The dairy industry has shown leadership by developing the Sustainable Dairying: Water Accord and the Strategy for Sustainable Dairy Farming.
The Water Accord involves a large number of industry players as well as NZ’s dairy companies. It’s a set of national good management practice benchmarks aimed at lifting environmental performance on dairy farms. In the Strategy for Sustainable Dairy Farming, dairy farming groups set out an agenda for sustainable development of the industry and addressing community and global expectations for continual improvement in onfarm environmental practices.
DairyNZ is supporting these initiatives through Sustainable Milk Plans. Support
is provided to local consultants who deliver one-on-one advice and create
farm-specific plans in consultation with farmers.
Farmers receive a comprehensive onfarm assessment which highlights environmental strengths, identifies areas of concern and sets a realistic plan of actions to improve their environmental management and reduce environmental risks.
A Sustainable Milk Plan covers:
- irrigation and water use
- effluent
- waterways and biodiversity
- land and soil, and
- storage infrastructure and waste.
Sustainable Milk Plans were first rolled out in 2012 in the Waituna catchment in Southland to identify practical onfarm actions that would reduce the effects of farming on the Waituna Lagoon. Since then, they have been developed in other areas. More than 1275 farmers have been able to assess their farms and improve environmental performance using the Sustainable Milk Plan process.
In the last three years, 650 farmers in the upper Waikato, from Huka Falls to Lake Karapiro dam, have made onfarm changes that will benefit the environment. This has brought tangible benefits. Analysis of changes has shown that mean reductions in farm nutrient losses following the successful implementation of Sustainable Milk Plan actions are estimated to be 5% for nitrogen and 12% for phosphorous.
The collective actions of farmers are demonstrating that catchment-wide improvements are possible.
Tokoroa farmer Tim Drysdale signed up for a Sustainable Milk Plan as part of the Upper Waikato Project in 2013.
“I’m a third-generation farmer, so being sustainable is not new to me. I learnt a lot from my dad and if you’re in dairy farming you are probably a sustainable thinking kind of person anyway.”
Tim says having a fresh pair of eyes looking at his farm made a difference.
“There were things that our consultant identified that, to be honest, hadn’t occurred to us were a problem. It really doesn’t hurt to have someone come in and look at things that you drive by every day.
“We farm in a high-rainfall area and while we don’t have streams or drains on the property we have some low-lying areas that are prone to ponding. We have fenced these areas off and planted natives,” Tim says.
DairyNZ’s Rick Pridmore, strategy and investment leader (sustainability), says the dairy industry is often accused of not being proactive or doing enough to fix environmental problems.
“Sustainable Milk Plans are a way of showing that farmers are doing their bit. We also hope that if required in future, these plans could be audited and used to help farmers meet their council obligations.“
Sustainable Milk Plans have been approved by Environment Canterbury as a farm environment plan that meets the regulatory requirements of its Land and Water Regional Plan.
Dunsandel farmers Graham and Adele Wells recently completed a Sustainable Milk Plan and say while a plan takes time to complete, having a written record is evidence of the improvements made and work planned.
“The vast majority of farmers care for the environment and do so every day. Doing a plan with a professional going over your farming practices with a fine-tooth comb makes a difference. It’s also good to be commended for a job well done. How often does that happen in a farmer’s day?” Adele says.
“We should never underestimate public perception – what people see as they drive by. Take a look at your farming practices through someone else’s eyes,” Graham suggests.
Building on the success of the Upper Waikato Project, additional funding from the Waikato River Authority is enabling DairyNZ to support 850 farms in the Waipa catchment with Sustainable Milk Plans. Projects are also due to start in the Waimakariri and Orari-Opihi-Pareora zones in Canterbury.
Once farmers can meet their commitments and demonstrate that they are achieving good management practices by fulfilling onfarm obligations and reporting onfarm change; the need for regulation is reduced, which will be good for them and for the environment, Pridmore says.
For more information on Sustainable Milk Plans visit dairynz.co.nz/environment.
