The New Zealand Dairy Industry
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
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Approx. 11,691 dairy farms
Approx. 14% of the land in primary production
Over 4.6 M milking cows
Produce approx. 19,129 million litres of milk
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
New Zealand Dairying - ‘our place in the
world’
• Produce 4% of the world’s
milk
• Control nearly 40% of the
dairy products that are
traded internationally
• 95% of our production is
processed and exported
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
Calender of events:
• Most calving is in spring, to
coincide with the start of
pasture growth
• Calves are reared on
colostrum milk or sold as
‘bobby’ calves for slaughter
at 4 days
• Heifers reared for
replacements, bulls for
beef production
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
• Cows rotationally graze
paddocks (on pasture)
• Cows are walked to the
milking shed
• Cows return to paddocks
as soon as they are
milked
• Cows mated Oct/Nov by
‘AI’ and/or bull
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
Cowsheds:
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
• Grazing rotations are
determined by pasture
growth rates and range from
18-45 days
• A milking cow requires
approx. 17kg DM/day
• Lactations last approx. 250280 days
• Cows are ‘dried-off’ in late
autumn (end May)
• ‘Wintered’ off the area
milked on
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
Breeds of Cows (tested cows 2011-12)
Breed
%
Litres
MF %
MP %
MS
LW
Friesian
39%
4570
4.47
3.67
367
490
Jersey
14%
3269
5.71
4.10
323
400
Ayrshire
<1%
4057
4.45
3.64
326
FxJ
47%
4082
5.01
3.91
361
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
460
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
Strengths of New Zealand Dairy Industry:
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Integrated and co-ordinated structure
Ability to produce milk at a low cost
Low costs for feeding, housing, machinery
High output of MS per labour unit
Seasonal system
Long distance from other cow populations
Sharemilking options
‘Attitude’ of the industry
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university
Weaknesses of New Zealand Dairy
Industry:
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Dependent on the world market
Dependent on foreign exchange rates
Dependent on weather and pasture growth
Heavy workload for labour units at times of year
Inefficiencies in use of processing factories
Short lactations, low yields (kg MS/cow)
Extremely high price of dairy land
Distance from most markets and costs of freight
New Zealand’s specialist land-based university