Farmers win from action group funding
Farmers are being encouraged to get in quick as funding for the Red Meat Profit Partnership (RMPP) action groups runs out in 2020.
Farm businesses joining an action group were entitled to $4000 in seed funding to spend on experts to help better farm performance and productivity.
These groups were bringing farmers together to work out how best to make their businesses perform better, said RMPP chairman Malcolm Bailey. ‘‘More than 700 farm businesses around the country have joined so far, and the trend is on the rise.’’
RMPP is a seven-year primary growth partnership programme that was working to help the red meat sector grow productivity and profitability.
The programme was funded by 10 partners from the government and private sectors (Ministry for Primary Industries, ANZ, Alliance, ANZCO, Beef and Lamb New Zealand, Blue Sky Meats, Greenlea Premier Meats, Progressive Meats, Rabobank and Silver Fern Farms).
Each action group consisted of a small group of seven to nine farming businesses. Farmers worked together to identify ways to improve the performance of their farm businesses.
David and Sarah Smith farm 1400-hectare Mt Watkins in East Otago. They had three focuses when entering the programme, David Smith said. These were their ewe breeding flock, bull finishing and soil fertility.
‘‘We joined an RMPP pilot group and were advised to do a full farm fertility test. Fertility was better than we thought, and this season we have saved $50,000 on fertiliser.
‘‘Through this programme and doing the full soil testing we have been able to figure out our yield and what we can produce on the whole property.’’
Getting the right people behind you and trusting them is a big driver, said Sarah Smith. ‘‘Being involved in the group has really been a key opportunity in bringing about change on our farm.’’