Resources for Farm Consultants
Tools, insights, and resources to support your conversations.
Welcome, Farm Consultants
A central place for tools and information to support your expertise, and drive dairy farming success - on farm, every day.
Your go-to tools and resources
As a farm consultant in the dairy industry, your insights bring clarity and confidence to the table and support farmers in building resilient, productive farming businesses. To support your work, we offer apps and resources designed to help you analyse, plan, and support farmers.
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Feed wedges
The feed wedge helps interpret pasture growth, supporting timely, informed conversations with farmers about grazing strategy and system performance.
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Econ Tracker
Stay up to date with economic trends and forecasts that impact dairy farming.
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DairyBase
Benchmark farm performance and gain insights into financial and physical data to support strategic decision-making.
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Breakeven milk price calculator
Estimate the minimum milk price needed to cover costs and guide conversations around profitability and risk.
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Spring rotation planner
Create a tailored plan that supports optimal pasture utilisation and sets the farm up for a strong season ahead.
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Pasture Road Map
Work backwards from balance date, when pasture supply meets demand, to autumn to help farmers build a clear, season-wide management plan.
Explore hidden gems in DairyNZ’s toolkit
These resources are here to back your conversations with farmers and support confident, well-informed farm system decisions. Whether you're working through a system change, refining feed demand and supply, or navigating environmental requirements, these tools will continue to help you bring clarity and confidence to the table.
Building a successful farming business
Support farmers with practical resources that help them make confident business decisions for choosing the right business structure, managing finances, and planning for growth. Access practical tools below to support farmers in managing risk and building resilience:
Off-paddock infrastructure options
The must-have guides for assessing infrastructure upgrades, from feed pads to stand-off areas - with financial and environmental considerations in mind. Support farmers with the resources below; designed to aid confident decision-making:
Guide effluent decisions for peace of mind
Effluent system upgrades are a key opportunity to support farmers in making practical, future-focused decisions. These resources help guide conversations around storage options, compliance, and environmental outcomes. Whether it’s lined ponds or tanks, choosing the right system depends on farm goals, site conditions, and regulations. Use these tools to help farmers think through their options and plan for effective, sustainable effluent management:
Weigh up milking times for people, cows, and profit
Flexible milking offers farmers a practical way to improve work-life balance, reduce labour pressure, and maintain production. These resources provide clear, evidence-based guidance to help support farmers in choosing milking intervals that align with their farm goals, herd needs, and team capacity. Whether transitioning to 10-in-7 or exploring other flexible options, these tools help ensure decisions are well-informed, sustainable, and aligned with both performance and wellbeing:
Seasonal considerations and irrigation planning
Help farmers make informed irrigation decisions with practical, season-specific tools. Whether you're discussing summer water demand or winter soil conditions, these resources offer clear guidance on timing, efficiency, and risk management. From foundational irrigation principles to seasonal considerations and a soil moisture trace test calculator, this toolkit supports better planning and more resilient farm systems.
Stay current with a snapshot of the dairy sector
DairyNZ Economic Survey 2023-24
PDF
3.7 MB
The 2023-24 DairyNZ Economic Survey is the nineteenth annual survey of New Zealand dairy farmers using dairy farm business data from DairyBase®.
View from the Cowshed
PDF
Research
8.6 MB
DairyNZ has analysed survey results to share some farmers views on the outlook and challenges affecting them as they look to the future.
New Zealand Dairy Statistics 2023-24
PDF
4.7 MB
New Zealand Dairy Statistics 2023-24 is a report that shows historical information up to and including the 2023-24 season.
Podcasts
Unlock insights shaping farm finances with these podcasts
If you're looking for insights and perspectives to support your work with farmers, these podcast episodes are a valuable resource. We've curated a selection we think you'll find both relevant and thought-provoking for your role.
Looking for something else?
Explore the links below to return to the Rural Professional Hub, contact your local area manager, explore current research, or sign up for updates on upcoming events, resources, and insights to support your work with farmers.
