Friday, March 29, 2024

New strategy sets ambitious agenda

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A new dairy industry strategy, Making Dairy Farming Work for Everyone, launched tonight at Parliament is aimed at enabling farmers to build economically sustainable businesses alongside a strong focus on environmental actions.
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One of the first actions from the strategy is a new dairy industry water accord with commitments and targets to enhance the performance of dairy farming as it affects freshwater.

The new strategy has been developed by industry body DairyNZ in partnership with the Dairy Companies Association, Federated Farmers dairy section and the Dairy Women’s Network.

It sets out 10 objectives including proactive environmental stewardship and wise use of natural resources, providing a world-class on-farm work environment and ensuring talented people are attracted to the industry. Research to develop innovative technologies and solutions is also a key objective.

DairyNZ chairman John Luxton said milk production has grown 47% in the last 10 years and reached 1.7 billion kilograms of milksolids (MS) in 2012.

Dairy farming now uses 21% of New Zealand’s grasslands.

“With over $13 billion in dairy exports in 2012 and a $5b contribution to national gross domestic product, our industry employs 45,000 people,” Luxton said.

“The Government has a Business Growth Agenda and we are right behind that in terms of working with them to continue to grow our export contribution to national prosperity. The work we are doing together through the Primary Growth Partnership is a big part of that.

“But the size and scale of our industry demands that we have a new plan for farming competitively and responsibly. And that is what this new strategy is all about.”

For more information and to download a copy of the Making Dairy Farming Work for Everyone strategy, its background supplement and the new Sustainable Dairying: Water Accord visit www.dairynz.co.nz.

Related story: Speech – Strategy for sustainable dairy farming and sustainable dairying: water accord

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