Water to milk
Project start: 17 December 2022
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $995,180
Industry funding: $1,750,170
Industry partner: NIWA
Region: Nationwide
This project addresses the growing need for data to improve water management practices on dairy farms. It aims to prove the business case for environmentally sustainable dairy farming practices in New Zealand using world-leading technology and create a commercially available, fully integrated system of sensors, analytics, software, and hardware. The system will consist of linked modules to manage all of a dairy farm’s water supply, use, and impacts that is in real time cost-effective, practical, and useful for the farmer.
Pilot project to deliver succession planning workshops
Project start: 17 November 2022
Project length: 1 year
MPI funding: $37,800
Industry funding: $37,800
Industry partner: SMASH Trust
Region: Nationwide
This project will develop and run a series of eight succession workshops which will allow dairy farmers to research options and solutions, contemplate issues and potential solutions, and develop a framework for creating a tailored transition and succession plan.
Nitration filtration technology: Engineered microbiome NZ
Project start: 12 November 2022
Project length: 1 year
MPI funding: $249,999
Industry funding: $250,000
Industry partner: Waiora Research Limited
Region: South Island
This pilot project will test the efficacy of Waiora Research Limited’s eClean Bioreactor technology on a 1:10 scale in different types of farming systems. The technology is able to remove nitrates, phosphate, E.coli and other chemical and biological contaminants from any water-based environment, and has sensor capability enabling real time monitoring of the removal rates of contaminants.
Accelerated breeding of healthy calves from in vitro produced embryos
Project start: 29 July 2022
Project length: 4 years
MPI funding: $1,590,020
Industry funding: $2,385,268
Industry partner: Animal Breeding Services Ltd
Region: National
Working in partnership with CRV-Genomics, Bellevue Enterprises Ltd and AgResearch, Animal Breeding Services Ltd will address the issue of Large Offspring Syndrome in dairy cattle, which is caused by in-vitro embryo production. The project will find a way to measure gene expression during embryo in-vitro culture (IVC) and investigate IVC mediums that improve embryo transfer and calf development.
Whey technology products
Project start: 19 July 2022
Project length: 2 years
MPI funding: $111,181
Industry funding: $166,722
Industry partner: WheyTech Bionics NZ Limited
Region: Canterbury, Hawke’s Bay
This project aims to develop technology to process whey permeate as a sweetener product with anti-diabetic properties. Success would see a cheesemaking waste product utilised as a value-added natural food additive with potential nutraceutical value. Producers from Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay will provide raw product, while trials will be conducted by Plant & Food Research in Palmerston North and FoodSouth at University of Canterbury.
Cheesemaking waste product potential gamechanger for diabetes sufferers
Scale Up: Building a regional and sustainable high-value New Zealand sheep milk industry
Project start: 1 July 2022
Project length: 5 years
MPI funding: $7,976,000
Industry funding: $11,964,000
Industry partner: Spring Sheep Milk Company
Region: Waikato, Taranaki, Canterbury, Southland and Wairarapa
This programme is designed to take the dairy sheep industry from the piloting phase through to an established primary industry, following on from Spring Sheep’s successful 6-year pilot programme, Sheep Horizon Three. The next stage will involve expanding into the Taranaki region alongside Spring Sheep’s regional partners, Parininihi ki Waitotara. Several R&D projects are planned to improve industry understanding of sheep milk and refine best practice standards across the industry.
Government supports innovative dairy sheep sector to scale up – Government media release
N-Vision NZ, Smarter nitrogen management for a better New Zealand
Project start: 17 May 2022
Project length: 7 years
MPI funding: $7,300,000
Industry funding: $14,700,000
Industry partner: Ravensdown Fertiliser Cooperative Limited, Lincoln University, Plant & Food Research
Region: Nationwide
This programme will focus on three technology streams aimed at significantly reducing agricultural greenhouse gases and nitrate leaching. These technologies will help farmers reduce nitrogen fertiliser use on pastoral farms while maintaining production and profitability.
New research harnesses soil fungus for environmental mitigation – Ravensdown
Smarter nitrogen management for a better New Zealand – Outcome logic model [PDF, 179 KB]
June 2022 to August 2022 – N-Vision NZ progress report [PDF, 175 KB]
March 2022 to May 2022 – N-Vision NZ progress report [PDF, 130 KB]
December 2021 to February 2022 – N-Vision NZ progress report [PDF, 136 KB]
Farming for the future leader's programme
Project start: 7 April 2022
Project length: 2 years
MPI funding: $473,261
Industry funding: $303,360
Industry partner: Dairy Women's Network
Region: Nationwide
This project aims to enable and empower members to farm for the future. It will expand the number of Dairy Women’s Network Business Groups and pilot a programme of wrap-around services. The project will provide coaching to support Business Group leaders, develop a central knowledge hub and assess the impact of the programme on the food and fibre sector.
Funding boost to empower women to farm for the future – Government media release
Levelling the playing field: Enhancing dairy's capability to take on trade distorting farm support
Project start: 3 March 2022
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $222,000
Industry funding: $147,200
Industry partner: Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand Incorporated (DCANZ)
Region: Nationwide
This project will build a Global Dairy Distortion Model to help identify implications of international dairy agricultural domestic support policies. This will build awareness of international dairy subsidies and their effects on the global market, including returns to farmers in New Zealand and elsewhere. With a better evidence base on the impact of subsidies, the project aims to empower the dairy industry to engage effectively on international subsidy discussions.
Collaboration Tai Tokerau
Project start: 8 July 2021
Project length: 1 year 4 months
MPI funding: $148,500
Industry funding: $148,500
Industry partner: Northland Agricultural Forum
Region: Northland
The project aims to encourage and enable networking and partnerships across sectors within the Northland primary industries, with the goal of developing a number of collaborative, cross-sector projects for potential future funding.
Development of a multiplex immunoassay for detection of various bovine diseases and pregnancy diagnosis
Project start: 30 April 2021
Project length: 2 years
MPI funding: $404,040
Industry funding: $606,060
Industry partner: Pictor Limited
Region: Nationwide
This project will develop an affordable multiplex assay (test) to detect Johne’s Disease and pregnancy from a single milk sample. The project aims to encourage dairy farmers to increase testing to ensure more proactive and sustainable management of disease on-farm.
Plantain potency and practice
Project start: 20 April 2021
Project length: 7 years
MPI funding: $8,978,000
Industry funding: $13,249,000
Industry partner: DairyNZ
Region: Nationwide
This programme aims to deliver a low-cost forage solution to nitrate leaching. It is expected to demonstrate plantain’s efficacy at scale, so farmers have the confidence they need to invest in pasture and practice change. A major output of the programme will be a generic plantain evaluation system that will link to tools for farmers.
DairyNZ media release: New plantain research a turning point for dairy
Plantain Potency and Practice outcome logic model [PDF, 153 KB]
Sept to Nov 2021 – Plantain Potency and Practice progress report [PDF, 254 KB]
June to Aug 2021 – Plantain Potency and Practice progress report [PDF, 226 KB]
March to May 2021 – Plantain Potency and Practice progress report [PDF, 313 KB]
Extension 350 enhancing associate farmer engagement and project evaluation
Project start: 20 November 2020
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $500,500
Industry funding: $90,500
Industry partner: Northland Inc
Region: Northland
Northland Inc is building on an existing extension model for 350 Northland farmers. The model relies on high performing farmers mentoring associate farmers, and has had mixed results. This project seeks to improve delivery to associates and evaluate benefits.
Optimisation of solar power into irrigation and/or stream augmentation systems
Project start: 20 October 2020
Project length: 1 year 11 months
MPI funding: $80,000
Industry funding: $150,000
Industry partner: Eiffelton Community Irrigation Scheme IN Soc.
Region: Canterbury
This pilot project will test and demonstrate the viability of solar power for targeted stream augmentation (TSA). TSA involves pumping groundwater to surface streams. This is for irrigation, and to support natural freshwater living systems.
Future Ready Farms
Project start: 1 October 2020
Project length: 5 years
MPI funding: $10,058,000
Industry funding: $15,087,000
Industry partner: Ballance Agri-Nutrients
Region: Nationwide
This programme aims to trial and develop 12 farm nutrient technologies that will help meet national environmental targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural chemical use, and nutrient loss to waterways.
Partnership to reduce food and fibre sector’s environmental footprint – Government media release
Ballance supporting the next generation of NZ innovators
Future Ready Farms outcome logic model [PDF, 635 KB]
April to June 2021: Future Ready Farms progress report [PDF, 168 KB]
January to March 2021: Future Ready Farms progress report [PDF, 229 KB]
October to December 2020: Future Ready Farms progress report [PDF, 141 KB]
Off-paddock wintering facilities and systems for Southern dairying – Phase 2 & 3
Project start: 15 September 2020
Project length: 4 years
MPI funding: $1,753,590
Industry funding: $1,434,760
Industry partner: DairyNZ
Region: Southland
This initiative will work with two design concepts for uncovered structures where cows are kept during winter, developed during phase one of the project. It will produce detailed designs through extensive consultation with local farmers, and then road-test the concept preferred by farmers and technical experts via an on-farm trial in 2022.
Next Generation Farming
Project start: 1 September 2020
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $417,100
Industry funding: $266,000
Industry partner: Next Generation Farming Trust
Region: Canterbury
Waimakariri farmers face significant environmental, water use and sustainability challenges. A group will develop a 'whole of farm business planning' approach to establish sustainability-focused future farm systems. Outcomes will be shared with the farming community.
Aiming for ‘next level’ environmental planning – Otago Daily Times
Taranaki dairy step change
Project start: 18 June 2020
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $222,600
Industry funding: $290,500
Industry partner: Dairy Trust Taranaki
Region: Taranaki
Dairy Trust Taranaki is partnering with DairyNZ's Step Change programme to create change on Taranaki dairy farms with the aim of increased profit, lower methane output and lower nitrogen surplus.
