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S P E C I A L F E A T U R E
I
n this issue we feature the first of two reports from Joe Davis on his
experience in New Zealand. Here, Joe gives us an insight to farming
in Southland and the practice where he worked.
I have been a practising vet since 2001 and last year I was in the fortunate
position of receiving one of the XLVets New Zealand dairy scholarships.
My placement was at the VetSouth clinic in Gore, Southland.
XLVets New Zealand
Dairy Scholarship 2009/10
Joe Davis
XLVets New Zealand scholar
The only thing separating Southland from the
Antarctic is a barbed wire fence, according
to many New Zealanders, and when the
wind whips up it seems less than that. Gore
itself has a population of 9,000 and is
reliant on farming as its biggest industry.
Although sheep farming was the mainstay of
the region, recent years have seen a huge
dairy boom. As sheep numbers have halved
from their high in the 80s, dairy cattle
numbers have soared. There are over
500,000 dairy cattle in Southland, nearly
a threefold increase from 10 years ago.
The average herd size is a staggering
517 of mostly cross-bred cows.
The Farming System
95% of New Zealand milk is processed
by Fonterra, a farmer owned co-operative
formed from smaller processors in 2000. This
giant has been successful in building on the
already strong export of dairy commodities to
western countries and is now opening up
markets for its products in new areas such
as China and South-east Asia. Exported
products such as butter, cheese and milk
powder are all based on milk solids so
farmers are paid per kg of solids, rather than
per litre of milk as in the UK. The internal
market for liquid milk is relatively small so the
majority of milk production is seasonal to
make the most of peak grass growth periods.
Fonterra effectively stops collecting milk
around the 1st June, or 'Gypsy Day', when
many of the cows in Southland are dried off
and moved to the run-off for winter grazing,
returning as 'springers' ready for calving
starting on the 1st of August. If there is poor
grass growth and in the case of thin cows
drying off will take place earlier in the year
to maintain body condition without the need
for expensive supplementary feed.
Unlike the drier Canterbury plains further
north, grass grows almost all year round in
Southland without the use of costly irrigation
systems. In the 2008-2009 season the
average yield was 374 kg milk solids/cow,
the highest in New Zealand. Couple this
with the dairy boom in 2007 and it explains
the recent huge increase in cattle numbers.
The management and ownership of the farms
varies enormously. There are farms that have
been owned and run by the same family for
years and also recent conversions by sheep
farmers who have been lured by the higher
profits in dairy farming. Many dairy
conversions have also been funded by
companies with shareholders or syndicates of
farmers and non-farmers alike. Management
on the farms can be undertaken by contract
managers or sharemilkers in a form of equity
partnership. The different setups can test your
communication skills as a vet. There can be
several different interested parties involved
in the decision making process, each with
differing viewpoints and goals. On the plus
side it also means that there are a lot of new
units run by progressive farmers willing to
adopt new ideas.
The Practice
VetSouth is a rapidly expanding mixed
practice of 6 clinics covering Southland and
West Otago, formed by the amalgamation of
2 neighbouring practices employing 30 vets
in a total team of 75 staff. They have been
labelled a corporate practice, in contrast to
the traditional vet club practices still working
in the area. The main emphasis is cattle,
sheep and deer work with a growing
companion animal side. The busy time for
farmers is also the busy time for vets so there
can be several extra vets employed during
the calving season. The team of vets is truly
international, sometimes planning to stay only
a few months and remaining for years.
In the next issue of Livestock Matters;
Joe will talk us through his work in New
Zealand, including the disease issues
concerning farmers over there.
25
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
WORKING
TOGETHER
FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...
Crank Up machinery show at the Fonterra factory in Edendale