DairyNZ encourages farmers to vote as Milksolids Levy decision looms

Campbell Parker, DairyNZ's chief executive, encourages farmers to take part in the Milksolids levy vote.

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DairyNZ’s chief executive Campbell Parker is encouraging farmers to vote in the industry-good-organisation’s Milksolids Levy vote this month, a decision that will determine the future of research, tools and advocacy.

“It happens once every six years,” Parker explained to The Country’s Jamie Mackay.

“It’s a really important milestone for DairyNZ and for farmers to have that vote.”

The levy supports research, science, advocacy and on-farm tools — work Parker described as core to helping farmers keep improving in a fast‑changing operating environment.

Mackay offered Parker the chance to pitch to farmers, asking, “Why should they vote yes?”

Parker said farmer‑funded research had long underpinned progress in the sector.

“Farmers have proudly invested in their own research and development for the sector right back to the formation of the Dairy Board back in the 1920s.”

That science, he said, also strengthened DairyNZ’s advocacy efforts, giving independent evidence to take to government, as well as developing tools to help farmers “get better every season”.

“My personal view is the levy’s really important and the team’s working hard to make sure they deliver value for that levy every day.

The Government’s RMA reforms were a good example of where DairyNZ could advocate strongly on behalf of farmers.

Parker said the organisation had been deeply engaged in the legislation since its release in December, and that the submission process closed on Friday.

“[We’ve] worked through, over that whole summer period.”

He said DairyNZ had worked closely with Federated Farmers and Beef + Lamb NZ to call out “the devil in the detail of some of the wording” of the reforms.

“The things that won’t work for farmers and [we’ve] been really clear about that, but also saying what the potential solutions are.”

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While supportive of the overall direction, Parker said DairyNZ was pushing for workable outcomes.

“We’ve got to make sure that it’s practical and implementable for farmers,” he said.

“That is where our team has worked really closely, not only on the submission process, but then there’ll be work with both ministers and the select committee process.”

More about DairyNZ’s Milksolids Levy vote

DairyNZ’s Milksolids Levy vote opens Monday, February 16, and runs until 5pm, Friday, March 13.

Collected under the terms of the Commodity Levies (Milksolids) Order 2020, the levy is capped at a maximum of 5c/kgMS.

Under the proposed Commodity Levies (Milksolids) Order 2026, the maximum rate will remain capped at 5c/kgMS for the term of the new levy order.

Find out more here.