DairyNZ sets six priorities to unlock dairy sector growth

DairyNZ is calling on political parties to commit to six practical policy priorities it says are needed to unlock growth in New Zealand’s largest export sector and give dairy farmers the confidence to keep investing in productivity, sustainability and regional communities.

With the 2026 General Election approaching, DairyNZ is arguing that ambitions to grow the New Zealand economy need to be matched by policy settings that allow one of the country’s largest productive sectors to continue investing.

The dairy sector contributes more than $28.6 billion in export earnings each year, directly employs around 51,800 people and underpins communities throughout New Zealand. DairyNZ says political parties serious about growing the economy need to support policy settings that allow the sector to remain productive, internationally competitive and resilient.

Its six priorities cover resource management and freshwater, biosecurity, workforce capability, science and technology, low-emissions technology and rural infrastructure, and animal welfare.

Developed with farmers and informed by science and on-farm expertise, the priorities focus on areas where DairyNZ believes practical and evidence-based policy can provide greater certainty, encourage investment and support the long-term performance of the sector.

DairyNZ Chair Tracy Brown says the election presents an opportunity for political parties to match their economic growth ambitions with policies that give farmers the confidence to invest.

“If New Zealand wants stronger economic growth, it needs policies that support the industries delivering it.

“Dairy farmers have consistently shown they’re willing to invest in productivity, environmental improvements and innovation. But continued investment depends on policy settings that are practical, predictable and grounded in evidence.”

At the top of DairyNZ’s priorities is getting resource management and freshwater systems right. Environmental regulation has a significant influence on how dairy businesses operate and invest, and DairyNZ is calling for an approach that allows farmers to continue improving environmental outcomes while providing greater certainty around the rules they are expected to meet.

Biosecurity is another major priority, with DairyNZ calling for a strong and properly funded biosecurity system. For an industry built around livestock production and agricultural exports, preventing and responding effectively to incursions remains fundamental to protecting individual farming businesses and the wider economy.

Strengthening the dairy workforce is also central to the organisation’s election platform. Dairy remains a significant employer, particularly in regional New Zealand, and having access to the people and skills required to operate increasingly sophisticated farming businesses is an important part of maintaining productivity and supporting future growth.

Science and innovation form another part of that equation. DairyNZ wants the next Government to boost science funding and accelerate the uptake of new technology, recognising that improvements in productivity and environmental performance increasingly depend on getting practical research and new technologies from development into commercial farming systems.

That extends into DairyNZ’s fifth priority, which combines support for low-emissions technology with investment in rural infrastructure. Farmers are increasingly being asked to reduce the environmental footprint of their businesses, but achieving that while maintaining production will depend on practical technologies becoming available and being capable of being adopted on farm.

At the same time, the infrastructure supporting rural businesses remains an important part of productivity. DairyNZ’s position is that creating the conditions for continued investment requires attention not only to what happens inside the farm gate, but also to the infrastructure and technology that allow modern farming businesses to operate effectively.

The final priority is maintaining strong animal welfare rules, ensuring New Zealand continues to have robust standards while those rules remain practical and workable within farming systems.

Together, DairyNZ says the six priorities would support a dairy sector that remains productive and globally competitive while continuing to improve its environmental footprint through science, innovation and practical policy.

Brown says certainty around those settings matters because investment decisions on farms are often made over many years rather than a single season.

“When farmers have confidence in the policy environment, they’re more willing to invest in new technology, improve environmental performance and build resilient businesses. A lack of certainty on policy settings mean investment decisions become harder, slowing the pace of innovation and growth.”

That relationship between policy certainty and investment sits at the centre of DairyNZ’s election message.

Government decisions influence almost every part of a modern dairy business, from freshwater and environmental regulation through to biosecurity, access to skilled workers, infrastructure and the availability of new technology. DairyNZ argues that poorly designed or uncertain policy can make farmers more cautious about committing capital, while practical and predictable settings provide greater confidence to invest.

The organisation also wants farmers’ practical experience to play a greater role in those decisions. Through its work with farmers across New Zealand, DairyNZ says it sees how regulatory and policy decisions translate into changes at farm level, and its election priorities are intended to ensure that on-farm expertise is reflected in the policies developed by the next Government.

For Brown, however, the argument extends beyond the performance of individual dairy farms.

“Backing dairy isn’t just about supporting farmers. It’s about strengthening regional communities, growing export earnings and helping New Zealand build a more productive economy.”

With more than $28 billion in annual export earnings and tens of thousands of people directly employed by the sector, DairyNZ is positioning dairy policy as part of the wider economic debate heading into the election rather than simply a collection of agricultural issues.

Its message to political parties is that productivity, environmental performance and economic growth do not need to be competing objectives, but achieving all three requires policy that gives farmers enough certainty to continue investing.