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Dairy farmers lead the way in winter grazing practices

The Southland App

Environment Southland

22 October 2025, 1:50 AM

Dairy farmers lead the way in winter grazing practicesPhoto: Unsplash, Monika Kubala

The 2025 winter grazing season has highlighted encouraging improvements within the dairy sector, with incident reports showing a shift in focus toward other farming systems.


Of the 77 incidents logged this season, less than a third (28.5%) were related to dairy platforms, an indication that ongoing efforts within the dairy industry to improve winter grazing practices are paying off.


Environment Southland compliance manager Donna Ferguson said the data reflects positively on dairy farmers’ commitment to environmental and animal welfare standards.



“Our compliance teams continue to monitor dairy platforms closely during winter, and it’s clear that the sector is responding well to the expectations around winter grazing,” she said.


“We’re seeing better practices and greater awareness, which is a credit to the industry’s proactive approach.”


Following on from winter grazing investigations there were 33 enforcement outcomes where non-compliance was found.



These comprised of one formal warning, with the rest being letters of advice. Ten of the winter grazing incidents reported remain under investigation.


The rise in overall incident reports from the 44 logged last year, coincides with increased collaboration between agencies and a better engaged community, who are reporting concerns more frequently.


“The enforcement outcomes make up a small percentage of the overall winter grazing activity across the region.



While the rise in incident reports shows that our communities are more informed, empowered, and actively participating in environmental stewardship,” Donna Ferguson said.


“While dairy platforms are showing strong compliance, the data also points to a need for improvement in other farming systems,” she said.


“We’re committed to working with all landowners to ensure winter grazing is managed in a way that protects our soils, waterways, and animal welfare.



Our land sustainability team is available to give farmers one-on-one advice to help with not only winter grazing but also cultivation and other land management activities.”


Winter grazing, when not properly managed, can lead to soil compaction, nutrient runoff, and other environmental effects.


These remain a key focus for Environment Southland as it continues to support sustainable farming practices.


Environment Southland will continue to support landowners with their winter grazing practices, including through monitoring and compliance, to ensure that any environmental risks are mitigated.


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