The Muster- James Burrows: Dairy NZ

James Burrows of Dairy NZ looks ahead to events that are coming up in the south.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Welcome back to the muster James Burrows as area manager
for derryan Z based through the North and Central Otago regions.
His debut appearance on the Mustard this afternoon. James, welcome, thank.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
You, thank you. Good to be good to be on
and catch up.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Yeah yeah, okay, James. A bit of background about yourself, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
No, too easy. So I'm Canterbury born and bred in
North Canterbury. So I started actually with Darry and Zid
in the South. I did three years up there out
of university, then did a year overseas working in the UK,

(00:56):
and then came back to the family farm. Was there
for nine years and really loved it. Wasn't the idea
to give it up. But my wife and her family's
all based in Central Otago and she got the opportunity
to sit up and run a bar and restaurant down here.

(01:18):
So that's how I find myself and Alexandra of all
places now so yeah, no, good to see a bit
of sun after a bit of a dull winter and
slow spring and never ending when it seems around here.
So yeah, happy to be here now, I.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
Say, predominantly from a dairy farming background.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Then yeah, yeah, so my family. So I was the
fourth generation on our farm and my sister's still there
at the moment. So yeah, we converted that. Oh what
would that be now twenty eight nine years ago? Yeah,

(02:00):
so majority of my life been been involved with dairy.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah, so what is your role as such of Dairy
and Z being area manager? What does it entail?

Speaker 2 (02:12):
So we are, I guess the simplest way of putting
it is where the link between farmers and what happens
in the background in terms of science and research and
development and policy. So we sort of act as that
that middle middle person and try and convey what what

(02:34):
is happening behind the scenes, because there's a lot of
good work and even when you're within the organization of
Dairy and Z, the amount of work that's going on
is this mind bozzling. That's your net daily reminders of
what's going on and what's changing and what's happening. So
trying to trying to be that link, that link person

(02:56):
between what is going on and the farmers who are
all obviously our key contacts.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
Yeah, now it's November, it's all gunnals to the floor.
Is such to coin a phrase. So a lot of
different events going on at the moment I had imagine.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
Yep, So we're coming into our homegrown feed events that
are highly topical at the moment was pastor booming and
gross and a lot of places really starting to finally
hit it straps. So we've got five homegrown event feed
events happening throughout the South and South Otago and North

(03:37):
Otago region. So they start next week and really really
good opportunity to get along and we've got a number
of those events. I've got breakout sessions for junior staff
to help upskill them and also for senior staff sort
of adding that extra bit of knowledge haven't thought of

(04:02):
or haven't come across in a while. So yeah, really
good events and all those details are available on the
darien Z website. But they start next week and flow
into the first week of December.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
It's been another interesting spring down here in the South.
What's the feet situation? Like, what are you hearing?

Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah, I think it's been it's been slow everywhere. The
feed situation finally now is coming. Compans starting to playball,
So we're seeing a lot of contractors around cutting siledge,
cutting bay Ridge, trying to get on top of surflaces,

(04:45):
but like I say at the feedback has been that
hasn't necessarily been as wet as last spring, but growth
is pretty similar. So it has been slow by all accounts,
and that sort of been reflective and Central as well.
It's been a lot slower here whereas North Totago it's

(05:08):
largely been has been slow, but not not to the
extent that it has been seen down in South and
South Otago. Yes, finally starting the playball and we are
seeing surpluses come around. And that's sort of pretty evident
if you're on the roads and you're stuck behind a
tractor or stuck behind a truck, card and silence or

(05:28):
Baylor somewhere. So yeah, finally claim ball.

Speaker 1 (05:32):
James Burrows, area manager for Derry and ZID thanks for
your time on the muster. Good day, Bo, we'll catch
up again, brilliant.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
Thanks for the call and look forward just catching up later.

Speaker 1 (05:43):
James Burrows of Derry and Z. You're listening to the muster.
Before you wrap up, we're away to Hearriet to catch
up with Clayton Peters out of Peter's Genetics