Conducting Research

As part of Fonterra’s Best Dairy Catchments project, work is being carried out with dairy farmers in nine catchment areas across the country to develop and implement improved on-farm environmental practices in an effort to lift water quality. This includes working with sheep and beef farmers in the catchments in the spirit of collective action.

In the Lake Rotorua catchment, nutrient budgets and financial analyses have been completed for all 26 farms, with 100% dairy farmer participation. Many of these farmers have already begun implementing best practices on their farms.

Since 1995, 26 farmers in the Toenepi Catchment have been working with scientists, regional councils and industry partners to increase productivity while improving water quality in the catchment. Despite an intensification of farming in the area over the last ten years, catchment water quality has dramatically improved.