NZ dairy production up

New Zealand's five million milking cows are producing 18 per cent more milk today than they were 10 years ago, according to latest dairy statistics.

On average, each cow produced 4,235 litres of milk last season – some 18 per cent more than the 3,574 litres produced in 2004/05.


Individual cow production is up across the country's dairy industry. Photo: File.

The figures have been revealed via the 2014/15 New Zealand Dairy Statistics, published annually by industry body DairyNZ and herd improvement co-operative LIC.

They also a cow's annual average production contained 377 kilograms of milksolids (8.9 per cent) over the period – which is what the country's dairy farmers are paid for – compared to 308 kilograms (8.6per cent) a decade ago.

Cows from North Canterbury are the highest producers. On average each produced 4,706 litres of milk, with 416 kilograms of milksolids.

'North Canterbury cows recorded the highest milk volumes as well as the highest milkfat, protein and milksolids per cow,” says DairyNZ senior economist Matthew Newman.

'Taranaki cows recorded the highest percentage of milkfat and West Coast cows gave the highest percentage of protein and milksolids.”

In 2014/15 there were just over five million cows producing milk across the country – up from 4.9 million in 2013/14. However, this season farmers have been reducing cow numbers because of the low milk price, says Matthew.

Dairy companies processed 21.3 billion litres of milk, containing 1.89 billion kilograms of milksolids. Total milksolids increased by 3.6 percent from the previous season.

'This was a record level of milk production and 56 percent higher on a milksolids basis than 10 years ago,” confirms Matthew.

October is when the spring calving dairy cow hits milking peak, producing a daily average of 1.98kg milksolids from 23.66 litres of milk in October 2014.

'It's also when pasture is at its most plentiful and highest quality on farm,” says LIC's genetics business manager Greg Hamill, 'providing a perfect synergy which helps make New Zealand's pasture-based farming system so efficient.

'That's our core competitive advantage here in New Zealand – a cost-efficient pasture-based farming system, using great cows that are fed well.

'That becomes even more important in seasons with a lower milk payout.

'Today's New Zealand dairy cow, and the new benchmarks set each year, is a result of good breeding and high levels of genetic gain over many years.

'Combine that with the care and skill of the country's 11,970 dairy farmers and their ongoing commitment to improving year on year, our cows are highly efficient converters of pasture into milk solids, and that is key to maximising a farm's profitability.”

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