About a year ago, Dairy NZ launched a new strategy to replace discussion groups with bigger events featuring farm system specialists instead.
DairyNZ chief executive Campbell Parker said 110 of those events had been delivered
However, during levy consultation in February this year, farmers gave a "loud and clear" message they valued discussion groups and the gatherings were missed.
Feedback showed as the bigger events were longer and sometimes further away, farmers were less likely to take staff than compared to a local discussion group.
DairyNZ had listened to the feedback and was expanding its extension activities by supporting local, farmer-led discussion groups and its new events so it was "the best of both worlds", Mr Parker said.
DairyNZ was calling for local farmers to convene discussion groups, so they were farmer-led, and the organisation would support the groups with facilitation, information and resources.
