Federated Farmers is thinking ahead. With the support of DairyNZ the federation has begun to survey its members about progression and succession within the country’s dairy farming sector.

As the New Zealand dairy industry continues to grow it is vital we get the structures in place to give people a clear future, says Ciaran Tully, Federated Farmers Sharemilkers Chair.

There are 11,735 dairy farming businesses, the basis for one quarter of New Zealand’s merchandise exports, he says.

Of those businesses, 35 per cent, or just over 4000, are sharemilkers.

Sharemilking has traditionally been the route for career progression in the dairy industry.

But these days there are a range of new structures in place, such as equity partnerships, and the survey is hoping to identify key success factors and other issues facing the sharemilker sector of the industry.

Mr Tully says he doesn’t wish to dramatise things but its fair to say a large chunk of New Zealand’s prosperity hinges on us getting these progression and succession pathways right.