DairyNZ scientist to reveal feed-trial stats for MPI

The financial results for the three herds of cows in the NARF Reducing Reliance on Imported Feed research project will be disclosed during the May 24 field day.

Renowned DairyNZ scientist Dr John Roche is leaving DairyNZ to become the science adviser for the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Over recent years Roche has regularly spoken at Northland dairy farming events. He will give his final presentation in his current role to Northland farmers at a field day at the Northland Agricultural Research Farm (NARF) near Dargaville on May 24.

Roche has been involved in the Northland Dairy Development Trust (NDDT) research project Reducing Reliance on Imported Feed which has just finished its third season. He has been a regular speaker at the NARF field days and is always well received.

Farming self-contained feed systems can be challenging when the climate goes against you.

Dr John Roche

Roche will be covering two topics at the NARF field day. The first will be "Priming the Herd for Production" which is about ensuring cows' transition into milk production after calving. The second topic will have Roche presenting analysis on the cost of extra production from feed supplements, being largely the results from the NDDT-run project.

The field day is called Farm Systems for Profit. The main focus for the day will be the Reducing Reliance on Imported Feed project which has been running at NARF over the last three seasons. This project has been comparing two farms that don't use PKE with a farm that does use PKE.

The first two seasons in this project showed the pasture only farm (no imported supplements or cropping) and the farm that imported PKE, had similar profitability, while the farm that used crops to cover feed deficits (turnips, maize and fodder beet) was less profitable than the other two farms.

"This third season has been quite different," says Chris Boom, NDDT science manager. "Very wet conditions during winter/spring 2017 really challenged the pasture only and cropping farms while the PKE farm sailed through without too much problem.

"Very soft soils that had been cropped the previous season are a struggle during a wet winter/spring like we had. The cropping farm had to cull some cows early to get through."
The financial results of the three farms will be presented at the field day.

Preliminary analysis shows the PKE farm has been the most profitable this season followed by the pasture only farm with the cropping farm quite a bit behind.

"Farming self-contained feed systems can be challenging when the climate goes against you," says Boom.

"The NARF trial work has been a real eye opener for many. When you average the last three years, the pasture only farm was not far behind the PKE farm in profit. There are a lot of hidden costs associated with increasing production through putting more feed into the system. This project has allowed us to put some numbers on these less tangible costs."

The Farm Systems for Profit field day starts at 10am on May 24 at NARF, 531 State Highway 12, just north of Dargaville. Presentations will be followed by a farm walk and light lunch. All welcome, no cost, no RSVP required.

For more information or to subscribe to fortnightly email updates, go to www.nddt.nz