Dairy Tomorrow initiative launched
THE dairy industry’s new vision, Dairy Tomorrow, ‘‘puts the focus where pretty much every dairy farmer already has it’’, Lyndon Strang says.
‘‘I think it’s great,’’ the North Otago Federated Farmers dairy chairman said.
The initiative was launched last week by DairyNZ, Federated Farmers, Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand, and Dairy Women’s Network. It has six commitments and 22 corresponding goals relating to farming within environmental limits while being profitable and successful internationally.
‘‘We want to begin straight away collaborating on strategies and actions towards achieving swimmable waterways, and finding new opportunities to reduce or offset our greenhouse gas emissions,’’ DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle said. ‘‘These actions will be ongoing priorities.
‘‘At the same time, we’ve put some deadlines in place for implementing new initiatives, including to develop cuttingedge science and technology solutions and to implement a new framework for worldleading onfarm animal care.’’
The dairy industry was proud of its achievements during the past decade, Dr Mackle said. It was now ready to address the challenges and opportunities it faced.
DairyNZ acting chairman Barry Harris said farmers had given a clear message that they wanted options and solutions to help them farm sustainably.
Mr Strang said most dairy farmers wanted to demonstrate their concern for the environment by farming responsibly.
‘‘We want to prove it, to show people we’re doing it.’’
He is a strong supporter of the Fonterra ‘‘Open Gates’’ day on December 10, when 40 dairy farms across the country are inviting the public to look around their land.
North Otago couple James and Bridget McNally are opening the gates at their Maheno property, Quambatook, which they farm in partnership with Mr McNally’s parents, Ray and Kathrin McNally.
The family said it was looking forward to talking to visitors about running a sustainable dairy business and showing them how much they care about their environment. They wanted to safeguard it for the sixth generation of the family, which was now living there.
Since the farm was converted to dairying 10 years ago, the McNallys have fenced off all springfed creeks and gullies. They have a low stocking rate, low fertiliser use and low inputs, which they said helps to reduce their environmental footprint.
Profitability is still high enough to support two families and four employees.
Mr Strang said the McNallys were a great example of dairy farmers who have nothing to hide and are proud of what they do.
‘‘Sure, we’ve got issues, but we’re working on those.
‘‘We want to put to bed a lot of the scaremongering. We care about the land.’’
The Dairy Tomorrow programme brought together much of the work that had been going on for a number of years, he said.
‘‘It’s packaging it up so we can all see it. There is good news out there.’’
The ‘‘vast overwhelming majority’’ of dairy farmers were operating responsibly, with just a tiny minority generating bad publicity, Mr Strang said.