New Zealand Milk – P2
Not only is the level of fat and protein in the milk improved by grazing cows on pasture, it also improves the composition of milk fat. In another New Zealand study It was shown that a milk fat component that naturally occurs in the milk of cows and that has been shown to have anti cancer activity, as well as other potentially beneficial health properties, was increased by 50% (See Figure)
In summary, a huge strength of the New Zealand dairy sector is its lush green pastures, allowing cows to do what they are naturally designed to do: converting grass into high quality milk. Over the years New Zealand dairy farmers have perfected the pasture based system and it is increasingly looked at by dairy farmers all over the word as the future model for sustainable dairy production.
Pasture-based milk production in New Zealand
by Kerst Stelwagen, PhD
New Zealand, with a total land area larger than that of the United Kingdom and a population of only 4.5 million people is one of the least populated countries in the world. Yet, in terms of agriculture, and in particular as a dairy producer, it punches well above its weight. Agriculture is contributing more than 15% to New Zealand’s GDP in 20081 and its dairy sector alone represents in excess of $11 billion of the country’s total export revenue, being by far the biggest contributor with 27% of all exports2. In fact, New Zealand is the largest exporter to the world dairy market.
All this milk is produced from New Zealand’s vast green pastures. Unlike in most dairy producing countries in the Northern hemisphere, where cows are kept indoors year-round or at least for a significant part of the year, New Zealand’s dairy sector is based on year-round grazing. Moreover, to remain competitive on the world dairy market, the New Zealand dairy sector has perfected a low-input, low-cost, yet highly effective, dairy farming system, which increasingly is looked at by the rest of the world as a future model for sustainable dairy farming.