Fewer workers, greater efficiency on dairy farms in New Zealand

ON Tom Clinton’s New Zealand dairy farms three people are more than adequate to manage each farm of almost 600 cows.

He is involved in a 1,750 cow dairy farm in the US, where the total equipment is one loader, two tractors, one feeder, two skid-steers and one sand-shooter. The farm is producing 4.5 million gallons of milk, or 275,000 gals per labour unit.

Macra na Feirme members hoping to follow in these very successful footsteps got an appropriate piece of advice, during their typically lively annual conference weekend in Sligo. “It is not how much you enjoy yourself, at night or otherwise, it is your ability to get up early and function effectively the following morning that counts”, said Clinton.