92 | nzdairy RURAL SERVICES » New Zealand Veterinary Association Dairy industry faces rapid and complex change Karen Phelps For more than a century the New Zealand Veterinary Association Te Pae Kirehe (NZVA) has supported the veterinary professionals who keep New Zealand’s dairy herds healthy and productive. Now in its 103rd year, the organisation is focused on adapting and expanding its role as the dairy industry faces rapid, complex and at times unpredictable change. “Shifting practices around animal health and antibiotic use, evolving government regulation, the rise of precision livestock technology and the increasing frequency of climate-related events are all reshaping what is expected of veterinary professionals,” says Cristin Dwyer, Head of Vet Services (Large Animals) at the NZVA. She says the NZVA is responding by deepening its investment in education, advocacy and workforce sustainability, ensuring dairy vets remain equipped to deliver when it counts. “We are always seeing changes in the sector so we are looking at working with other parts of the industry through those changes. Rather than navigating these shifts in isolation, the NZVA collaborates broadly with DairyNZ, the Ministry for Primary Industries, milk processors, researchers, and industry groups such as DCANZ, on the basis that change is far easier to manage when the whole sector moves together.” Technology is also transforming what good veterinary support looks like on-farm. The rise of agritech is generating new streams of data and opening up previously unexplored areas of animal health research. For dairy farmers already investing in these tools, the value depends heavily on having vets who can interpret the data and translate it into sound advice. “Ensuring vets can make that knowledge actionable is now one of the NZVA’s most pressing priorities. We need to have evidence to support recommendations so vets can go out and assist farmers with confidence and that’s where a lot of our upskilling is going at present.” Advocacy is another area where the NZVA’s evolving role is keenly felt, even if much of the work happens away from the farm gate. From submissions on animal welfare codes to the virtual fencing petition, the association works at government level to secure practical outcomes for the dairy sector. “Our vets help us prepare submissions so we can advocate for good, practical outcomes,” says The Dairy Cattle Veterinarians branch Nationwide Roadshow. Cristin. “A lot of that work goes unseen but it’s incredibly important.” When extreme weather events strike, the NZVA is involved in ensuring vets are part of national disaster operating teams to ensure animals and famers get the assistance they need. For example during Cyclone Gabrielle vets were placed on the ground to support farmers and animals in affected regions including dairy farms unable to collect or have milk collected. The NZVA also funded farm visits to provide subsidised support and contributed to drought relief programmes developed alongside MPI and Rural Support Councils. Keeping experienced vets in the profession over the long term is equally central to the NZVA’s thinking. “Through mentoring, collegial networks and wellbeing resources we take a holistic approach to workforce sustainability recognising that farmers’ access to reliable, skilled veterinary support depends on the profession being one people want to stay in. 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