A co-operative effort between Dairy Women’s Network and research foundation Breast Cancer Cure (BCC) is providing dairy farmers with the opportunity to donate some milksolids every month.
BCC general manager Phillipa Green said the concept for the fundraising effort came from members in the Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) who recognised the difficulty women in rural communities often had in getting treatment, and the prevalence of the disease within rural communities.
“The New Zealand statistics for breast cancer put its female population among the most at-risk in the world, with one in nine women being diagnosed, an increase from one in 10 only five years ago,” she said.
Green said that with no specific government-sourced funding for breast cancer, BCC represented NZ’s only source of significant disease specific research funding.
Since its establishment BCC has funded several significant research projects totally over $7 million in grants. This has included funding a chair in breast cancer research at Auckland University School of Medicine.
“We could see payment through milksolids donation represented an easy way to make a donation. No money changes hands from farmers and Fonterra has really helped agreeing to deduct the amount at the end of each month, meaning the project also gets a regular cashflow into it.”
One of the most exciting developments the BCC had helped fund was research that was close to developing a blood test for detecting breast cancer and type determination.
The milksolid donation is set at $5/kg milksolids, with a minimum of 5kg a month set as the base level.
DWN chairwoman Michelle Wilson said the impact of breast cancer on rural woman was particularly harsh. Distance from treatment bases and the fact many were self-employed compounded the difficulties.
“That is when communities rally around to help families. Most people you talk to will know someone in their community who has been affected by breast cancer.”
The first 1000 farmers to sign up will also receive a free pair of fashionista gumboots designed by Dame Trelise Cooper.
