The forum, to be held at Mystery Creek in Waikato on May 7-8, will also be addressed by the Minister of Science and Innovation and Economic Development Steven Joyce.
The event is held every two years and falls in the month the country’s dairy farmers are being asked to vote on the dairy industry levy, sought by DairyNZ every six years.
The levy being sought is unchanged at 3.6c a kilogram of milksolids.
The levy supports the work of DairyNZ, the industry organisation that represents all dairy farmers and invests in onfarm tools, science, resources, support, and advocacy.
The forum is one of the avenues by which farmers can vote on the levy. Admission to the forum is free for levy payers.
The current levy, struck under the Commodity Levies Act, expires in February next year.
The levy supports the work of DairyNZ, the industry organisation that represents all dairy farmers and invests in onfarm tools, science, resources, support, and advocacy.
The total forecast levy collected for 2013-2014 is $61 million.
For every $100 of levy collected, $28 is invested in research and development to boost farm profit and productivity, $20 goes towards disease control – mostly tuberculosis, $14 is spent on industry advocacy and industry promotion, $12 for consulting officers and demonstration farms, $10 to training, education and leadership programmes, $5 to farm business management training, $4 for industry databases, indexes and publications, $3 each to administration costs and environmental quality work, and $1 to industry sponsorships such as the Dairy Women’s Network and the annual industry awards.
In the lead-up to the major forum in May, DairyNZ is holding 40 levy forums around the country in April.
The events will discuss new DairyNZ research and regional projects and will aim to help farmers make an informed decision on the levy vote.
DairyNZ said it would also be looking for a steer from farmers at the local meetings on what they see as future priorities for the organisation in the regions and how to help farmers prepare for regional policy changes.
