July 22, 2008
Dairy feed production soars in New Zealand
New Zealand's dairy feed production has more than tripled as production rose 287 percent in the March quarter over the same period in 2007.
This is on top of an 80-percent increase in the same quarter in 2007 over the previous year.
New Zealand dairy producers are increasingly looking to manufactured feeds to help meet the nutrient requirements of their animals, according to Michael Brooks, Executive Director of the New Zealand Feed Manufacturers Association (NZFMA).
Drought in several areas have also added the impetus for producers to use manufactured feed.
However, he stressed that farmers are also seeing the nutritional benefits from using manufactured feeds in place of grass, the traditional feed.