Farming is tough at the moment. The sector faces continued challenges, with profitability levels at a multi-year low. Beef + Lamb New Zealand has said that inflation-adjusted farm gate profitability is at a 15-year low for the sector.
It would seem rational to be cutting costs at every turn. However, during the production of this publication, it occurred to me that farmer education is an investment that will improve the bottom lines of a great number of farming operations, at little to no cost at all.
Both beef and sheep farming are about more than what the eye can see. By utilising the data that tells us what’s under the skin of an animal, we can select animals that will grow more wool, more meat, have more docility, less worm burden, better structure, more growth, more IMF and so on…
If you’re not already utilising these tools, you have to ask yourself, why not?
In this issue we take a closer look at not just bull selection, but also how you can make your cow herd more efficient, to ensure you’re maximising your resources and improving profitability year after year.
Enjoy the read,
Sarah Horrocks, Editor.