Talking Dairy

Precision Dairy Farming Series: Revisit the highlights and join the conversations shaping dairy tomorrow | Ep. 1

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Whether you joined us in Christchurch or couldn’t make it, this episode is your chance to relive the energy and insights from the 2025 Precision Dairy Farming Conference. Hear from Dr Nicolas Lyons, Dr Callum Eastwood, and Dr Jenny Jago as they reflect on the event. 

If you were there, you’ll enjoy revisiting the highlights and hearing what stood out. If you missed it, you’ll get to hear from a range of speakers, their research and the ideas shaping the future of dairy. 

This conversation kicks off the Precision Dairy Farming podcast series, packed with practical insights from farmers, researchers, and innovators.  

View the highlights, proceedings and more from the conference here 

 

Meet the scientists: 

Dr Nicolas Lyons
Dr Callum Eastwood 
Dr Jenny Jago 

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at talkingdairy@dairynz.co.nz

Connect with DairyNZ

Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected



SPEAKER_02:

Ki ora and welcome back to Talking Dairy. I'm Jack McGowan. Today we're kicking off something a bit special, the first episode in our Precision Dairy Farming podcast series. If you were at the Precision Dairy Farming Conference in Christchurch at the beginning of December 2025, you'll know it was packed full of insights, fresh ideas, and plenty of forward-looking conversations about where technology is taking our dairy sector. And if you missed it, don't worry, this series is designed to bring the best of the event straight to you. Over the next few episodes, we'll be sharing highlights from keynote speakers, researchers, and farmers who are already putting precision tech to work on their farms. To help set the scene for what's ahead, I've got three familiar and very insightful guests with me today Dr. Nico Lyons, Dr. Callum Eastwood, and Dr. Jenny Jago, who were all key organizers and contributors behind the Precision Dairy Farming Conference. They've had a front row seat to the conversations shaping the future of dairy. And today we're digging into what stood out, what surprised them, and what you can expect from the rest of this series. Let's get into it. Okay, you were at the center of organizing and delivering this year's Precision Dairy Farming Conference. Before we get into the detail, what were your favorite moments from the event?

SPEAKER_00:

So I'll give it a start, Jack. Probably the highlight of the event was the energy and the level of support from people interested in the topic. It was great to bring together researchers wanting to share the work that they've been involved in doing, farmers interested in what the future of dairy might hold, but also commercial companies that sponsored and exhibited at the event, trying to showcase what they're doing and be part of the conversation. That created like an interesting mix of people over these three days, that I think was probably the highlight to me of the event. Thanks, Nico.

SPEAKER_03:

Jenny? Similar. It was the positive buzz. There was a lot of optimism, a lot of energy, and a lot of excitement. And one farmer said to me it was just great to go to a conference that was forward-looking and positive. I think the other thing was the live learning that was going on. So you had farmers there just so willingly sharing their learning and their expectations for the future. You had scientists working away on the cutting edge and the veterinarians and those that were advising farmers, you know, wrangling large data sets and trying to make sense of it all. So it's just a whole lot of live learning going on. Thank you. And Callum?

SPEAKER_01:

For me, it was some of the keynote speakers that we had invited. It takes quite a bit of effort to get them to New Zealand. So we had Jal Derea talking about computer vision, artificial intelligence, David Rose from the UK talking about adoption and how farmers use technology. And then our own Mike Juke from Waikato University talking about how you might take the learnings from robotics in horticulture and bring them to dairy. So, yeah, some really thought-provoking stuff.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you, Callum. Nico, talk us through the scale of this year's event, like the number of attendees, where people came from, and what that level of interest tells us about where precision dairy farming is heading.

SPEAKER_00:

So we started around 18 months ago trying to organize this event. And one of the big questions is always will people support the event, travel to New Zealand, come to an event like this? It is a bit of a niche topic, and we thought we could pull it together and there would be interest in the event. And we were targeting kind of upwards of 250 people. We were lucky enough to get kind of over 400 people. And as I said before, a mixture of there was kind of almost 90 New Zealand dairy farmers, there was 15, 20 Australian dairy farmers, there was advisors, researchers, students, industry people, government people. So a real interesting mix. There were people from 22 countries, so I would say every continent was represented in there. And again, this brings an interesting mix because everybody is kind of sharing and learning from each other. And that really makes it the largest precision dairy farming conference that has ever happened before. So there have been three editions before, and the maximum amount of people that we had brought together in those events was in Austria in 2022, where there was 370 people. But that was an event that was kind of the International Precision Dairy Farming Conference, together with the European Conference for Precision Livestock Farming, that brings different species together. So for us, it's it's really special that we've been able to get that attention and bring kind of the conversation to New Zealand. And I think it shows that people that are either working or considering or interested or intrigued in precision dairy farming are really wanting to come together to share and learn from each other and be part of that conversation.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you. Callum, what trends or themes came through strongly this year that farmers should be paying attention to?

SPEAKER_01:

Today you're going to get sick of me talking about data and artificial intelligence. But um one of the main themes I saw was the use of wearables and the data that came out of wearables. If you look back at some of the previous precision dairy conferences, it wasn't so prevalent. A lot of talks around wearable technology and the role of I'm not just the farmer, but advisors, vets, consultants in using that data. So that was quite novel. There was a lot of talks on artificial intelligence, computer vision. I think that's a little bit different from three years ago. And looking forward three years, I wonder whether we'll see more on robotics and the intersection between AI and robotics.

SPEAKER_02:

Why the sudden interest in wearables or this increased interest in wearable technology and data? I mean, we've had it for a while.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I think internationally, this is an international conference. So internationally, you know, European farmers have been using wearables in their systems. Probably, you know, the last conference was three years ago. In that time, we've seen a lot of adoption in New Zealand. There was a lot of New Zealand-based work at this conference around that.

SPEAKER_02:

And Jenny, you delivered the keynote on unlocking the potential of technology in New Zealand's unique dairy landscape. What were your key takeaways?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, it was a good challenge, an opportunity for me to think about what's special or different about the New Zealand environment, especially when there was a global audience, and I said, What could we all learn from us as like a subset of the global system? My main points were that there are some special attributes or some features in our system which have a big influence on which technologies get developed and which gets adopted at scale. And those are things like our strong pastoral farming system, things we just take for granted, but they really have a big impact. Our export focus, the fact that we're in a free market environment, our very already highly labour-efficient systems, and really importantly, our collaborative or cooperative spirit that operates in New Zealand. And all those things have had a really big impact on technologies that have succeeded in the past in the pre-digital era, and that as we go forward, they will still play a big role in which of the digital technologies get adopted at scale as we move into the future. For example, things like the economics of precision technologies and their ease of use. We heard a lot from farmers about how important those two things were, and that's backed up by the research. And that's part of the environment that we are operating in. My second point was that farmers have really got to be kept at the center of the whole development process. And it was so good to see such a strong involvement from farmers in the conference and that connection to developers and support people, I guess. And so just really keeping farmers at the center because it keeps the development real and they are the ultimate decision makers. And I love the phrase, someone said that precision is a collaboration, and that really was a key takeout for me. The other thing I focused on was that we've gone through an era of generating a lot of data. And as precision technology scientists, we're great at doing that, but we've really got to push into that, taking that data into actionable insights, because that's what farmers are looking for. So that's the big challenge, and you can see it starting to happen now in a lot of instances, but we really need to ramp that effort up because that's what farmers really want. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02:

Speaking of farmers, what did you hear from farmers themselves? Either in questions or side conversations, panel sessions, that gives you a sense of what they're excited about or perhaps still unsure about when it comes to precision tech?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, for me, it was how precision technology can take the load off farmers, both from a physical sense, but also from a mental sense, that mental load, and that's really in supporting decision making. We heard that they want precision tech to, you know, be their sort of sidekick in that something to help prompt their thinking. They can access information quickly, use insights before they make the final decision. So they want to stay in the driver's seat, but they really want to have access to all those insights and information that Precision Tech can give them.

SPEAKER_01:

We've had a few really interesting conversations after the conference from farmers sort of saying, you know, we have a lot of this technology, we have data, what can we do to get more out of it? And I guess how can DairyNZ work alongside us? So we've got some potentially interesting research to do about how you pull data together, use artificial intelligence and things like that to get the most out of this new wave of data.

SPEAKER_00:

And Nico? It was great to see the number of farms that attended. And again, they represented different regions across New Zealand and kind of other parts of the world, different systems, different views. It was great to see that interaction and see them thinking, questioning, networking with the whole attendees there. It's one of those conferences that it's a mixture of science and on-farm practice. So there were some things that were tangible things that farmers could pick up and think or apply today around how do they manage or look at data or who do they bring on board to look at adopting technology. And there were other things that you could see them really thinking about okay, how do I prepare myself, my farm, my team to be better prepared to grasp this opportunity when it comes. So I think it's it's that stretching of what could be possible. Some conversations I had was around also, they were really almost like confident that there's a lot of people working to support them to run profitable businesses, and a lot of people really working hard kind of across the world to solve some of these challenges. There was also some conversations around potential opportunities to collaborate and really learn from each other. Uh, because again, there was a lot of shared challenges and opportunities over those three days.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you, Nico. And you just spoke about the mix of things that were implementable now and also what's possible in the future. Callum, were there any examples shared at the event that really showed precision tech delivering value on farm right now?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, here's where I go on about data. But um I think, like Jenny said, it is all about data and the most interesting talks were around how you deal with that data and how it can be actually useful for farmers. So one of the presentations was from the Netherlands about how you pulled different streams of data together. In their case, they developed uh methane breeding value much faster than you would have traditionally through the use of the data. And I guess another key area for me around value now was that wearables area where we really saw how the advisors were helping farmers get more out of their investment in wearables, and particularly the pre-mating period. So using the data to look at what's happening in the herd that's leading up to mating and identify issues there.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, Nico, this episode is setting up a whole series of conversations. What can listeners expect in the next few episodes? Who are we hearing from and what kind of insights will they get?

SPEAKER_00:

The program of the conference was a really a jam-packed program. There was almost kind of 120 talks over those days, many concurrent sessions. So you always wanted to be kind of in the room next door, but you cannot be everywhere. So hopefully this series provides a sneak peek and some idea and highlights of some of the main topics. There's a range of speakers, kind of farmers, researchers, advisors talking about some of the range of topics that were covered over those days. Hopefully, it gets people kind of interested and excited about what we covered. The proceedings of the conference are available online on the Darien Set website. So that's where the abstracts and a bit more information of all the talks are in there. But hopefully this series of podcasts gives a bit more detail about some of those topics. So hopefully people find it exciting and interesting.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, I'm sure they will. I I mean it was certainly hard to pick the speakers, and a lot of those interviews are still sitting with me, turning over in my mind.

SPEAKER_03:

There really was something there for everyone. And so, you know, hopefully the podcast series is dipped into the different flavors of what we heard from the conference. So it depends what you're interested in. If you really want to get an insight into how scientists are using data and really speeding up that innovation process, then you know, I'd go to Claudia's work from Bargaining and University. Claudia actually spent some time in Dairy and Z 10, 15 years ago, so it was great to have her back. If you're curious about what other farmers are doing with precision tech, then definitely go to the one with Stu Taylor and Sean Roskin from the farmer panel. That's a really, really good insights as to what farmers are doing and thinking. And if you want a view from a different sector, say horticulture and how they have been using precision technology and their views on how dairy could do the same, definitely go to Mike Duke. He's from University of Waikedo. He was super animated about the potential and got all excited about virtual fencing. So, yeah, definitely go and check that one out.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, where do you see the biggest opportunities for New Zealand farmers as precision dairy tech becomes more accessible?

SPEAKER_03:

So I know we've got all excited, but I think for me it's coming back to the fundamentals of pasture cost of production and really focusing on those, but using our data to fine-tune our operations and power up our people through the ability to give decision support. That's one thing. I think the other thing is I'm super excited about how the next generation or the new generation of farmers coming through, which, you know, they're digital natives, how they're going to really use these technologies.

SPEAKER_01:

On my theme, I just think it's exciting. We have an opportunity about how we put the data back in the hands of farmers. And I think some of the tools that are coming along with artificial intelligence and the extra skills in our advisory sector is going to help with that. We're really getting somewhere, I think, with data interoperability. But it's exciting that we may be able to sort of pull these threads together so farmers can look in their own farm context what their opportunities are.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and using AI to pull that data together in ways that previously we've had to rely on scientists to do it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And Nico. So for me, it's as it was mentioned before, that we've made huge progress in this area, in in a couple of of these areas, but there's still work to be done. So probably some of my take-home is um keep an open mind, everybody involved in this area, be curious, but also kind of get into it, try to play a bit with it and kind of explore. And that's a mixture of from us societies, working with farmers to understand the problem, kind of co-developing, from commercial companies, kind of again, opening up the game a bit for farmers, learning from each other of what could be possible. I agree with Jenny, the fundamentals around what makes New Zealand dairy strong around pasture-based, seasonal carving, kind of export-focused, people at the center. I think those principles still apply. So to me, it's about being curious, being open, and trying to find opportunities to work together to continue progressing this area.

SPEAKER_02:

Brilliant. Thank you, Nico. And that wraps up our first episode in the Precision Dairy Farming series. A huge thank you to Nico, Callum, and Jenny for taking the time to share their reflections and help set the stage for what's coming. If you were at the conference, we hope this brought back a few highlights. And if you weren't able to join us, this series will make sure you don't miss out with practical insights from keynote speakers and presenters who are pushing the boundaries of what's possible in dairy. Make sure you follow the Talking Dairy podcast so you don't miss the next episodes. We've got some great conversations coming that will give you ideas, tools, and confidence to explore tech in a way that makes sense for your farm. Thanks for listening, and we'll catch you next time on Talking Dairy. Matewa. If you'd like to get connected with DariNZ's latest advice, research, tools, and resources, whether it's reading, scrolling, listening, or in person, you can visit dairynz.co.nz forward slash get connected, and don't forget to hit follow to keep up to date with our latest episodes. As always, if you have any feedback on this podcast or have some ideas for future topics or guests, please email us at talkingdairy at dairynz.co.nz. Thanks for listening and we'll catch you next time on Talking Dairy.