36333876_1646611712100690_84845212339693

FAQ

The New Zealand Pasture System in Eccuador

Our business is based on providing professional guidance and solutions, which means we receive many questions from clients.

The most common is question is will NZ science & systems work in Ecuador. The answer is YES. Even better than NZ because you don`t have seasons.

Check out a few of our most common inquiries below. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, let us know and we’ll find it for you. Every question is important to us, so don’t hesitate in reaching out.

How do you customize a plan for each farmer?

We start by analysing the farmers current position & what he wants to achieve. Then we collect basic information. Production, Feeding, Soil Tests, Financial, Animal Health, Reproduction etc. With this information we formulate a plan that the farmer agrees to. This is the beginning of a successful change to a more profitable pasture

Pasture costs 5-7 cents/kgms. Compare that to Balanceado at 45 cents/kgms. The more pasture you can feed your cows the more profitable you will be.

I will run out of grass if I speed up my rotation?

Rotation length is not fixed. It changes with the Growth Rate. We aim to keep the pasture at maximum quality with high levels of energy & protein. Some simple maths. A 50 day rotation means you graze your paddocks 7 times/year. The grass will be very poor quality & the cows will not produce well. Grazing at 21 days would be 17 times per year with top quality. You will grow & graze almost twice as much pasture on a faster rotation.

How do I know that NZ Dairy Systems SA is the right consulting company for me?

NZ Dairy Systems SA is independent. Recommendations are not influenced by selling products only our expertise & knowledge. We have some products we manufacture but they fill a gap in the market. They are not a requirement for most farmers. We recommend other companies products for the same reason of availability.

NZ Dairy Systems has many extremely happy clients who have followed the plans in there entirety. They have achieved results that are much better than forecast in the initial plan & budgets. They are happy to give references & testimonials. Feel free to ask for a contact.

My production will drop if I change to a pasture system?

Yes your per cow production may drop. This is often true with high levels of concentrate supplementation It will depend on many factors. Cow condition, level of feeding or stage of lactation.

In many cases there is only a minimal change as the cows eat pasture of a higher quality. In some cases it improves.

The difference is the Cost of Production. Unless the supplementation is calculated on a basis of CoP, in almost all cases a pasture system will be more profitable.

A cow eating only quality pasture will produce 5000 litres/year. The cost of the pasture will be $270. At 42 cents/litre she will earn $2100 for her milk. A surplus of $1830.

A cow producing 9000 litres of milk eating TMR will have a food cost of $2025/year. Her surplus will $1755.

This figure doesn`t include all the extra work & labour to feed the supplements compared to a cow walking to a paddock & eating the grass in the paddock.

NZ Dairy System fees are Expensive?

Yes. $40.00/hour does seem very expensive by Ecuadorian standards.

However, the Return on Investment is fantastic. NZ Dairy Systems will increase your profit by 10 times in most cases. This is based on results here in Ecuador. Often, the saving on unnecessary fertilizer or supplement more than covers the anual Consultancy cost.

I have modified the DairyNZ, Effective Farm Surplus form so that it is applicable to Ecuador. It allows you to enter your financial data & see how profitable your farming system is.

It also allows you to compare any kind of farming system. All pasture to high supplement input systems.

The result is comparable. Ask me for the form. You will be able to compare the profitability of your farming system NZ Dairy System clients.

If your system is more profitable, you don`t need our services. If not. call.

Why do you place so much importance on Profitability?

Profitability must not be confused with Production. This is a common misconception. The belief that the more milk a cow produces the more profitable she will be is not correct if the Cost of Production is high which occurs with high levels of supplementary feeding.

The CoP determines the profitability of the cow. The lower the CoP the greater the margin of cash surplus.

The larger the surplus the more profitable the farm will be. You have more options when you have more money.

Is it expensive to change my farming system to a pasture based system?

No. Generally you will save money. Changing pasture management effectively costs nothing but returns a lot with increased Production & better Condition Corporal.

There may be some upfront costs for Soil Tests but these are minimal especially when you compare the return you will receive.