DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle
Data in the recently released annual New Zealand Dairy Statistics publication shows another record year for New Zealand’s dairy sector.
In the 2019-20 season, Kiwi dairy companies processed 21.1 billion litres of milk containing 1.90 billion kilograms of milksolids (kg) MS – a 0.5% increase from the previous season.
The average milk production per cow also saw an increase from 381kg MS last season to 385kg MS this season, while the latest count showed that the country has 0.5% less milking cows than the previous season.
“The commitment by our farmers to improve the quality of their herds to drive better productivity and sustainability outcomes is good news,” says DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle.
“While some of our key sectors have been hit hard by COVID-19, our dairy sector has proven extremely resilient through this period of uncertainty and is well-positioned to continue playing a key role in contributing to New Zealand’s economy.
“The dairy sector directly employs 50,000 people and earns New Zealand roughly $20 billion in exports per year. The success of our dairy farmers is extremely important to every Kiwi and has real benefits for New Zealand.”
