Roadshows clear bobby calf confusion
Ahigh farmer turnout at the first of several roadshows showed organisers just how much confusion remained around new bobby calf rules.
About 60 farmers gathered for the Taranaki Bobby Calf Action Group’s (TBCAG) regional roadshow at Tariki on Wednesday and an event in Tikorangi drew a crowd of about 40.
High farmer numbers in attendance were no surprise to Taranaki Federated Farmers dairy vice-chairwoman Janet Schultz.
‘‘We knew there was still huge confusion around the new rules,’’ Schultz said.
‘‘A lot is changing and because every farm is different, there is confusion around how each of the rules effects each of the farms.’’
From August 1, Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) regulations would require suitable shelter for calves before and during transportation, and at points of sale or slaughter, as well as the use of loading and unloading facilities for them during their transport for sale and slaughter.
For many farmers attending the Tariki roadshow, the positioning and design of loading and unloading facilities were sticking points.
Representatives from TBCAG member companies - MPI, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, DairyNZ and local procurement and trucking companies - fielded several questions relating to the height of holding pens and calf access ramps.
‘‘Transport and procurement companies can use a loading ramp but Taranaki companies would prefer not to,’’ Schultz said.
‘‘It can be difficult to get a calf to walk up a ramp and they don’t want people bending over all day, trying to move them along. If you’re shifting hundreds of animals every day, that’s going to be hard on your neck and back.’’
If a ramp was used, it needed to have a gradient of no more than 12 degrees and both MPI and TBCAG recommended farmers talk with their transport operator before finalising the design or location of their facilities to ensure they would be compliant and fit for purpose.
While it was the farmer’s responsibility to provide a facility allowing calves to walk on to a stock truck, there was no one-sizefits-all design and some farms may already have compliant facilities, Schultz said.
‘‘We’ve shown you what can be built but if you already have an existing facility that is compliant or can be adapted and made compliant, that’s fine,’’ she said.
Although there was some reluctance among farmers to change systems which had worked for many years, the changes would have benefits for farmers, their animals and the dairy industry as a whole, said Craig Sole, Federated Farmers territory manager for Taranaki, Wanganui and Ruapehu.
Most farmers treated their animals with care but the few who drew negative publicity had damaged the public’s perception of the industry, he said.
‘‘We know those farmers are a tiny minority but the public don’t see how the rest of us treat our animals,’’ he said.
‘‘You’re out here trying to protect your brand and your image.
‘‘It’s not in farmers’ nature to mistreat animals and by meeting the regulations, you’re showing the public that.’’