Technology

In this episode we explore the transformative power of AI in the dairy industry. Waikato sharemilker Matthew Zonderop discusses how AI is revolutionising his dairy farm, from optimising herd genetics to improving decision-making in farm management. He shares his journey from scepticism to embracing AI, and how his venture, Perfect Cow Breeding Solutions, helps other farmers do the same. PhD student Mamehgol Yousefidashliboroun from the University of Canterbury joins to talk about her research into AI-powered chatbots for dairy farmers. She explains how these tools help manage information overload and preserve valuable farm knowledge, offering tailored insights and streamlining decision-making for better efficiency.

Agriculture businesses and organisations are stepping up to help farmers save time with reporting responsibilities and to unlock the value of new devices and software tools. DairyNZ’s 2023 Workplace Productivity survey found New Zealand farmers spend approximately one hour every day on administrative tasks like paperwork and reporting.

Pasture management has always been a prime focus on the 930-cow, Mid-Canterbury dairy farm owned by the Blair family, but the Pasture Pro update to the Halter management system has sharpened that focus to the point they’re slashing bought-in feed and improving onfarm productivity.
Words Anne lee. Photos Michael Lahood.

Connecting farmers with workers has never been easier thanks to Canterbury dairy farmer turned app developer, Tony Dodunski and his online platform Ag Assist. Words Sheryl Haitana. Photos Blake and Selene Harvie.

The Dairy Exporter’s Sheryl Haitana and Anne Lee attended the 25th South Island Dairy Expo (SIDE) this week, to catch up on the latest dairy innovations. They chatted to the keynote speakers about resilience and wellbeing, rural bank lending, and the impact new proteins will have on dairy products, and how they can coexist alongside each other.

Two farmers and an agri-tech innovator share their pasture philosophy and learnings from top performing dairy farmers in how they focus on pasture utilisation that leads to better outcomes from people, profitability and the environment. 

Connecting farmers with workers has never been easier thanks to Canterbury dairy farmer turned app developer, Tony Dodunski and his online platform Ag Assist. Words by Sheryl Haitana.

Journalist Anne Hardie, along with Sheryl Haitana and Sarah Perriam-Lampp, talk with Reefton dairy farmer, Tom Oats, Lely Waikato sales manager, Tristan McLean and Rob McBeth of Peak Agricultural Consultants about how composting cow barns (‘mootels’) can make a real difference in high-rainfall climates.

Smart phone apps are now a useful, or even essential, tool with onfarm health and safety, Claire Ashton writes.

Data-driven technology is already commonplace on New Zealand farms, and more is predicted. Anne Lee reports.