Cow collar technology company Halter is midway through a roadshow helping dairy farmers survive economically volatile times, with pitstops in central South Island.
The eight-stop roadshow began in Manawatu last week and lands in Mid Canterbury’s Ealing on October 18, followed by Rangiora on October 19 and Oamaru on October 20.
A panel of industry experts includes high-performance coach Jason McKenzie, Crusaders performance mental skills coach John Quinn, dairy farmer Dave MacLeod, Figured strategic partnerships general manager Sarah Dobson and Halter chief executive Craig Piggott.
They will give insights into minimising costs, staying resilient and looking forward to the future.
Halter has grown to more than 180 staff and has been backed by investors, including Australasian venture capitalists Blackbird VC Fund, since being founded by Mr Piggott in 2017.
This is the company’s first nationwide roadshow, focusing this year on resilience as farmers navigate economic volatility, extreme weather and staff shortages.
"Technology has a key role to play in a resilient farming business, but I appreciate we are just one part of the equation and I’m looking forward to expanding the topic with the best people in our industry to provide tangible value for farmers," Mr Piggott said.
Speakers will address ways to manage farms through a low payout and make businesses less exposed to the risk of global dairy market volatility through more efficient production systems.
They will provide tips for farmers to boost their financial sharpness and look ahead to building a profitable future as well as exploring mental wellbeing and resilience to help them take care of themselves and their teams.
Mr Piggott said farming was a tough job, with isolation and financial pressures compounding the strain.
"We’ll discuss how we can better support each other, and in doing so improve the wider farming community."
