Bay of Plenty dairy farmers have signed up in droves and put their cows feed requirements under the spotlight, in a new one-on-one initiative launched by Dairy NZ.
Figures show 73 people had registered with 35 visits complete, with others able to sign up until the end of the month.
Economic modelling shows if farmers can decrease their potential loss by up to $1/kg milk solids they could recover from the low milk price three to four years faster.
Dairy NZ research and development general manager David McCall said it was working on helping farmers to achieve that.
If expenditure was reduced and pasture eaten, increased by one tonne of dry matter per hectare by Christmas it was do-able, he said.
Productivity team leader Rob Brazendale said spring feed management was critical to the success of the whole season.
"Pasture management offers the opportunity to improve returns by increasing income without increasing costs, which is why we are investing so much time into this."
Western Bay of Plenty consulting officer Wilma Foster said all the farmers it had contact with were positive about the initiative and it was "timely and appropriate for the season we are in".
It was a good way to help them focus on the things they could influence.
"For many, it's about returning to the core fundamentals of New Zealand farming, growing and harvesting pasture."
For farmers who had opted to reduce the amount of supplements they would purchase this season, it gave them an opportunity to discuss the implications while many still had feed contracts, she said.
"For many, it's been about deciding to 'stick to the plan' discussed, we have had some farmers who have changed the area fed to cows, others have changed the amount of supplement they are using.
"Farmers have been able to forecast forwards and have applied nitrogen to alleviate a feed pinch in September.
"Most of the farmers we have talked to have changed something as a result of the visit, for some it's been really small to others with significant systems changes."
Farmers were disappointed in the payout, but most were confident the industry would recover but realise that it could take two to three years to work through, Ms Foster said.
In 2013/14, the average coastal Bay of Plenty farmer spent about $1000/ha or $300 per cow on feed, excluding winter grazing and heifer grazing.
It expected that spend to drop this season, she said.
DairyNZ estimated the average farm would lose $150,000 to $200,000 at the current forecast milk price for 2015/16.