THE New Zealand Government through the Dairy Industry Leadership Group (DILG) has designed a package that will address many of the major problems confronting local dairy farmers.
Fiji Cooperative Dairy Company Ltd (FCDCL) chairman Simon Cole said the Government was working closely with the dairy industry in the implementation of an agreed package which is a $10 million initiative by the NZ Government.
In a press statement yesterday, Mr Cole said the DILG was comprised of representatives from the New Zealand Government, Fiji Ministry of Agriculture, FCDCL, Fiji Dairy Ltd, Prime NZ Consultants and representatives from the BTec team (those tackling tuberculosis) and Bio Security.
“Government has already introduced a farmer’s compensation package for lost cattle to tuberculosis.”
He added that Government had determined that increased efficiency leading to the recovery of the industry could be achieved by implementing a package of interventions that include:
n Developing sufficient quality pasture (very little pasture land developed)
n Constructing proper fencing for consistent pasture rotation n The targeted use of concentrate feeds particularly in early lactation.
n Proper calf feeding including a milk replacer and a feed ration to ensure the viability of replacement stock.
n Assistance with water reticulation
“We need the farmers to invest in the industry, we need the farmers to benefit from the package improvement and we need them to see a profit.”
Mr Cole said with government’s continued support he believed this could become a reality.
