I feel there are potentially two stages in one’s life when a person can know it all. From the ages of about 16-20 then again when cynicism kicks in. When that cynicism kicks in is up to you. Some people, the wisest people I know, never stop learning.
The Dunning Kruger effect is a cognitive bias where people who are incompetent at something cannot recognise their own incompetence. And not only do they fail to recognise their incompetence they’re also likely to feel confident that they actually are competent.
Don’t you get frustrated when you read the comments section below a farming article and think if only they knew what I know? The least informed among us are among the most vocal. I urge you, no matter what you think you know, to get on the DairyNZ website and have a look around.
DairyNZ is so much more than discussion groups.
Look at the breakdown of where every dollar from your 3.6 cents/kg milksolids goes. I stole it off the DairyNZ website. I’ve got to hand it to them, they’re pretty transparent.
I think people forget DairyNZ isn’t just farm yarns and a barbecue. They aren’t telling you how to run your farm, that’s entirely up to you. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely think there’s room for improvement but the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about.
There are tangible areas where DairyNZ is making farmers money.
On environmental advocacy and policy it helped reduce compliance costs for farmers after influencing the Zero Carbon Bill by splitting out animal methane. The estimated return is 99 times the investment.
For genetic gain in dairy cattle the investment in Animal Evaluation has driven an estimated increase in genetic gain of $9.70/dairy cow/year. The estimated return is 22 times the investment. If there are 4.95 million milking cows in NZ that’s potentially a return of $48,015,000 a year.
The DairyNZ ryegrass forage value index is almost like a production worth for grass. It’s an independent evaluation of ryegrass cultivars helping farmers make informed decisions based on the seasonal drymatter yield, metabolisable energy and persistence. By choosing five-star cultivars, the highest rank, over four-star options it’s estimated farmers will gain an average of $173/ha in profit. The estimated return is 26 times the investment.
Investing in biosecurity benefits the dairy sector by reducing trade constraints and reputational damage, better farmer welfare and costs around culling and disposing of infected cattle. The estimated return is five times the levy investment in biosecurity in the last five years.
By investing in farmer welfare and health and safety resources NZ has seen an ongoing reduction in on-farm injuries and fatalities. Everyone deserves to get home at night. The estimated return is five times the investment in the last five years.
About 7% of all dairy media coverage comes from DairyNZ. It has a dedicated communications team working with journalists, providing clarity and correcting misinformation.
DairyNZ provides funding to the Dairy Industry Awards, Dairy Women’s Network, Dairy Environment Leaders, Ag Proud, Ballance Farm Environment Awards and Open Farms. There are probably more I’m missing but you get the picture.
There are way too many helpful publications and booklets produced that to list them would take all day.
The point I’m trying to get across, without sounding indoctrinated, is that without DairyNZ we could potentially lose our way as an industry.
If you want it to do things differently then please use your voice, the DairyNZ board has five farmer-elected and three independent directors. If you want to create radical change then do it that way. Stand for election or vote for candidates who share your values and whose views align with your own.
Another notable recent vote was Brexit when 64% of 18-24-year-olds voted for the British to remain part of the European Union. They will live with the outcome for an average of 69 years while the 58% of over 65-year-olds who voted to leave will live with the outcome of the decision for 16 years.
My point is your vote doesn’t just affect you, it will affect every following generation of dairy farmers.
Don’t pull the rug out from underneath those of us who are still learning. Whatever decision is made we will have to live with for a long time. I’m 31. I hope I get to live in the dairy industry for a few more years yet.
It is critical, especially during these uncertain times, we have a voice representing us at policy level.
I don’t have time to do this – especially not when I’m shoulder deep in a cow in the middle of spring,
Doing the science of why we do things on-farm, helping people achieve great things in the Dairy Industry Awards, supporting women via Dairy Women’s Network again are some of the ways DairyNZ delivers value to our industry,
Heck, if you think you’re the most profitable farmer in the country get on DairyBase and compare your figures to everyone else’s. Oh wait, DairyNZ fund that too.
If you think you know it all, that’s great. I certainly don’t.
I hope DairyNZ continues to prosper and provide support to NZ’s dairy industry for generations to come, which is why I’m voting yes to keep DairyNZ.
Who am I?
Sophia Clark is a Waikato 50:50 sharemilker and agronomist moving to Bay of Plenty next season to a larger 50:50 sharemilking job.
