Irish dairy farmers are being invited to learn about the latest technologies emerging from New Zealand which are helping to make the industry more productive and profitable.
The event will take place at Denis and Carmel Cody’s farm at Ballysorrell, Clonmore, Templemore, Co. Tipperary, on Friday, September 27, starting at 10:30a.m.
Learn from the Latest New Zealand Technology
Dairy technology, such as Levno’s milk tank monitoring solutions, Waikato Milking System’s milking equipment, MilkTechNZ’s automatic cup removers and the Teatwand Walkover automated teat sprayer will be showcased at this event.
Other companies exhibiting at the event include genetics businesses Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) and CRV, livestock handling specialists Gallagher, and workwear clothing brand Kaiwaka.
The event is being hosted by Denis and Carmel Cody who milk 500 cows across two units, alongside parents Eamon and Anne.
Denis joined the farming business in 2010 and quickly started reseeding the farm and changing the herd from a Holstein base to a Jersey cross cow, with a core focus on grass growth and maximising the amount of milk production from a grass-based diet.
The farm, which last year averaged 520kg of milk solids per cow and grew approximately 14tof grass dry matter (DM)/ha, recently installed a Waikato Milking Systems 54-bale Orbit rotary platform.
Denis said: “New Zealand has one of the most successful dairy sectors in the world.
“The country has achieved this by having excellent dairy farmers, but also by developing top-class genetics and technologies that support farmers to make better decisions.
“I believe Irish farmers can learn a lot from what New Zealand is doing.”
Optimising fertility
One area where New Zealand continues to lead the world, is in optimising cow fertility, which can have a profound impact on herd productivity and profitability.
For over 100 years, New Zealand genetic companies have been driving cow fertility at a national level, and the country has made huge strides forward in that time.
This can be seen in the increase in the 6-week in-calf rate for the national herd from around 63% in the 2000’s to now averaging 68%. New Zealand’s top 10% are achieving 76%+.
General manager for LIC in Europe, Mark Ryder, said: “We have a huge amount of data that we can use to drive genetic gain to improve fertility and overall efficiency throughout the entire national herd. It is a huge driver of profit for New Zealand farmers.”
Milking efficiency is another area revolutionised by New Zealand agritech.
Waikato Milking Systems will showcase its products at the open day, including their high-performance rotary milking system, milking automation technology, and automated hygiene solution.
Effective tank monitoring
Levno is another New Zealand success story exhibiting at the open day.
Data from a study of over 1100 farms has recently revealed their milk tank monitoring solution can produce a 69% reduction in total bacteria counts, a 62% reduction in milk reaching critical scores, and a 72% drop in insurance claims.
Matt Lynch, Country Manager for the UK and Ireland, said: “The technology coming out of New Zealand has the ability to solve the same problems in Ireland as it has for Kiwi farmers.
“The ability to monitor milk in real time and resolve issues quickly means less degradation, less wastage and ultimately, a better return for farmers and their processors.”
“Solutions like Levno offer new ways to bring efficiencies to dairy businesses which will help drive the long-term sustainability of the industry.”
Denis Cody added the event was aimed at Irish dairy farmers who have an eye on the future.
“To compete in dairy, we need to become more efficient and more productive.
“Digital technology has a huge role to play in this. The open day is an opportunity for Irish farmers to get insights into how New Zealand has harnessed digital tech to lead the world in dairy production,” he continued.
Attend on the day to learn more about the latest New Zealand technology and genetics.
You can now read the most important #news on #eDairyNews #Whatsapp channels!!!
🇺🇸 eDairy News INGLÊS: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaKsjzGDTkJyIN6hcP1K
