David Silva-Villacorta

David has been with DairyNZ since 2014 and currently serves as a senior economist. He spent his first six years in the DairyBase team, where he developed a strong foundation in farm performance analysis. More recently, his work has focused on data analytics, farm systems modelling, and the statistical analysis of farm data. He identifies the key drivers of both farm physical and financial performance and generate insights for stakeholders across the dairy sector.

David’s path into science was set from a young age, "I've always liked research and science," he says. "I grew up in a dairy region and I was exposed to animal science from an early age, so I always knew what I wanted to do."

“I gain a lot of satisfaction out of data analysis - generating new information that can have practical applications, be used to guide decisions, and improve farm systems,” says David.

David has played an integral part in producing the annual DairyNZ Economic Survey and New Zealand Dairy Statistics publications. He has also contributed to other projects at DairyNZ, including those focused on labour productivity and efficiency, the Forage Value Index, and DairyBase data representativeness.

David began his academic career in Peru, gaining a Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences from the National University of Cajamarca, before making the move to New Zealand where he completed a Master and PhD in Animal Science at Massey University. His studies gave him an understanding of dairy production systems, animal breeding and genetics, farm systems modelling, milk payment systems, milk composition, bio-economic analysis, dairy production systems, animal health and data science processes. All of these skills are put to good use in his current role.