We run a variety of programmes for deep innovation in our sectors

Pāmu is aiming to rear all calves born on its dairy farms by 2030. Dairy beef means calves are not processed as very young animals, but instead are raised for meat production.

Pāmu is currently raising 50% of the calves produced by our dairy herds. The next milestone is 75% raised by the end of FY26. We acknowledge that the final 20% will be the most challenging.

Aotearoa New Zealand dairy products are valued as most of our cows live outside and graze on grass, rather than indoors as in many other countries. One of the challenges of our more natural farming system is most calves are born in spring, and this means a lot of calves will need to be reared at the same time which means big changes to farm systems, and new skills to be developed, from calf rearing, to forage and finishing, to processing.

Pāmu (Landcorp Farming Ltd), the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Focus Genetics, a Pāmu subsidiary, with support from AgResearch, have joined forces on the innovative ‘Sheep of the Future’ programme.

The vision includes finer wool genetics (20-25 micron) that can be farmed beyond the arid areas that have traditionally been the home for Merino sheep, heat tolerant no-wool genetics that can be farmed in the growing sub-tropical northern regions and continued advances in strong wool breeds. This will lead to increased disease tolerance, low-input traits to make farming less costly, continued breeding selection for animal growth and meat quality traits, and for rumen function with lower levels of methane emission.

The project, partially funded through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, is expected to run until 2029. The collaboration sees an injection of $10.5 million which will enable benchmarking, breed comparisons, research on new traits, and breeding programmes to develop fine-wool and no-wool sheep in New Zealand.

At Pāmu farm Thornicroft, the team is working with a fine-wool breeding flock alongside a control Romney line, while the no-wool breeding flock is being run at Pāmu farm Kapiro in KeriKeri. Measurements for production, reproduction, survival, disease, and fine- or no-wool attributes are being conducted, along with methane and feed efficiency.

Since 2016 Pāmu has been investing in organic dairy farming. Pāmu operates with the belief that environmentally sound farming practices create the highest-quality natural products. Pāmu identified that a shift to organic milk supply had the potential to lower the environmental footprint, but the premiums for organic milk would mean no loss in commercial viability.

Today we have a total of 11 farms and three runoffs, based in Wairākei near Taupō, and Moutoa in the lower North Island. We have 6,430 cows on 4,190ha across these farms, making Pāmu the largest organic dairy farmer in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Pāmu Deer Milk offers exquisite flavours and is a sophisticated ingredient with endless possibilities. Clinical trials have also found consuming Pāmu Deer Milk improves muscle mass and physical performance.

Read more this on the Pāmu Deer Milk website.