May 13, 2026 • 7 mins
Michelle Watt talks to Lisa Payne, Fonterra's Farm Source Milk Supply Director.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time to talk to the team at Fonterra and
today we're joined by Lisa Payne, farm Sources Milk Supply Director.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Welcome Lisa Cured to Michelle. Thanks so much for having
me today.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Oh, it's my pleasure. And today we're covering off quite
a few things. We're going to kick off with the
season coming to an end. How's milk production tracking across
the country overall?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
We're tracking really strong actually towards the end of the season,
with collections to date up around four percent compared to
the same time last year. We had a really strong
shoulder in the North Island especially kinder. Conditions are just
so much better than last season when it was dry.
And in the South great season all round, really strong peak,
(00:41):
favorable weather conditions and good pasture growth which is extended
later into the season. We actually had the highest march
on record for the South Island collections and the second
highest march ever for the North Island. So that's pretty
incredible for a season.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Wow, that's amazing. So farmers will be happy on the
around that you've been talking to, I'd imagine, Oh, we
love it when.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
They can make milk. It makes everybody happy.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
It helps absolutely So the milk supply is clearly a
key focus for you guys at Fonterra. So how's your
team going about attracting more farmers to join the co op?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Oh, it's absolutely vital. Look, we know farmers have a
choice around processes, so we're firminly focused on making our
offering as competitive as we can. Obviously, we all believe
in the co op, but what we deliver when it
comes to our milk price, earnings and performance over all
is absolutely critical. So we have achieved great results for
(01:39):
co op farmers in recent years and we've been making
some investments that continue to support that growth, so that's
really positive. In addition, we know that strong relationships with
farmers are key and that's why we are doing some
work to bolster our farmers facing teams in the regions,
and of course we keep focusing on some of the
tools and things we do, the events we have in
(02:00):
the overall support at the beginning and the end of
the day. We know that investing in the farmer's space
is absolutely critical because they are the heart of our
co op.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
They are our co op and succession planning a big
topic being talked about at the moment, especially a lot
of older farmers moving out and moving off farm and
all sorts of conversations happening. So what's the cop doing
to support young farmers in this industry.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, there's actually a fair bit of activity. So we
put focus into helping young farmers in their farmer ownership
journey as well as supporting the next generation and of
course our farmers that know that have been in the
industry for a long time. But in a really great example,
which is an exciting project, we've got working with Growing
Future Farmers so training organization and alongside some our farmers
(02:51):
we have in the Wakuta and they have plenty. So
at the moment we've got seven students placed with seven
Fonterra Farmer trainers for a two year pro pro and
it's like an immersion program where they spend four days
a week on farm, they live on farm and then
one day studying, all the while working towards qualification and
(03:11):
MZQA qualification. So what's been really encouraging is a mix
of students on the program, Like a majority of them
are new to the industry. They're from all over New
Zealand and we think that's really important because it'll just
kind of widen that pipeline for the future, you know,
people coming through. We've deliberately started small. It's a pilot.
(03:34):
We want to learn about, you know, how we recruit
and how we bring students and farmers into this program.
So we'll evolve it from here.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
And this leads nicely into of course, the New Zealandery
Industry Awards were on over last weekend up in Rosua.
You were there and some of the people that are
coming through that industry and those awards are just superb talent, aren't.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
They are amazing. Like, if you ever want a tonic
about industry, you must go to the New Zealand Airy
Industry Awards. So yeah, amazing. So the last weekend they
were in Rota Dua. The talent is just incredible. We
sponsor a few awards, so one of the ones that
is of particular kind of interest is that Fonterra and
(04:16):
ASB First Farm Award. It's all about helping you know,
young farmers take that big step into farm ownership and
it is a big step. So this year we saw
three new winners, Mark and Na Jones, Stacey and Jonathan
Howitz and Tania and John O Burrows and look, I
must say that all of the contestants and finalists were
(04:39):
amazing there. The award is a partnership between it's quite
new between Fontira ASB and the Dairy Industry Trust and
it's really just designed to give kind of that practical
support or boost to great operators, some financial backing, some
mentoring or just tapping into those pebe this network of
partners that we have in the industry. So we're really
(05:03):
pleased also that our inaugural winners, Rated and Biddy Barnes
have really recently bought their first farm in Canterbury, so
that was super exciting and that's really what it's all about,
just backing these fabulous young couples and helping set them
up for the long term.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
It's such a fabulous opportunity to be able to buy
your first farm as well. What a prize. It's absolutely
incredible and I'd imagine it would have been incredibly hard
to choose from the caliber. If it's anything to judge
by who won these awards that was put their names
forward for that one as well.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Ah, just so hard. They're all incredible. They're all incredible
because they've had to be part of the awards to
actually to qualify for this one, so you can imagine
they were great and motivated and inspirational. I just yeah,
just great.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
The other award I just want to mention, of course,
is the Fonterra Dairy Management Award, and I interviewed Laura
mcconachey at the start of the week on the podcast.
What an incredible young woman she is. I think she's
got a big future ahead of her. And of course
seeing two other women on the podium for that award
as well.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
I know what an inspiration, isn't it. I mean I
just think, you know, all young women can look there
and just go I can be then. It's just fabulous
and I hope that really gets people motivated to just
do as well as they have. Yeah, they are an inspiration,
that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Oh absolutely. I mean, congratulations to Miriam and Annie who
are also on the podium. Was I mean, it was
fantastic And of course Stacey and Scott mcarith, two other
very talented people. Like I said, I would not want
a job on that judging table. I'd imagine it was
incredibly tough.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
It's tough, but it's also just you know, like I said,
a tonic, you know that you just see this incredible talent.
So it's awesome. What a great problem to have.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Oh, Deiri's definitely got a great future ahead of it,
if that award is anything to judge it by Lisa,
thank you so much for chatting to us today and
I'm sure will talk again soon.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Yeah, thank you so much. Kaki Ko
It's time to talk to the team at Fonterra and
today we're joined by Lisa Payne, farm Sources Milk Supply Director.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Welcome Lisa Cured to Michelle. Thanks so much for having
me today.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Oh, it's my pleasure. And today we're covering off quite
a few things. We're going to kick off with the
season coming to an end. How's milk production tracking across
the country overall?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
We're tracking really strong actually towards the end of the season,
with collections to date up around four percent compared to
the same time last year. We had a really strong
shoulder in the North Island especially kinder. Conditions are just
so much better than last season when it was dry.
And in the South great season all round, really strong peak,
(00:41):
favorable weather conditions and good pasture growth which is extended
later into the season. We actually had the highest march
on record for the South Island collections and the second
highest march ever for the North Island. So that's pretty
incredible for a season.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Wow, that's amazing. So farmers will be happy on the
around that you've been talking to, I'd imagine, Oh, we
love it when.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
They can make milk. It makes everybody happy.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
It helps absolutely So the milk supply is clearly a
key focus for you guys at Fonterra. So how's your
team going about attracting more farmers to join the co op?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Oh, it's absolutely vital. Look, we know farmers have a
choice around processes, so we're firminly focused on making our
offering as competitive as we can. Obviously, we all believe
in the co op, but what we deliver when it
comes to our milk price, earnings and performance over all
is absolutely critical. So we have achieved great results for
(01:39):
co op farmers in recent years and we've been making
some investments that continue to support that growth, so that's
really positive. In addition, we know that strong relationships with
farmers are key and that's why we are doing some
work to bolster our farmers facing teams in the regions,
and of course we keep focusing on some of the
tools and things we do, the events we have in
(02:00):
the overall support at the beginning and the end of
the day. We know that investing in the farmer's space
is absolutely critical because they are the heart of our
co op.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
They are our co op and succession planning a big
topic being talked about at the moment, especially a lot
of older farmers moving out and moving off farm and
all sorts of conversations happening. So what's the cop doing
to support young farmers in this industry.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, there's actually a fair bit of activity. So we
put focus into helping young farmers in their farmer ownership
journey as well as supporting the next generation and of
course our farmers that know that have been in the
industry for a long time. But in a really great example,
which is an exciting project, we've got working with Growing
Future Farmers so training organization and alongside some our farmers
(02:51):
we have in the Wakuta and they have plenty. So
at the moment we've got seven students placed with seven
Fonterra Farmer trainers for a two year pro pro and
it's like an immersion program where they spend four days
a week on farm, they live on farm and then
one day studying, all the while working towards qualification and
(03:11):
MZQA qualification. So what's been really encouraging is a mix
of students on the program, Like a majority of them
are new to the industry. They're from all over New
Zealand and we think that's really important because it'll just
kind of widen that pipeline for the future, you know,
people coming through. We've deliberately started small. It's a pilot.
(03:34):
We want to learn about, you know, how we recruit
and how we bring students and farmers into this program.
So we'll evolve it from here.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
And this leads nicely into of course, the New Zealandery
Industry Awards were on over last weekend up in Rosua.
You were there and some of the people that are
coming through that industry and those awards are just superb talent, aren't.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
They are amazing. Like, if you ever want a tonic
about industry, you must go to the New Zealand Airy
Industry Awards. So yeah, amazing. So the last weekend they
were in Rota Dua. The talent is just incredible. We
sponsor a few awards, so one of the ones that
is of particular kind of interest is that Fonterra and
(04:16):
ASB First Farm Award. It's all about helping you know,
young farmers take that big step into farm ownership and
it is a big step. So this year we saw
three new winners, Mark and Na Jones, Stacey and Jonathan
Howitz and Tania and John O Burrows and look, I
must say that all of the contestants and finalists were
(04:39):
amazing there. The award is a partnership between it's quite
new between Fontira ASB and the Dairy Industry Trust and
it's really just designed to give kind of that practical
support or boost to great operators, some financial backing, some
mentoring or just tapping into those pebe this network of
partners that we have in the industry. So we're really
(05:03):
pleased also that our inaugural winners, Rated and Biddy Barnes
have really recently bought their first farm in Canterbury, so
that was super exciting and that's really what it's all about,
just backing these fabulous young couples and helping set them
up for the long term.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
It's such a fabulous opportunity to be able to buy
your first farm as well. What a prize. It's absolutely
incredible and I'd imagine it would have been incredibly hard
to choose from the caliber. If it's anything to judge
by who won these awards that was put their names
forward for that one as well.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Ah, just so hard. They're all incredible. They're all incredible
because they've had to be part of the awards to
actually to qualify for this one, so you can imagine
they were great and motivated and inspirational. I just yeah,
just great.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
The other award I just want to mention, of course,
is the Fonterra Dairy Management Award, and I interviewed Laura
mcconachey at the start of the week on the podcast.
What an incredible young woman she is. I think she's
got a big future ahead of her. And of course
seeing two other women on the podium for that award
as well.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
I know what an inspiration, isn't it. I mean I
just think, you know, all young women can look there
and just go I can be then. It's just fabulous
and I hope that really gets people motivated to just
do as well as they have. Yeah, they are an inspiration,
that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Oh absolutely. I mean, congratulations to Miriam and Annie who
are also on the podium. Was I mean, it was
fantastic And of course Stacey and Scott mcarith, two other
very talented people. Like I said, I would not want
a job on that judging table. I'd imagine it was
incredibly tough.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
It's tough, but it's also just you know, like I said,
a tonic, you know that you just see this incredible talent.
So it's awesome. What a great problem to have.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Oh, Deiri's definitely got a great future ahead of it,
if that award is anything to judge it by Lisa,
thank you so much for chatting to us today and
I'm sure will talk again soon.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Yeah, thank you so much. Kaki Ko
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