Thai dairy reps eye NZ assistance

A proposal to further develop the Thailand dairy industry is being presented to a Thai delegation visiting Waikato Innovation Park today.

The group is visiting the park and AgResearch's Tokonui research farm – the culmination of four years of discussions.

The proposal has been co-ordinated by Michael Grayson, a partner of Grayson Law, based at Waikato Innovation Park, and includes input from Wintec for possible training opportunities and Leith Pemberton, who was involved in setting up Fonterra's first dairy farm in China.

Mr Grayson has liaised directly with various Thailand government agencies over the past four years to develop the proposal, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Department of Livestock Development and Thailand's state-owned milk processor, the Dairy Farming Promotion Organisation of Thailand.

Mr Grayson said studies had shown there is considerable room for improvement by adopting the pasture-based production and pasture management methodologies in Thailand.

He said the proposal covered three fronts: creating demonstrator farms in Thailand, training on-farm workers and managers, and commercialisation of research to improve profitability.

"There has been years of discussion and study around this," he said. "We're saying it's time to put something into practice."

- © Fairfax NZ News