Westpac Northland Dairy Development Trust (NDDT)

The Westpac Northland Dairy Development Trust (NDDT) - a joint venture between the Northland Agricultural Research Farm and Fonterra, and supported by DairyNZ and key sponsor Westpac - has been developed to give strategic direction and governance for research funds that will be used to promote dairy farming in Northland.

Launched in March 2006, it offers the region's dairy farmers an opportunity to have practical research on issues specific to their needs and supports the industry's strategy to improve milk productivity and on-farm profitability.

The current Trust board members are: Richard Booth (Chairman and local farmer), Peter Flood (NARF representative and local farmer), Kerry Chestnut (NARF representative and local farmer), Andrew Randall, Kim Robinson (Fonterra representative), Terrance Brocx (Fonterra representative and local farmer) and Greg Gent (Fonterra director and local farmer).

The Northland Dairy Research Centre, located on Fonterra's 230 ha Jordan Valley dairy farm, includes a new 50-bale rotary shed with Protrack, a 100-person seminar room and on-site facilities that house the DairyNZ Regional Science manager, Kate Wynn, and the Northland DairyNZ consulting officers. This farm predominately runs animal trials (such as reproduction or supplementary feeding) and pasture plot trials as much of it receives factory waste water from the Kauri plant.

The long established Northland Agricultural Research Farm at Dargaville also operates under the NDDT umbrella and has a new 30 aside herringbone, milking 270 cows on 84 ha. This farm focuses mainly on farm systems work.