Bring back local discussion groups.
That’s the message dairy farmers have for DairyNZ’s new chief executive Campbell Parker and chair Tracy Brown.
The industry good organisation took local discussion groups online during the pandemic and scrapped them all together afterwards.
Dairy farmers are invited to larger regional events – one is the Pokeno field day on November 13 on Jamie Lyons’ farm.
Federated Farmers Waikato Provincial Dairy Chair Matthew Zonderop said he had got used to a 15-minute drive to discussion groups, but regional events were more than an hour away.
“I would like to go back to the old school local discussion groups,” he said.
“I don’t want to drive up to Pokeno where I will stand out like a sore thumb.”
Ōhaupō farmer Andrew Reymer.
Ōhaupō dairy farmer Andrew Reymer echoed Zonderop’s sentiments.
“The only real farmer connection that DairyNZ had was the discussion group,” he said.
Sharefarming Consultants founder Louise Gibson said her clients also wished for the local discussion groups to return.
DairyNZ chief executive Campbell Parker said in a statement the organisation had delivered 27 events with an average of 30 attendees after calving and 72 per cent said they liked the new format focussing on putting scientists and experts in front of farmers.
Return to old school. Photo: Cottonbro, pexels.com
