Bringing together farm performance data
The Farm Monitoring and Benchmarking Project started in 2020. The project involves collecting data from 5 types of farms:
- dairy
- sheep and beef
- deer
- arable
- horticulture.
It brings together information about their performance and covers their:
- production
- environment
- finances.
For some farm types, this is a first.
Good data will help farmers
Quality farm data helps decision-making. Information from this project will enable farmers and growers to:
- be more profitable
- farm even more sustainably
- improve farm management
- meet new environment regulations
- reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
The data will also help government and industry groups. They'll be better able to work out the impacts of policy changes.
How the farm data is being collected
Industry groups like DairyNZ will send us anonymous data. Up to 1,600 farms will take part. Those farms will get a package of:
- business data
- environment planning support
- tailored recommendations for improving their farm performance.
About 900 will also get a farm environment plan.
The groups collecting the data
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is working with:
- Beef + Lamb New Zealand
- Deer Industry NZ
- DairyNZ
- the Foundation for Arable Research
- horticulture groups.
Farm data builds picture of performance – Case study [PDF, 437 KB]
Other benefits from the project
Having robust farm data will help with:
For information and advice on how to move towards more productive and sustainable land practices, email onfarmsupport@mpi.govt.nz
Who to contact
If you have questions about the project, email info@mpi.govt.nz
