Today is Friday June 1st. For most of us this year it’s the day before Queens Birthday – the last opportunity to enjoy a long weekend for over four months. But for the country’s dairy farmers, 1st June is gypsy day – the day every year when any dairy herds which are shifting prior to the next milking season change locations.
Whether the herd is moving down the road on foot to a neighbouring farm, or across the Cook Strait on a truck to the other end of the country, this year the transition will be a little more fraught than usual, with the threat of micoplasma bovis hanging over the entire industry – and therefore the whole country.
At around 37% of our total exports, farming is still by far our greatest export industry – which makes it a major contributor to our way of life. So even the most urbanised city-dweller is affected by the state of our farms – undoubtedly among the most efficient and productive in the world.
So if you are a ‘townie’, spare a thought for your rural kiwi brethren while you’re putting your feet up this weekend – for many of them it will still be business as usual. And if you’re a farmer, particularly one in the beef or dairy industry, know that the rest of New Zealand are thinking of you and wish you all the best.
Are You Ready For Retirement?
If you ask yourself this question, without thinking about your finances, what is your answer?
