New Training For Sustainable Farming Practices

New Training For Sustainable Farming Practices
5 May 2009

A newly launched workshop on dealing with dairy effluent will provide the dairy sector with nationally recognised training that promotes sustainable practices.

Developed by the Agriculture Industry Training Organisation (Agriculture ITO) with the assistance of DairyNZ, the one-day workshop with on-farm assessment aims to improve the way farms manage their dairy shed effluent and reduce the risk of ground and surface water contamination.

“Industry and farmers identified that they needed this training for their employees and themselves,” Agriculture ITO pastoral business coordinator Katrina Knowles said. Agriculture ITO is the non-profit organisation responsible for agriculture training and qualifications.

“The whole thrust of the new training is awareness: what to do with effluent, why that’s done, and what will happen as a result. If everyone understands and takes responsibility for their tasks on-farm, that contributes to better management of this valuable resource,” Ms Knowles said.

The training has been developed in consultation with dairy companies, regional councils and farming experts.

There are over four million dairy cows on 11,000-plus dairy farms in New Zealand. Depending on their diet, cow effluent contains high levels of nitrogen and other minerals which, when diluted and sprayed on to pasture, acts as a fertiliser. In most regions, farms must get consent to spray effluent onto the land.

DairyNZ research on the nutrient values of effluent shows equivalent fertiliser value per cow of $30-$50 per year – depending on farming system and current fertiliser costs – making it a valuable input if it is well managed.

“Some farmers see effluent as a cost and a hassle; it’s not,” said Johan Geerts of Rakaia Island Dairies, which piloted some of the new training in February. Farmers have to deal with effluent anyway, so having a well managed system in place is to the benefit of their wallet and the environment, he said

“Training like this is what the dairy sector needs,” Mr Geerts said

The new effluent training focuses on how to operate and maintain effluent systems correctly and the legal, environmental and health issues involved. The off-site training day is followed by an on-farm assessment, where participants must show they understand and are using what they have learned.

A second programme, aimed at farm supervisors and managers, is planned for development later this year.

Agriculture ITO has contracted independent tutors to teach the courses and conduct the on-farm assessments. AsureQuality, well known in the agricultural sector for providing food safety and biosecurity services, will run courses in the South Island and lower North Island. Management consulting and auditing company QCONZ will be responsible for the rest of the North Island.

AsureQuality tutor Nick Drinnan expects the effluent courses to be well attended and the qualification to “gain momentum” once it is more well known. Courses are tailored to meet regional requirements and run according to demand.

Ms Knowles, a former dairy farmer herself, says farm owners and managers should use the training to help create “a staff culture that promotes a good understanding of effluent management.”

“If everyone is protecting our clean, green image, then dairy farming will have a future,” she said.

ENDS

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