These were held in Tsitsikamma in the Southern Cape, Bedford in the Eastern Cape, and Underberg and Nottingham Road in KwaZulu-Natal.
New Zealand is widely acknowledged as a world leader in pasture-based dairy farming.
Haylon Smith, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s Trade Commissioner in Africa, told Farmer’s Weekly that subjects discussed had included the reduction of production costs by maximising pasture-use efficiencies, the use of feed supplements where it made economic sense, how to develop a pasture-based dairy herd, and how to achieve optimal productivity from dairy farm employee.
The New Zealand experts also shared their perceptions of SA dairy farming.
“New Zealand has a strong reputation for sharing experiences and knowledge. Commercially we export over R10 billion of agritech products and services each year, primarily focused on the pasture-based agricultural sector,” Smith said.
He added that a number of New Zealand-headquartered dairy services companies were already well established in South Africa.
The information-sharing roadshow was facilitated by New Zealand’s Livestock Improvement Corporation, Genimex, and ACS Consulting.
Smith said that SA dairy farmers to whom he had spoken afterwards had found the sessions “insightful and useful”.
“Noting the difference between the New Zealand and South African [dairy farming] systems, they were able to appreciate how [New Zealand dairy] farmers, such as Colin Armer, have an absolute focus on bottom line profitability whilst critically reviewing revenue increases through increased production from supplements,” he said.
Chairperson of the Eastern Cape Milk Producers’ Organisation, Lourens Gildenhuys, said that the knowledge shared by the New Zealand dairy experts had benefited his province’s dairy farmers that produced milk off pastures.
“The main message was about simple, low-cost systems that can be multiplied over more than one farm. In light of the drought currently being experienced in the [Eastern Cape] coastal areas, as well as the pressure on farm gate milk prices and the growth of corporate farms in the Eastern Cape, the message was well received,” Gildenhuys said.
Smith said that the New Zealand dairy industry would like to see similar information-sharing visits being held in South Africa regularly in future.
He added that SA dairy farmers had also expressed interest in visiting New Zealand’s dairy industry to gather knowledge at first hand.
Gildenhuys reminded SA’s dairy farmers that the 2017 Large Herds Dairy Conference would be held from 5 to 7 June at KZN’s Champagne Sports Resort, and that a panel of international dairy experts would be giving presentations.
Visit www.largeherds.co.za for more information.
