Challenges that unlock farming potential

The challenge to unlock their farming potential saw more than 300 Taranaki farmers and rural professionals gather at the Inglewood Rugby Club on Wednesday 1 April. They weren't disappointed. The event, organised by LIC, featured key industry leaders like Bill Montgomerie, Animal Evaluation Manager and Professor Colin Holmes, along with Inglewood veterinarian, Jonathan Spencer and DairyNz Consulting officer Jo Deutz-Ebeling. Bill Montgomerie said that a decade's worth of genetic improvement in NZ herds is worth $0.5 billion a year at the end of that decade because the cows we breed get better year on year and on average cows in 2018 will produce significantly more than the cows of today. "On average cows in 2018 will produce 24 kg more protein per lactation, 26kg more milkfat per lactation and be 15kg liveweight bigger than the cows of today." He said to cater for tomorrows' cows some management practises however would have to change slightly. One consideration was to reduce stocking rates as feed/energy demands increased. "In 2018 with unchanged management, small stocking rate reductions and feed to fuel the improved cow of the future, farmers can expect to see a 15% increases in milksolid production." Mr Montgomerie says the energy demands for these higher performing cows of the future will be greater by about 8.6% than today's cows. "In 2018 we can expect to see cows on average produce 375kg of milksolids annually requiring 48,260 MJME (megajules metabolisable energy) compared to today's cows which produce on average 325kg milksolids which requires 44,420 MJME to produce that output." Mr Montgomerie said dairy farmers of the future will have to consider reducing stocking rates and increasing feed supply to fuel the increased ability and bigger appetites of the improved future cows.