Farmers will be familiar with Farm Dairy Assessments – yearly audits which are independently conducted by QCONZ for each farm.
Judging by farmer feedback, Farm Dairy Assessments are one of the biggest drivers of the compliance headache. Most farmers find the process a hassle, and struggle to see the purpose.
While they may seem time-consuming, the importance of these assessments is often little-known. Every dairy farm in New Zealand must meet food safety and quality regulations set by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI). By meeting these criteria, the Co-op is allowed to export milk to more than 130 different countries. Without these food safety requirements, we wouldn’t be able to access the high value markets that we export to. Food safety requirements are crucial for earning trust from consumers.
Farm Dairy Assessments are also a good way to ensure all Co-op farmers are doing their part to deliver high quality milk, which protects the reputation of our milk in international markets. Plus, the Co-op uses assessments to ensure eligibility for The Co-operative Difference. It’s clear that Farm Dairy Assessments are important to allow farmers and Fonterra to operate. But the Co-op is keen to streamline processes and make life a bit easier for farmers.
Simplifying Farm Dairy Assessments
Fonterra’s Milk Sourcing Compliance Manager Hayden Thomas says that the scale and expertise of the Co-op can be a benefit for farmers in helping to fine-tune the assessment process.
“Some farmers can now reduce the number of sections in their Farm Dairy Assessment by up to 40% if they have a proven track record of good data management, assessment performance, and milk quality. Fonterra is the only dairy company approved by MPI to offer this type of simplified assessment.”
“We have been working hard to refine our processes, in line with regulations, so that we can help farmers to understand the rules, feel prepared, and feel that they can achieve compliance relatively easily,” Hayden says.
“No one likes to be audited, but it’s an important part of the process. Fonterra is also audited across the supply chain to make sure our systems and processes are managing food safety risks once your milk leaves the farm.”
Advocating for farmers
Changing regulations can be a concern for farmers. Behind the scenes, Fonterra educates overseas regulators and customers on the controls we have here in New Zealand. The Farm Dairy Assessment helps to reduce the risk of extra regulation, by reassuring regulators that we have good processes in place that ensure our milk products are safe to consume.
“We also work collaboratively with MPI to ensure any regulation changes are well thought out, with the impact on farmers front of mind. Last year, Fonterra put together a comprehensive submission on NZCP1 – the document that outlines the requirements for the food safety aspect of the Farm Dairy Assessment. This submission, and other collaboration, meant that the proposed extra requirements for farmers were significantly reduced.”
Saving farmers hours of data entry
In addition to preparing for yearly audits, farmers often find themselves providing the same information in multiple areas to meet different requirements. Removing duplication is a key part of the Co-op’s compliance review, says Bradford Smith from the On Farm Excellence Delivery team.
“The information farmers provide is incredibly important. It helps to prove to customers, regulators, and the New Zealand public that farmers are operating in the best way they can. We hear from customers all the time that our farmer data is world-leading and helps to set Fonterra milk apart from other competitors in the world. But we also know that the demands from the industry are increasing, and we want to make sure our farmers aren’t bearing the brunt of this.”
Some of the work completed so far has included removing some of the mandatory questions farmers had to complete before their Farm Dairy Assessment to be eligible for The Co-operative Difference. Farmers are still able to upload documentation online ahead of their assessment, which saves time on the day.
“We’ve also updated our website and apps so that farmers can share data from other platforms like LIC’s MINDA, Ballance’s MyBallance and Ravensdown’s HawkEye to save entering the same information twice which will be also recognised and help save time through the Farm Dairy Assessment,” says Bradford.
“For the Dairy Diary app, there’s been lots of requested functionality by farmers to make this easier to use. We’re introducing things like photographic evidence, animal drug treatments, and the ability to record monthly Farm Dairy Record information. Farmers can expect these updates to be released soon. And the Dairy Diary can also be integrated with Farm Dairy Records so that some questions are pre-populated.”
Moving forward, farmers can expect further streamlining and simplification, as well as work to improve the way data is shared with the Co-operative.