work?'" says Maddren.

Visual Skills Became A Strength

When Emmanuel came in for his initial interview and driving assessment, Maddren says it was clear to see his strengths as a teacher.

"We teach a lot of drivers about scanning and looking, but Emmanuel already does that because he's very good visually, so that was a great attribute to have."

The next step was induction, which includes a lot of group chats, something Maddren didn't want Emmanuel to miss out on.

Emmanuel says one simple change made a huge difference.

"Brett wore a microphone that was connected to my phone so I could get a live transcript and didn't miss out on anything. That was fantastic. It was an immediate adjustment that meant I could be included," says Emmanuel.

New Zealand Relay Service Assisted Recruitment Process

Throughout his recruitment journey, Emmanuel had the support of New Zealand Relay, a free government-funded service enabling people with hearing and speech communication difficulties to use the phone.

Since joining the depot last August, Emmanuel says the team has built a supportive, deaf-aware environment.

"Everyone knows they shouldn't talk to me across the room. They need to face me, and they've gotten on board with that," he says.

"In the mornings, the team manager will face me and speak slowly so I can lip read."

Visual Systems Help Improve Safety and Communication

Emmanuel mainly communicates through text and has also developed visual ways of working on site.

"When I'm unloading a tanker, I will turn on a light to signal green to let people know the valve is open. That's a visual system that lets them know what's going on."

When new people come into the depot environment Emmanuel says it can be nerve-wracking to meet them.

"I wonder how I'm going to communicate and if it'll go smoothly. But really, I feel like I'm treated as an equal here. I'm the same as every other member of the team."

Workplace Inclusion Benefits the Entire Team

Maddren believes that inclusion benefits the whole team.

"If people feel left out, that's not good for morale. Inclusivity is important, regardless of what language you speak. We don't discriminate and everyone is treated the same."

That connection also shows up day-to-day.

"We get on well and like to have a laugh," says Maddren. "Especially across the room, because Emmanuel is very good at reading your face."

New Zealand Sign Language Week Builds Awareness

New Zealand Sign Language Week recognises New Zealand Sign Language as one of the country's three official languages, alongside English and Māori.

For Emmanuel, it's a choice to build awareness and connection.

"I'm so happy that I'm meeting people that know about New Zealand Sign Language, that want to learn it," says Emmanuel.

"It's a really week for us in the deaf community."

That's the advice from respected Waikato-based farm consultant, James Allen, AgFirst.

He says not only should they be doing some serious budgeting but also looking at ways they can be more efficient with fuel and fertiliser.

"With good prices there is a risk that people get a bit complacent, but I would be encouraging people to think about ways they can utilise their existing nutrient levels in their soils and to be really focused on and smart on using what they have got," he told Rural News.

Soil Testing Can Help Reduce Fertiliser Costs

Allen says one way of doing this is to increase the amount of soil testing on their farms and focus on individual paddocks rather than across big blocks.

He says understanding the precise fertility of the farm may take a bit more time, but it is probably money well spent.

"Keeping things simple and harvesting as much pasture as you can is important," he says.

Farmers Encouraged to Review Cropping Systems

In some areas of the central North Island it is noticeable that large areas of land have been planted in winter forage crops and Allen believes this is because some farms are recent dairy conversions and still need some development work.

He says cropping seems to work well in that region where there tends to be colder winters and getting a good yield from maize can be challenging at times.

"What this highlights is that there is a need for people to evaluate their farm systems going into the season ahead. What I mean by that is cropping can have an effective place in the farm system, but it does depend quite a bit on yield. And if you're not getting a good maize yield, maybe you are better to buy it in. And equally if you are not getting a good yield from the forage crop, don't grow it," he says.

Palm Kernel Prices Expected to Rise Further

Allen says the other issue in the mix is the cost of palm kernel.

He says now it's about $400 a tonne but believes it is more likely to go up in price rather than drop.

He also suspects that the cost of producing maize will rise as that crop relies on fuel and fertiliser.

He says a dairy farmer can grow quite a good maize crop quite effectively with a lower level of fertiliser than people generally apply on an efficient paddock.

"So, the key message is good budgeting and thinking more about how to get very efficient fertiliser use and nutrient management," he says.

The Government has given councils a three-month window to put forward proposals to simplify and strengthen local governmnet in their regions.

Local Government Structure Doesn't Work

Sandra Faulkner, Federated Farmers' local government spokesperson, says New Zealand's local government structure simply isn't working for farmers.

"It's contributing to rising costs, infrastructure pressure, and declining civic engagement.

"Ratepayers up and down the country have completely lost confidence in a system that doesn't recognise how our communities have evolved across the last 30 years," Faulkner says.

"We've long advocated for reform, so we're very pleased the Government has now asked councils to get on with it."

A Chance To Fast-Track Reform Proposals

The announcement offers councils a chance to fast-track their own reform proposals and bypass the Combined Territory Board model.

Federated Farmers encourages elected councillors to put aside parochialism and engage in open discussions on reform that will work.

"The clear message to councils from government is to seize the initiative and find more efficient structures that work better for ratepayers and communities," says Faulkner.

"If councils don't front-foot this, government will make the decisions for them."

Support for Strong Representation for Provincial Communities

Faulkner says Federated Farmers will only support reforms that lock in strong representation for provincial comunities.

"Our consistent view has been that metropolitan and provincial areas have very different needs and priorities.

"We took the initiative early this year by publishing a proposal for reform, promoting the case for unitary councils, which would combine the responsibilities of current regional and district councils.

"We'd like to see metropolitan unitary councils centred on cities of around 50,000-plus, and provincial unitary councils that merge the district councils."

That model could see the current 78 councils reduce to less than half that number.

“It’s just starting to land,” she told Dairy News the morning after her win at the Dairy Women’s Network 2026 Conference in Christchurch last week.

The fourteenth winner of the award, Timutimu was recognised for her leadership, deep connection to people and whenua, and her impact across the dairy sector and Māori agribusiness.

Leadership Across Dairy Farming and Māori Land Development

She currently leads a dual-enterprise model combining dairy farming and maize at Te Tawa Kaiti Lands Trust.

In 2025, she represented New Zealand as an expert speaker at the APEC Technical Cooperation Workshop in Bangkok, contributing to international discussions on women’s economic empowerment and sustainable agriculture.

She holds governance credentials from the Institute of Directors’ course, the Fonterra Governance Development Programme, LIC leadership programmes, and the MPI Governance Essentials programme.

She is also vice chair of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

Award Recognises People-Focused Leadership

The general manager of Te Tawa Kaiti Lands Trust says the award represents an “opportunity to inspire others and to give them courage and confidence”.

Timutimu describes her leadership style as “values-led, and cohesive”.

“It’s about taking people along the journey,” she says.

In her career within the dairy industry, Timutimu says she’s learned a lot about the sector.

“I’ve learned about how to be resilient… I’ve learned how farmers have been challenged and how committed they are.

“I’ve learned how people can be so challenged and yet so giving,” she says.

Advice for Women Entering the Sector

Her advice for women seeking a career in dairying is simple.

“Come with a passion for the land and working with animals,” Timutimu says. “Two days are never the same.”

Judges Praise Leadership

Anne Douglas, group director of Fonterra Farm Source and a member of the judging panel, says she is thrilled to see Timutimu win the award.

“Her ability to bring together mātauranga Māori and modern farming practices is a powerful example of the leadership our sector needs,” Douglas says.

“I’ve also been impressed by her global perspective and how she applies insights from around the world to strengthen our rural communities. Her commitment to people, to land, and to the next generation of farmers is truly inspiring,” she adds.

Strong Connection to People and Whenua

Dairy Women’s Network trustee and lead judge Jenna Smith says Timutimu brings a deeply grounded perspective, with a strong connection between people, whenua and long-term outcomes.

“Her leadership is authentic and anchored in purpose,” Smith says.

“Hine leads by example, makes decisions clearly, and consistently demonstrates her ability to bring people along with her – whether she’s rolling up her sleeves planting out a stream bank or setting and implementing strategy,” she adds.

Scholarship Supports Future Leadership Development

As winner of the Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year, Timutimu will receive a scholarship which covers the programme fee, travel and accommodation, mentoring and access to Dairy Women’s Network and Fonterra platforms to share research.

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says it's an attack on the dairy sector which relies heavily on migrant workers.

Dairy Sector Relies on Migrant Workforce

2025 data shows between 1400 and 2000 migrant workers are approved for dairy-specific jobs in New Zealand each year to fill employment gaps.

Stanford told Dairy News that for a dairy farmer employing a new migrant worker on a five-year visa, an extra $11,000 will need to be paid upfront.

NZ dairy farmers compete for the migrant workforce with Australia and Canada and Stanford says at the end of the day farmers will need to fork out the money to secure workers.

Concerns Over Cost Shifting to Employers

"If you are a dairy farm worker, a herd manager for example [on a] five-year visa, that's an $11,000 upfront cost that a migrant will have to pay on top of their visa fee, on top of their health check screening, and all those other costs," Stanford says.

Stanford said migrants would probably not be able to pay this upfront cost, which would then fall to the employer.

"I see this new policy as an attack on the rural sector."

Farmers Warn of Worsening Labour Shortages

Federated Farmers dairy chair Karl Dean agrees.

"We think it's poor policy, with negligible benefits and a whole lot of downsides," Dean told Dairy News.

"It's an idea floated by one coalition partner that we hope is not adopted - at the very least, not applied to the agricultural sector."

Dean points our that the Federated Farmers Mid-Season Farm Confidence Survey in January this year showed that farmers' ability to recruit skilled and motivated staff worsened compared to six months earlier (with 23% finding it harder and only 3% easier, compared to findings in the June 2025 survey).

Dairy farmers experienced the sharpest deterioration on this issue.

Dean adds that the dairy sector continues to rely on a flow of migrant staffing and production and this policy just throws up more cost and hurdles.

What Does ACT Want to Introduce?

ACT plans to introduce a $6 per day infrastructure surcharge on temporary work visas, on top of existing charges.

ACT leader David Seymour says this ensures migrants contribute to New Zealand's infrastructure from day one, before they start paying tax.

"The fee is expected to raise around $80 million a year, while remaining more affordable than comparable visas in Australia and the United Kingdom," he says.

Industry Calls for Consultation

Dean says Federated Farmers hasn't reached out to ACT on the policy yet.

"We'll shortly be releasing our 'asks' of political parties as they work on their policies for the November election, and we'll no doubt be engaging with ACT and every other political group."