How seasonal dairy farmers in the Lower North Island of New Zealand achieve high per cow production : a participatory case-study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Agricultural Science in Farm Management, at Massey University, Palmerston North

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How Seasonal Dairy Farmers in the Lower North Island of New Zealand Achieve High Per Cow Production: a participatory case-study.New Zealand's 14,000 seasonal dairy farmers supply 16 co-operative companies that operate 40 milk processing factories.While the industry produces only 1.5% of the world's milk, it supplies 25% of the world trade in dairy products, which was worth $5 billion to the New Zealand economy in 1994/95.In order to remain internationally competitive, dairy production research in New Zealand has focused on achieving 'low cost' milk production from pasture.Recent high prices for dairy land and the need to reduce the seasonality of milk supply have promoted greater interest in increasing per cow production.Greater milk yields per cow would allow greater utilisation of the genetic potential of the New Zealand dairy cow for milk production and reduce per cow costs for non-feed items.At present only I% of seasonal supply dairy farmers consistently achieve in excess of 350 k

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