new zealand’s specialist land-based university the new zealand dairy industry
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New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
The New Zealand Dairy Industry
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
• Approx. 11,691 dairy farms• Approx. 14% of the land in primary production• Over 4.6 M milking cows• Produce approx. 19,129 million litres of milk
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
New Zealand Dairying - ‘our place in the world’• Produce 4% of the world’s
milk• Control nearly 40% of the
dairy products that are traded internationally
• 95% of our production is processed and exported
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
Calender of events:• Most calving is in spring, to
coincide with the start of pasture growth
• Calves are reared on colostrum milk or sold as ‘bobby’ calves for slaughter at 4 days
• Heifers reared for replacements, bulls for beef production
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
• Cows rotationally graze paddocks (on pasture)
• Cows are walked to the milking shed
• Cows return to paddocks as soon as they are milked
• Cows mated Oct/Nov by ‘AI’ and/or bull
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
Cowsheds:
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
• Grazing rotations are determined by pasture growth rates and range from 18-45 days
• A milking cow requires approx. 17kg DM/day
• Lactations last approx. 250-280 days
• Cows are ‘dried-off’ in late autumn (end May)
• ‘Wintered’ off the area milked on
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
Breeds of Cows (tested cows 2011-12)
Breed % Litres MF % MP % MS LW
Friesian 39% 4570 4.47 3.67 367 490
Jersey 14% 3269 5.71 4.10 323 400
Ayrshire <1% 4057 4.45 3.64 326
F x J 47% 4082 5.01 3.91 361 460
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
Strengths of New Zealand Dairy Industry:• Integrated and co-ordinated structure • Ability to produce milk at a low cost• Low costs for feeding, housing, machinery• High output of MS per labour unit• Seasonal system• Long distance from other cow populations• Sharemilking options• ‘Attitude’ of the industry
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
Weaknesses of New Zealand Dairy Industry:• Dependent on the world market• Dependent on foreign exchange rates• Dependent on weather and pasture growth• Heavy workload for labour units at times of year• Inefficiencies in use of processing factories• Short lactations, low yields (kg MS/cow) • Extremely high price of dairy land• Distance from most markets and costs of freight