| 103 nzdairy Retell Dairy Farm. Dairy Holdings has approximately $1 billion in total assets, 380 people, 55,000 milking cows and 14,000 dairy heifer replacements across 80 farms. ON FARM » Dairy Holdings Simple strategy future proofs business Sue Russell • to page 104 Reinke Irrigation System Parts or Service Remote Management 03 308 6022 30 JB Cullen Drive Ashburton Business Estate RIÀFH#UD\PD\QH FR Q] ZZZ UD\PD\QH FR Q] NZ Importer/Distributor Ray Mayne Hose & Fittings Ltd and CropX take great pride in our support for Dairy Holdings Limited, New Zealand’s largest dairy farming company. It is an honour to be associated with a company that is committed to producing quality dairy products while maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare and environmental sustainability. Likewise our businesses are committed to supplying quality technology to support sustainable farming into the future. New Zealand Certified Builders Association CB Construction LTD Pleased to be associated with Dairy Holdings Ltd. - New Builds - Additions - Alterations - Farm Buildings New Zealand’s largest dairy farming company, Dairy Holdings Ltd is the realisation of the vision of the founding shareholders. Colin and Dale Armer have grown their shareholding over the years and remain major investors to this day. They aspired to see simple, pasture-focussed dairy farming practised across a significant network of farms scattered around the South Island. Established in 2001, now 22 years later Dairy Holdings has approximately $1 billion in total assets, 380 people, 55,000 milking cows, 14,000 dairy heifer replacements across 80 farms. CEO, Colin Glass, says Dairy Holdings simple, no-fuss approach to putting rightful emphasis on pasture and tuning farm management systems around its availability has delivered incremental gains year on year. “Our shareholders have always taken a long term view. They behave similarly to mana whenua, seeing farming businesses and communities as a journey. We believe that a successful farming system should deliver consistently positive outcomes for our people, the environment and animal welfare.” The business has always had a very planned approach. Farm numbers have increased, usually when the industry has encountered challenges. “Enabling our farm operators to steadily grow their own cow numbers has been key to providing them with opportunities to build wealth and progress. So far 45 of our operators have progressed through to farm ownership and that’s something we’re very proud of.” And because the farms all operate within the same environmental framework, Dairy Holdings Ltd, has been in a positive position to respond to changes within the dairy sector, including central Government placing emphasis on reducing carbon emissions and nutrient levels, and improving water quality. New Zealand has a set target to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels, by 2030. For Colin, his Board and all working within the organisation, this responsibility is being taken very seriously. “Our initial approach is to focus simply on pasture and the fertility of our dairy herd. We have invested in irrigation to harvest more pasture. We don’t provide significant additional purchased feed to our herds. The average New Zealand dairy farmer purchases about 1.2 tonne of feed/cow/annum. Across our farms we’re buying in 22 to 35kg of feed/cow/annum.” Better irrigation, backed up with some seriously smart pasture moisture reading technologies and a focus on soil nutrients, has meant its been possible for Dairy Holdings to reduce the quantity of synthetic fertiliser applied. It is through measured small year on year achievements that the greatest gains occur, while maintaining the profitability of each farm to support those working on it, and to create the funds to invest back into on-farm technologies. Dairy Holdings sustainability framework has four core pillars – biodiversity, GHG emissions, soil fertility and water use. Pasture harvested is increasing year on year as the goal of harvesting 14 tonne of dry matter per hectare comes within reach across all its Canterbury and Southland properties. “Where we have pockets of ineffective land on our farms, these are being targetted for riparian, sequestration or bio-diversity planting.” Through a concerted commitment to reduce nitrogen per hectare, Dairy Holdings Ltd has attained a nitrogen level of 176 kg of nitrogen applied per hectare in the 2022 season. By focussing on production matching pasture growth and concentrating on ensuring optimum soil fertility and moisture levels, Dairy Holdings Ltd, has found a balanced, simple, consistent approach that delivers outcomes. Methane per hectare and GHG emissions are measured using Overseer modelling with Ravensdown and the AIM model with Fonterra. Benchmarking these two models has highlighted that the AIM model understates the emissions from purchased feed and overstates emissions where the Group’s dairy farms cull early in the autumn. However, this is a journey and these subtle differences will need to be addressed in the future. “This is something we continue to strive to improve says Colin. Farm Environment Plans underpin achievement of goals. These are audited and 58 of the 60 farms that have completed audits have now achieved A Grade standard. “We think this is a really positive story for farmers in New Zealand. What we have achieved is similar to the progress being made across the wider dairy industry, but not many people are aware of these gains.” Blair Robertson, Dairy Holding’s Chief Operations Officer is of similar opinion. “Our farming system is built on science from Ruakura from the 1970’s and 1980’s about matching pasture to calving date. The pasture curve is the foundation of our practices and has been for a very long time,” Blair explains. No additional feed is brought in to extend lactation and because there are lower inputs, Dairy Holdings farms create lower emissions. “The nitrogen loss below the plant root zone on our farms is lower because we are not bringing in feed and that puts us in a very good position going forward. We decided to bring nitrogen fertiliser down 25kg/year.
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