Beef + Lamb New Zealand's (B+LNZ) Economic Service says the signals are there that the sheep flock is stabilising following three consecutive years of dramatic decline.
Dairy farm profitability improved strongly in 2009/10 compared to 2008/09
Features -
New advocate for Northland dairy farmers
The old adage, ‘when you want something done ask a busy person' couldn't be more accurate when talking about Northland dairy farmer Neville Porteous.
The busy father of four, 50:50 sharemilker and 50% equity owner of two Northland dairy farms is also a voice for dairy farmer shareholders of Livestock Improvement (LIC).
Northland's Sharemilker of the Year 2003, says he is passionate about farming and sought membership of the LIC Shareholder Council to help guide and influence the direction of one of the largest co-operatives in New Zealand.
Neville Porteous has a long association with LIC dating back to his entry to dairying in the early 1990s - as a customer and an LIC AB (artificial breeding) technician for 10 years.
"I've got a lot out of that relationship and so want to put something back-in because I strongly believe that LIC, as a farmer owned business, has a major role in ensuring new systems, tools, technological advances, developments and improvements are useable, practical and farmer friendly, and will benefit New Zealand's dairy farmers.
"The Shareholder Council is a great concept because it's a group of 21 dairy farmers representing the customer experiences and concerns of other farmers in their region.
"Although I'm no longer an AB Technician, the reality of being a Tech means you develop friendships with pretty-much every dairy farmer in your district - and that's a connection I want to maintain as their shareholder representative.
"I want dairy farmers to know they can contact me on any issue relating to LIC - their customer experience, use of products and services, suggestions for improvement - whatever. If it concerns dairying, then it concerns us. My job is to represent their views at the Shareholder Council.
From primary school age Neville says his goal was to own his own dairy farm. He and wife Ainsley achieved their first equity partnership in 2007, a 50% shareholding in a Tomarata 550 cow dairy farm and in 2008 a second 50% equity partnership shareholding in a 400 cow dairy operation in Te Arai.
Along with their four children, the couple are currently living in Kaiwaka where they 50:50 sharemilk for Bill and Christine Bygrave. They have lower-order sharemilkers on their two farms who they meet with to plan and discuss management and practices at least once a month.
"It took 16 years of strategic planning and short term goal setting to achieve farm ownership."
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