Dairy NZ

Check your environmental performance

• It’s important for new staff to be trained on how your effluent system works, the processes you have in place on your farm and their role in the day to day management. Make this an important part of their induction
• Work through your regional compliance checklist to identify areas where you may be at risk for the coming season. Seek advice to remedy any aspects that need attention
• Check effluent system for any faults or damage and undertake any maintenance for the coming season e.g. service the irrigator, pumps and check for system faults
• Contact your fertiliser advisor to book in a time for soil and herbage tests, nutrient budget update and to discuss nutrient management planning
• If you have chosen to apply nitrification inhibitors, autumn applications are generally during the months of late April/May/early June for South Island and May/June for North Island, as per manufacturers recommendations
• Have a wet weather management plan, including feed and financial budgeting; supplement availability and price (is it on hand or purchased as required; a set of decision rules for implementing wet weather strategies; and infrastructure (will it cope?)
• Appropriate on-off grazing facilities you are using have to have an effluent collection and treatment system
• If you winter stock off farm, double check in May that things are sorted at your winter grazing location – fences, troughs, water supply etc.