DairyPush

The DairyPush programme, which is funded by DairyNZ, Fonterra and the South Waikato

Economic Trust, was launched in 2007 by the South Waikato Council to increase dairy farmers profitability with a significant financial flow-on to the South Waikato community.

DairyPush aims to have all participating farmers gain more farming and business skills as well as achieving a more profitable business.

The project will work alongside farm consultants and rural professionals to build three year business plans with participants.

There will also be a South Waikato focus farm, which will be used to demonstrate how profitability can be increased through the on-farm implementation of a good business plan supported with thorough analysis.

DairyNZ Consulting Officer Murray Holt discusses the DairyPush programme with Tokoroa farmer Greg Stead.

DairyNZ Consulting Officer for the South Waikato and DairyPush management team member Murray Holt is excited about the growth of the pilot programme so far. “When the programme started we were looking for 40 farmers to join the programme. We now have over 60 farmers participating”.

Each farmer receives three visits a year from their consultant, access to two field days a year, as well as the chance to benchmark themselves against other DairyPush participants at discussion groups or through Dairy Base.

There is no financial cost to join the programme, just the farmer’s time, commitment and enthusiasm. The free consultant time is estimated to be worth over $3,000 per annum.

Tokoroa farmer and DairyPush participant Greg Stead signed up to the programme after hearing about the programme through the South Waikato Economic Trust.

“The big advantage of DairyPush is that we are not on our own, we have really good collective information to make informed decisions. We are not looking at facts and figures in isolation anymore” says Stead.