Speaker Details

Hon Andrew Hoggard is the Minister for Biosecurity and Food Safety and the Associate Minister of Agriculture (Animal Welfare, Skills) and for the Environment.

Qualified in Applied Economics, Andrew is a lifelong dairy farmer who worked his way to the role of President of Federated Farmers of New Zealand. He held this role until 2023 and later the same year was elected to Parliament as an ACT Party MP.

Portfolios
Biosecurity – Minister
Food Safety – Minister
Agriculture – Associate Minister
Environment – Associate Minister

Speaking topic:

To be confirmed

Paul, raised on his parents’ Northland dairy farms, is a technology enthusiast whose research in milking systems has driven widespread adoption of flexible milking practices. With a DairyNZ scholarship, he earned a Ph.D. from Massey University in 2013, focusing on efficient farm systems, and thrives on translating data into practical solutions for farmers, relishing their “light bulb moments.”

Passionate about the future, Paul explores farm systems 30 to 40 years ahead, engaging farmers in proactive discussions to foster sustainable innovation. His hands-on roots and forward-thinking approach continue to shape the dairy industry.

Speaking topic:

Milking into the future

During 24 years as a veterinarian in mixed animal practice and business management with the Veterinary Enterprises group, Steve ran PureMilk mastitis consultancy. He then then joined Agrihealth as a technical manager with a focus on veterinary education including mastitis.
Steve has been involved with MilkSmart and the Advanced Mastitis Course and is a member of the National Milk Quality Advisory Council (NMAC). He sits on the technical advisory group for the Veterinary Professional Insurance Society (VPIS) board and acts as an assessor for dairy related insurance claims. Steve is the current president of the Dairy Cattle Veterinary Society and presented at the recent veterinary roadshow on industry changes at drying off.

Speaking topic:

NMAC presentation

Dr. Awilda Baoumgren is the Specialist Adviser for Veterinary Medicine Regulation and Residues in the ACVM team. She completed her doctorate of veterinary medicine in the US in 2004 before relocating to New Zealand, where she worked in mixed animal practice before joining the ACVM team in 2010. Her work in regulation is always driven by a need to make sure that guidance and requirements for vets and those in the primary industries are as clear and practical as possible, that issues and risks are managed effectively, and that vets and farmers have what they need to look after their patients.

Speaking topic:

Managing Agricultural Chemical Exposure on Farm

Tyree specializes in tailoring bespoke educational solutions to meet unique industry needs. With a deep commitment to Agriculture, she constantly looks for ways to train the gaps. Her tutors specialise in Milking Machine Testing, Milk Quality and Grade Troubleshooting, Dairy Systems, Water Supplies, Hydraulic Design and Pump Selection.

Speaking topic:

The value of plugging the gaps in dairy training.

Danyel Hosto (BSc Dairy Science) brings perspectives from a global dairy industry career. With experiences across the dairy value chain, she recognises how behind farm gate impacts the end product. At DeLaval, Danyel focuses on leveraging data and analytics for milk quality and herd management improvements.

Speaking topic:

Getting ahead of the Grade: Analytics to prevent quality issues.

Summary of presentation:
Once the farm has graded, a milk quality issue already exists. How can we prevent these challenges and maintain milk quality before the tanker arrives? Discover tools and analytics to identify cleaning and hygiene challenges in the dairy shed and proactively address them.

Prior to his seven years of auditing experience with QCONZ , Bradley spent five years working and running dairy farms in the Waikato region, giving him a grounded understanding of dairy operations from both sides of the farm gate. Throughout his time at QCONZ, he has audited farms across New Zealand, gaining valuable insights into a wide variety of farming systems and practices. As one of QCONZ’s Key Technical Auditors, Bradley plays a vital role in maintaining high standards and consistency across the audit team.
He is passionate about connecting industry standards with practical, on-farm application. By working closely with farmers and clients, Bradley is able communicate the ‘why’ behind industry changes. Through services like the Farm Dairy Assessment, he focuses on education and delivering real value to the farming sector.

Speaking topic:

A dairy assessment means more than compliance.

Dr Lucy Johnston is the Senior Adviser, Outreach and Training in the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Antimicrobial Resistance team. Lucy was a practising veterinarian in Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand before she joined MPI. Lucy has had roles in ACVM and Biosecurity prior to joining the AMR team in early 2023.

Speaking topic:

Antimicrobial resistance: impacts for the dairy industry.

Summary of the presentation:
Antimicrobial resistance is an ongoing One Health challenge that affects humans, animals, and the environment. Lucy will discuss the impacts of antimicrobial resistance on human and animal health and international trade. She will focus on the New Zealand dairy industry’s use of antibiotics and actions that can help minimise resistance developing to preserve antibiotic effectiveness in the future.

Ryan is a large animal veterinarian at the Veterinary Centre Waimate, working closely with sheep, beef, and dairy farmers throughout the region. With over 17 years of experience, he has seen his role evolve from traditional ambulatory work to a data-driven approach that influences entire farm systems. Following this data trend he pursued advanced studies, earning Membership with the Australia & New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in Veterinary Epidemiology in 2021 before setting up an Agritech advisory service Agvisory in 2023.

Ryan has been a leader in transforming the use of cow wearables data into actionable insights for New Zealand’s seasonal, pasture based Dairy systems. The approach has targeted a combination of benchmarking and real-time reporting to enable farmers to quickly make data driven changes on their farm, reducing the feedback loops that had previously been on an annual cycle down to just days. Used in conjunction with our other traditional data sources, he believes these new technology based insights have the ability to speed up farm efficiency markedly across New Zealand.

Speaking topic:

Wearing more than a collared shirt

Alan Renwick has been Professor of Agriculture Economics at Lincoln University since November 2015. He was brought up on a mixed dairy-cropping farm in Sussex and prior to moving to New Zealand, he worked in academic institutions in England, Scotland and Ireland. He is Co-Director of the LU Centre of Excellence in Transformative Agribusiness and since the beginning of this year he has been Acting Director of the Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit (AERU).

Speaking topic:

What do consumers value from New Zealand dairy?

Summary of the presentation:
The talk will begin by considering what we mean by ‘value’ and what values are embodied in agricultural products.
Drawing on the long history of work by the AERU researching consumer preferences across the globe, insights will then be provided into the value attributed to New Zealand dairy products. The talk will conclude by considering what these insights mean for the future development of NZ Dairy.