DairyNZ is New Zealand's industry-good organisation for the dairy sector, providing independent science and practical tools to help farmers drive productivity and strengthen the industry. It's funded by a levy on farmers, with around $62 million invested in 2024/25 across a range of programmes aimed at delivering a positive future for New Zealand dairy farming.
DairyNZ draws on more than 100 years of history and over 20 years of dedicated science, and maintains more than 850 tools and resources for farmers, developed using the latest research. It collaborates with over 45 research partners on longer-term sector challenges, including a joint programme with Irish researchers to quantify methane emissions from dairy cows in pasture-based systems.
Services for farmers include Ask DAiSY™, an AI tool for finding trusted DairyNZ information quickly, the Ranking of Active Sires (RAS) list for bull-breeding decisions, a supplement calculator for dry cow feeding decisions, and training such as the Mark and Measure course for farm business planning. DairyNZ also runs a regional events calendar of workshops, field days and discussion groups, publishes Inside Dairy and the Talking Dairy podcast, and organises seasonal campaigns like Winter Smarts.
DairyNZ describes itself as an industry-good organisation, with a clear purpose: deliver a positive future for New Zealand dairy farming. Rather than selling products or services to individual customers, DairyNZ is funded through a farmer levy, investing around $62 million in 2024/25 into programmes meant to help farmers stay world-leading in productivity and sustainability.
DairyNZ draws on more than 100 years of sector history and more than 20 years of dedicated science work. That accumulated research underpins a library of more than 850 tools and resources, covering everything from animal health and feed to milking systems, environmental management, people and business planning. The organisation also works with more than 45 research partners on longer-term challenges facing the sector - one current example being a joint programme with Irish researchers to quantify methane emissions from dairy cows in pasture-based systems, aimed at developing more precise emission factors and mitigation strategies specific to New Zealand's pasture-based farming model.
A lot of what DairyNZ offers is built to be used directly on-farm. Ask DAiSY™ is an AI-powered tool designed to help farmers find trusted DairyNZ information quickly, without having to dig through the site manually. The Ranking of Active Sires (RAS) list is updated regularly and helps farmers choose bulls that will produce more productive and efficient cows. There's also a supplement calculator specifically for dry cow feeding decisions, and a Pasture Renewal Guide aimed at helping farmers build more resilient pasture systems.
Beyond tools, DairyNZ runs structured training and support programmes. The Mark and Measure course offers tools and approaches for creating wealth, setting aligned goals, and analysing a farm business - registrations for upcoming intakes close soon, based on current promotion. The Rural Professional Hub is positioned as a space to explore and collaborate, helping farmers and the rural professionals who support them work together toward future-fit farm businesses.
DairyNZ runs a regional events calendar that includes workshops, field days, meetings and discussion groups around the country - recent listings include a Mark and Measure workshop in Hanmer Springs, a Milton Discussion Group at the Milton Rugby Club, a calving-focused field day in Rongotea, and an Udderly Honest women's series event in Cambridge. Seasonally, the organisation also runs campaigns like Winter Smarts, pulling together winter-specific tips and tools developed from the latest research and technology.
For ongoing updates, DairyNZ publishes Inside Dairy and produces the Talking Dairy podcast, alongside regular media releases on topics like biosecurity systems and sector investment - a recent release detailed a $46 million Responsible Dairy investment intended to accelerate progress across the industry. DairyNZ can be reached by phone on 0800 4 324 7969, or through its regional teams, and maintains an active presence on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram.