A new focus farm programme for Southland's deer industry is being established to try to increase productivity through the transfer of new technology says The Southland Times. Led by a Deer Industry NZ Southland branch steering committee, the joint project will develop a three year focus farm programme with the theme "more calves, heavier and earlier". Deer Industry NZ has developed the programme with New Zealand Deer Farmers' Association, Landcorp Farming and Meat & Wool NZ. Steering committee chairman Craig North said the aim was to transfer new technology and knowledge to farmers. "There's been a lot of good research done in the past so it's to try and showcase what the top 10 per cent are doing and try to get some farmers to pick up some ideas and see if they can improve their productivity." Nine public field days would be held during the next three years across a variety of properties, including a commercial finishing property, a commercial breeding property with finishing options, and an elite breeding unit. "They're pretty valuable. Agresearch did a survey after an Otago one last year and they reckon, on average, a farmer who attended a field day went home and changed five things. While the focus would be on deer, the properties also feature the management and practical advantages and challenges of integrated livestock farming. The project aimed to attract any livestock farmer, not just from the deer industry, he said.
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