Today, June 1, is gypsy day for dairy farmers. This is an important day when farms and cows are bought and sold. It's also the day when farm workers, farm managers, share-milkers and cows move to new farms.

Motorists driving around the rural areas of the Western Bay of Plenty today are being warned to expect cows on the road.

Share-milkers take their cows with them. If it's a short distance, they walk the cows along the roads or if it's a long distance, they use trucks to take the animals.

'As the new season starts, thousands of share-milkers and dairy farmers load cows into stock trucks or walk them along roads, and move farm equipment and whole households to new farms,” says Police.

'If you're driving be prepared to exercise a little more patience on the road and be especially aware of fog that might make it hard to see a herd of cows ahead.”

The families move too, so suddenly schools find children have disappeared and the next day new children have arrived. This can be disruptive for rural communities and schools.

Share-milkers are farmers who own the cows but not the land. They feed the cows in the winter, plant crops such as turnips and canola on the land, make hay for winter feed and milk the cows. The land, however, belongs to another farmer.

There are different business arrangements but often the agreement is a 50 – 50 split in profits. The share-milker takes 50 per cent of the profits and the land owner take the other 50 per cent.

This is a very common arrangement in New Zealand. Many share-milkers are young people who want to buy their own farms and this is one way to earn enough money to buy land. It is good for the land owner also, especially a retired farmer. It is hard work milking cows twice a day, every day; milking starts very early in the morning. The share-milker does the hard work and the retired farmer can earn a living from the land.

'Those of you who are moving, be aware that there are those out there who prey on easy opportunities to make a quick buck and steal something,” says Police.

Biosecurity staff in the region are warning local land owners to check their machinery is clean and stock are empty before letting them through their gates.

Famers are also being urged to tidy up as much effluent from the road as possible, as stock moves from one farm to another.

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