The third revision of the strategy was released in November in collaboration with DairyNZ, Federated Farmers, the Dairy Companies Association and Dairy Women’s Network.
Fonterra chairman John Wilson, Tatua chairman Stephen Allen, Open Country chief executive Steve Koekemoer and Miraka chief executive Richard Wyeth all spoke about the strategy and their companies’ approach to it.
Dairy farmers have great stories and they need to tell them by communicating more effectively, Wyeth said.
“Take change by the hand before it grabs you by the throat,” he said.
Wilson said the strategy will help focus Fonterra’s board and management.
The six commitments in the strategy will stretch the industry but it will respond and continue to meet community expectations.
Consumers are starting to pay premiums for dairy products from Fonterra as a trusted source.
Under its Tiaki programme Fonterra is helping write tailored farm environment plans for every supply farm along with delivering solutions on the Agrigate platform and through DairyNZ.
Allen said Tatua’s customers want to look beyond the company down to the farm level.
“So what is happening onfarm is an opportunity to create value and mitigate risk, not just a compliance load.”
Block-chain technology will provide a digital history of the products giving their origin, attributes and authenticity.
Tatua is committed to innovation, value before volume, premium food production rather than industrial farming, environmental protection and restoration and being constructive, proactive and collaborative.
Koekemoer said Open Country is firmly behind the strategy with its 1.8 billion litres of milk supply from nearly 1000 farms next season.
It is keen to add value to milk, in the way that a group of organic farmers supply its Southland plant.
The industry needs to be connected behind its environmental and sustainability stories, he said.
