New training for dairy staff

A new workshop for dairy farm staff on how to deal with effluent is described as a critical step towards helping make New Zealand dairy farming sustainable and more productive.

Katrina Knowles, pastoral business coordinator for the Agriculture Industry Training Organisation (Agriculture ITO) said the one-day workshop, developed by the Agriculture ITO and DairyNZ was a response to industry demand.

"There has been thorough consultation with representatives from regional councils, manufacturing companies and farmers in developing this new training programme," she said.

The new package comprises a checklist for farmers to go through on their farm, a one-day workshop for all dairy farm staff, and an on-farm follow up assessment.

Tutors from AsureQuality and QCONZ will deliver the training and carry out the assessments.

The impetus behind the new training is awareness: what to do with effluent, why, and what will happen as a result.

"If everyone understands and takes responsibility for their tasks on-farm, that contributes to better management of this valuable resource," Ms Knowles said.

The aim of the package is to reduce the risk of effluent contaminating waterways and underground water, improve knowledge of effluent management systems and increase staff awareness of sustainable farming practices and the impact farming is having on the environment.

There are more than four million dairy cows on 11,000-plus dairy farms in New Zealand.

Depending on their diet, cow effluent contains high levels of nitrogen and other minerals which, when diluted and sprayed on to pasture, acts as a fertiliser. In most regions, farms must get consent to spray effluent onto the land.

DairyNZ research on the nutrient values of effluent shows equivalent fertiliser value per cow of $30-$50 per year depending on farming system and current fertiliser costs making it a valuable input if it is well managed.

Johan Geerts, operations manager at Rakaia Island Dairies, which piloted some of the new training in February, said some farmers see effluent as a cost and a hassle.

"It's not. You have to deal with it anyway, so having a well managed system in place is to the benefit of your wallet and the environment. Training like this is what the dairy sector needs," he said.

Ms Knowles, a dairy farmer for more than 30 years, said it was in every farmer's interest to get this right.

"If everyone is protecting our clean, green image, then dairy farming will have a future."

- The Marlborough Express