New Zealand (NZ) ambassador to Ireland, Trevor Mallard, spoke to Agriland at a recent farm open day showcasing New Zealand agri-tech solutions.

The open day showcased the latest NZ dairy farming technology, including Levno’s milk vat monitoring solutions, Waikato Milking System’s milking technology, MilkTechNZ’s automatic cup removers, and more.

On the day, Bullwise Genetics and LIC were showcasing the improvement in NZ dairy herd genetics, and how this knowledge can add value to your farming business.

The open day was held on the farm of Denis Cody who farms with his wife Carmel and his parents Eamon and Anne near Clonmore, Templemore, Co. Tipperary.

The farm consists of two milking platforms: a 90ha home platform with 300 Jersey cross Friesian cows and a 63ha leased unit, milking an additional 200 cows.

NZ and Ireland have recently joined forces in a number of different research projects and initiatives in an effort to improve farm sustainability, methane production and nitrates.

NZ ambassador

Mallard told Agriland that “there’s some big research projects around methane and nitrates and we’ve got the best researchers in the world on those subjects”.

“Both countries are now working together on projects which are jointly financed at a really high level, and research is happening at the University of Cork,” he added.

Mallard spoke about the importance of young people in agriculture and he encouraged young farmers to go out to NZ, as the seasons are different.

“Having a look at each other’s farms will be beneficial and our migration schemes work for that. Both of us have young people with migration schemes that that will facilitate farmers doing it then,” he said.

Speaking about NZ farms, Mallard added: “They’ve got more scale, they’re more likely to trial things and to prove technology. Whereas I think in Ireland, there’s a lot of good research, so the early work can be done there.”

Kiwi-cross cows ready for milking in New Zealand

Mallard added that: “We are both the best converters of pasture protein and traditionally, it used to be Irish farmers coming to NZ to learn in the dairy area, but now I think it’s happening both ways.

“I think at the moment, we’ve got 12 research projects that are part-funded by both governments and think it’s really important that we keep that going.”

Mallard spoke about a big NZ-owned company called AgriZero which is an investor in research for methane, nitrates and climate change.

“It’s looking for two things. It’s looking for people who want to come in as funders, as it’s a commercial operation – but it’s also looking at Irish technology with potential for development.

“AgriZero is looking here and the rest of Europe and really anywhere in the world, for the for the best technology for methane reduction,” he outlined.

Future of dairy

Speaking to Agriland about the future of dairy in NZ and Ireland, Mallard said: “I think we know that we have a world food problem, and in dairying, generally, it’s a very good way of producing protein which is an important food source.

“We’re both very big exporters of dairy, 90% for Ireland and 95% for NZ goes to places that need food, and so we want to keep doing that.”

“But to keep doing it, we need social license. We need people in our own countries to know that we are doing the best that we possibly can, to produce dairy in the most environmentally sustainable way”.

Mallard further emphasised that this is why the research is important and it is why the adoption of new methods and technologies is important.

Mallard highlighted that farmers are being more aware and proactive as “what’s happening in NZ is that both Fonterra and other individual farmers are saying to some of the laggards that you’ve got to keep moving”.

Mallard believes that farmers are cooperating as “they are reducing their fertilising use for the environmental partly and for economic reasons also”.

“People are also looking at multi specie swards and some are looking at cows guts and new breeding strategies” all in an effort to reduce methane and limit the damage that dairy does to the environment,” Mallard added.

The NZ ambassador to Ireland said that in order to see improvements “there is no silver bullets, no answers. It’s going to be a whole pile of factors that are going to make it work”.

NZ ambassador

Future of dairy

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