Podcasts

This special episode of Dairy Country, powered by MSD Animal Health, dives into how SenseHub Dairy is reshaping modern herd management through real-time insights and connected on-farm technology.

Taranaki farmer Ed Whiting shares how adopting SenseHub Dairy has transformed the way he and his family run their system, lifting animal health, streamlining decision-making, and giving them greater confidence through timely, accurate data. Alongside Ed, West Coast sharemilker Terry Swney explains how the technology supports heat detection and herd performance in a challenging climate, while South Island team leader Laura Christensen offers a behind-the-scenes look at the tools farmers are using to monitor rumination, young stock, and milk-quality trends.

The future of dairy is data-driven, with New Zealand farmers exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools can transform efficiency, animal welfare and sustainability.

In this episode, Anne Lee speaks with Cameron Henderson, DairyNZ deputy chair and North Canterbury dairy farmer, Peter Morgan, Waikato dairy farmer, Dr Joao Dorea, Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA, and Dr Claudia Kamphuis from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. They share insights from the Precision Dairy Farming Conference in Christchurch, discussing the role sensors, computer vision, drones and AI are having on farm decision-making, the rise of ‘digital twins’, and the importance of co-design, collaboration and local skills to turn research into practical solutions for New Zealand’s pastoral system.

The race to a net zero dairy farm is on, with Taranaki’s Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm trialling ways to lower emissions while maintaining profitability.

In this episode, Anne Lee speaks with Dr Talia Grala from Fonterra’s On-Farm Excellence team about the progress at the Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm in Taranaki. The 250ha farm is a partnership with Nestlé and is run in conjunction with Dairy Trust Taranaki. The aim is to achieve a commercially viable net-zero system by 2032.

The South Island dairy land market is heating up, with a record $87,000/ha paid at auction for a Canterbury dairy farm in November.

In this episode, Anne Lee speaks with Paul Mills, director and valuer with Property Advisory, about the momentum in South Island dairy land sales and the shifts shaping this season’s market. He reflects on the lift in Canterbury’s top-tier values, standout sales including the Kyle Park auction, trends across other regions and changes in lending appetite from banks. Paul talks about farmer confidence in Fonterra’s strategy, implications of land prices on succession and farmer expectations for returns on investment.

North Canterbury dairy farmer Stuart Neill, winner of the 2025 Canterbury Supreme Award at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, reflects on the long-term changes that have shaped his business. Farming 200 hectares near Culverden, he has built a resilient, pasture-focused system anchored in simplicity, environmental stewardship, and strong people management.

In this episode, Anne Lee speaks with Stuart about the journey behind the award, the evolution of irrigation on the farm, and the environmental gains from redesigning old tile drains and restoring waterways. They also discuss flexible milking, building a system that works for both cows and staff, and his message to other farmers: meaningful change happens when you’re willing to step back, rethink, and keep improving.

Taranaki dairy farm manager Martin Keegan, winner of the 2025 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards Farm Manager of the Year, shares how entering the competition became a turning point in his career. Farming alongside his fiancée’s family and managing 246 cows on 94 hectares, he’s built a system focused on stock health, efficiency, and people.

In this episode, Anne Lee speaks with Martin about awards night, his three national merit awards for leadership, financial planning, and livestock management, and the lessons that followed. They also discuss communication, workplace culture, and his message to other farmers considering entering: “You’ve got everything to gain and nothing to lose.”

Global supply shifts and changing demand are shaping the outlook for New Zealand dairy prices, according to NZX Dairy Insights Head, Cristina Alvarado. Fresh from the SGX-NZX Global Dairy Seminar in Singapore and International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit in Santiago, Chile, she shares what global trends could mean for milk prices in the months ahead.

In this episode, Anne Lee speaks with Cristina about the latest Global Dairy Trade (GDT) results, softening dairy fats prices, seasonal supply impacts, and growing international interest in New Zealand dairy trade. They also discuss sustainability trends and the global supply chain factors influencing international milk prices.

Global market insights and on-the-ground observations are shaping the perspective of dairy analyst Stu Davison. He recently returned from China and shares what he saw in the evolving bakery and dairy sectors, and what it could mean for New Zealand farmers and milk prices.

In this episode, Anne Lee speaks with Stu about the scale and sophistication of Chinese dairy processing, shifting consumer habits, and how premium ingredients like UHT cream and butter are driving demand. They also discuss global supply growth, New Zealand’s milk price outlook, the shifting focus on ingredient markets over consumer brands, and the role of global trade and currency movements in shaping opportunities for the dairy industry.

Simple, repeatable systems are proving to be a winning formula for North Otago couple Peter and Emma Smit. They spoke at a Pasture Summit field day earlier this year and shared just what those systems entail and how they achieve top-performing financial returns.

In this episode, Anne Lee speaks with Peter about the low cost, pasture focused system that keeps their costs down and profitability high. The Smits have refined their approach to pasture management, focusing on residuals, grass quality, and a low stocking rate to maintain resilience through varying payouts. They also discuss their strategic mating plan, long term team stability, and how small, well executed changes continue to lift efficiency across the farm.

Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF) is refocussing its strategy and making changes to several of its farm practices this season including the 10-in-seven milking regime, establishing and using plantain and its replacement rate policy.

In this episode, Anne Lee catches up with Antoinette Archer from the South Island Dairying Development Centre (SIDDC) and LUDF manager Peter Hancox to review the changes and why they’ve been made. The farm will move to using flexible milking as a tactical tool in the shoulders of the season with the aim to boost milk production through a return to twice-a-day milking during the majority of the season. The farm has also moved away from using plantain as a pure sward and will aim for 10-20% in pastures to get some benefit from nitrate leaching reductions while improving ease of management. Overall the farm is aiming to make a 1% productivity gain year on year, be amongst the top 10% in terms of profitability and emissions efficiency and top 5% for lowest nitrogen leaching losses.