Dairy farmer course expansion hailed

Scott Whyte
Scott Whyte
The expansion of a Southland-devised course which helps cash-strapped dairy farmers improve their on-farm processes and save money ‘‘could not have come at a better time'', Venture Southland business projects co-ordinator Scott Whyte says.

Farm Tune, previously known as DairyLift, gives farmers and their staff practical advice on how to improve farm processes such as milking and calving.

It grew out of another Venture Southland programme called Lean Manufacturing led by Auckland lean-business consultant Clinton Yeats.

Mr Yeats has described his approach as ‘‘basically common sense'', with the Farm Tune programme encouraging farmers and their staff to work together to analyse on-farm practices - eliminating practices which do not add value and strengthening those which do - plus physically decluttering and organising their workplaces.

The course, first held in 2013 as a trial, attracted support from DairyNZ last year and will this year be offered to farmers outside Southland for the first time.

About 30 farmers would participate in Canterbury, Waikato and Southland, Mr Whyte said.

In Southland, the programme had generated significant levels of interest and been over-subscribed by 400%, he said.

Participation was limited by a lack of people able to lead courses and there were places for only 11 farmers on a single course beginning next month.

However, Venture Southland was working with DairyNZ to ‘‘train the trainers'' this year, with the aim of enabling 110 farmers to participate next year - 30 each in Southland, Canterbury and Waikato, and 10 each in Taranaki and Otago.

‘‘The course is gaining momentum and it couldn't have come at a better time with lower dairy payouts,'' Mr Whyte said.

‘‘We've learnt from each iteration of the course and seen some pretty impressive savings being made ... We think this is going to have a big impact nationwide.''

 

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