The demand for more knowledge and increased profits was shown by a huge turnout at the Central NI Sheep and Beef Council field day held at Massey University recently. 80 farmers were turned away such was the interest and concerns where the industry is heading.
Speakers encouraged farmers to get control of their industry, produce more at lower costs, and use the science that will help them.
The farms production and costs are things that the farmers can control, but they will need better industry structures to ensure that most of the extra product grown ends up in his pocket.
Against a backdrop of increasing pessimism about the future of sheep farming, the turnout reflected the farmers' quest for wallet-enriching production tips as well as their need to be reassured their levy money was being spent wisely. M&WNZ chairman Mike Peterson sought to dispel the gloom with a rousing opening address reports The Dom Post.
Lifting confidence by disseminating useful science was the aim of the regional sheep and beef councils, Central Districts council chairman Rob Kirk said. The idea was to lift the production of the industry's bottom 20 to 30 per cent of farmers.The scientists' topics ranged from the eye-glazing technical details of measuring production gains from water-soluble carbohydrate grasses to the more appealing subject of how to get the best out of hogget lambing.
The scientists' presentations were well received, but overhanging the day was the ongoing concern about the state of the industry. East Coast council chairman Garth Coleman's parting words echoed those of Mr Peterson hours earlier. The power to change was in farmers' hands, he said. In a coded message of support for the farmer co-operatives, he urged farmers to think "outside the gate" and join the companies that favoured merging to build a stronger industry.
"Think of the good of the industry as a whole, not your short-term gain. It will cost us in shares and it will cost us in income, because we will have to bypass the money the other companies will be offering to encourage us to stick with them."We have to vote with our feet. It's the only power we've got."
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