DairyNZ economist Angie Fisher said 50 attended the Gore seminar and up to 70 a similar function in Ashburton.
Farm survival was the ultimate goal, they were told, and to achieve that required open dialogue.
“With such low milk prices a whole-farm business plan should be put together by farm owners and sharemilkers, the aim being survival of the farm,” Fisher said.
Working together generated more ideas but the message was that cost-cutting alone was not the only solution as that impacted on productivity and the farm’s potential.
Agreements might need to be changed but Fisher said speakers advised that should not be the starting point of a plan, rather the focus should be on the farm and the people involved in the farm.
The goal was to give farmers access to tools and resources so they could have more control over their situation and she said feedback had been positive.
Four workshops were planned for the North Island in Palmerston North on March 14, Hawera March 15, Whangarei March 17 and Cambridge March 18.
Fisher said future workshops would focus on pasture management and utilisation and farm potential.
