Listen: The year in dairy with Dr Tim Mackle

DairyNZ CEO Dr Tim Mackle caught up with The Country Early Edition's Andy Thompson for a look at what has been a busy year for the dairy industry.

Mycoplasma bovis has been a big issue for 2017 and will continue to be a "worrying thing" for farmers in 2018 says Dr Mackle but DairyNZ is determined to help combat the cattle disease by working with farmers and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

There have also been a number of highlights in 2017 says Dr Mackle such as the Sustainable Dairying Water Accord, the Dairy Action for Climate Change and the Dairy Tomorrow strategy. All these initiatives show the dairy industry taking positive steps toward protecting the environment.

Also in today's interview, Dr Mackle talks about what's next for DairyNZ in 2018.