Enhance milk production this season

Lower somatic cell counts with proven practices for a strong season ahead.

Fonterra farms supplied more than 1.5 billion kilograms of milk solids during the 2024/2025 (up 2.5% on the 2023/24 season), and farmers are on track to receive a record Farmgate Milk Price, reflecting the high quality of our milk.

New Zealand’s dairy is in demand worldwide, and it all stems from the quality milk produced on our farms. In the past season, more Co-op farms recorded “milk quality excellence” and across the Co-op, somatic cell count levels have dropped.

Farm Source’s General Manager On-farm Excellence – Milk, Grant Rudman, says Co-op farmers are increasingly taking a more proactive approach to infection control and on-farm milk quality practices.

“Across the country, we have seen more vigilance shown in the cow shed, better mastitis management and prevention. Lowering somatic cell counts is a cumulative process; it doesn’t happen overnight, and our farmers are increasingly taking a more proactive approach to mitigate the risks to animal health, which has a positive effect on overall milk quality,” Grant says.

Milk quality visits support Co-op farmers to refine processors for better results.

With calving around the corner, the Farm Source team is on hand to help farmers get their processes sorted for the upcoming milking season. Implementing simple practices early on can make a huge difference to somatic cell counts later in the season.

Staying ahead of the curve is essential. Veterinary Programme Manager Mike Shallcrass says farmers who keep on top of risks like mastitis and high somatic cell counts early in the season minimise the risk of grades.

“If you look at the farms that have really low somatic cell counts, they’re doing the basics right every single day. We know what good practice is, you just have to implement it consistently,” Mike says.

“Milking machines are set up well, cows aren’t overmilked, and teat spray coverage is good. If every farm managed that, we’d have less mastitis and fewer farmers worrying about their cell count later in the season. Controlling your cell count early on gives you the flexibility to do things like go on once a day or continue to milk later in the season.”

Farm Source has posters available for farmers to put up in the milking shed highlighting 10 simple actions to manage udder health early in the season. The Co-op also offers additional training, and milk quality and efficiency visits year-round provided by its team of Milk Quality Managers and Sustainable Dairying Advisors.

North Waikato farmer Ash Thomas

North Waikato farmer Ash Thomas, who runs a 115-ha effective dairy farm in Pukekawa milking 200 cows over the winter, and 200 cows in spring, recently took advantage of the Co-op’s Milk Quality visits to refine his farm processes and has found the independent assessment invaluable.

“We’ve been farming here for around 24 years now. We got to the stage where we knew our milk quality wasn’t an issue, but we recognised we could be better. I found out the Co-op offered a dedicated Milk Quality service, so I booked a time to get someone in to take another look and throw some ideas around,” he says.

“I think a lot of farmers only think support is available when there is a problem, and there will be fingers pointed at them. It’s not the case at all. The Co-op has professionals at our disposal who are objective and they don’t judge. Their role isn’t to sell us a product, they’re there to help us improve our production and quality.”