ON FARM » Emlyn & Hilary Francis
Business Rural
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New conversion vote of confidence in dairy farming Karen Phelps Emlyn and Hilary Francis haven’t let the low dairy prices dampen their enthusiasm for the dairy industry. The couple has just converted a 160ha/180ha effective total farm near their Culverden based home farm to dairy. They are in their first real season (they milked for one month last autumn) milking a herd of 630 crossbred cows through a 54 bail rotary shed with the help of contract milker Kane McCarthy, who has worked for the couple in various roles for ten years. Emlyn says this has been one of the positive aspects of growing their business – providing a means for talented staff to move ahead in their careers. Emma Gibb, who has worked for the couple for five years, progressing in that time from calf rearer to the new farm manager of the home farm, is another case in point. “Our business is about people,” says Emlyn. “It’s been really satisfying to see people progress through the system on our farms.” The couple’s company, Kenmare Dairy Ltd, also owns their 630ha home farm, which milks the remainder of their herd which totals 2170 cows. The farm has an 80 bail rotary shed and employs nine staff and a maintenance manager who works across both farms. Despite markedly increasing their business in arguably one of the worst times for the dairy industry in recent years the couple remain upbeat. “It’s a temporary glitch,” says Emlyn. “We’re being prudent around our spending but we don’t want to penalise cow condition or mating performance in a knee jerk reaction to a temporary drop.” He acknowledges the fact they have been farming for a long time as a plus. Emlyn grew up on a dairy farm south of Te Awamutu and completed a bachelor of commerce and agriculture at Lincoln University but says he never intended to be a dairy farmer. “In the mid 80s it wasn’t a good choice,” he says. But after travelling overseas for several years he
changed his mind on returning to New Zealand and started his career as a farm assistant on a 900-cow unit at Culverden in 1992 for Norm Williamson at Pahau Reserve. Emlyn says it was one of the first dairy farms in the region and he followed this up with a contract milking position for Applefields near Oamaru, milking 360 cows for two years. He progressed to a lower order sharemilker position in Culverden with Applefields with Hilary who had joined him in life and the business. The couple milked 450 cows for two years then switched to a 600-cow farm for the same company, 50:50 sharemilking for another two years. In 1999 they moved to a farm owned by Hilary’s parents, Dougal and Diane Norrie, sharemilking for two years before joining the Norries in an equity partnership in Kenmare Dairy Ltd. In 2006 Emlyn and Hilary purchased Kenmare Dairy Ltd. They say this season they are cost cutting where possible including an electromagnetic map of their farms, which will allow them to apply fertiliser at a variable rate only where necessary. Emlyn hopes this will result in considerable cost savings and will also demonstrate the couple’s desire to farm in an environmentally sustainable manner. They are minimising repairs and maintenance on their farms and say the current low bank interest rates are helping them cope with the temporary downturn in the dairy industry. Their home farm is also self-contained system, where the entire milking herd remains on the farm year round, which is assisting their budgeting. Young stock are contract reared off-farm. Both Emlyn and Hilary take an active role in their farms. Hilary is heavily involved in the selection of staff and administration, drawing up job descriptions, employment agreements and rosters. They have three children Lewys, 15, Isaac, 12 and Annie, 8. Their production target this season across both farms is 975,000kg MS and Emlyn hasn’t ruled out the possibility of continued growth. “We enjoy challenges so who knows. There is potential to expand the home farm and we’d quite like to put another dairy shed on it and another centre pivot. About 580ha is irrigated at the moment and we could increase that to 630ha. We remain optimistic about the future of dairy.”
For a more efficient farm dairy We are the specialists in milking parlour design and construction
For a more efficient farm dairy
Annie Francis with pet calf caramel at a school pet parade.
We are the specialists in milking parlour design and construction Proudly Supporting
For a more efficient farm dairy
Emlyn Francis
For a more efficient farm dairy We are the specialists in milking parlour design and construction
We are the specialists in milking parlour design and construction
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56 St Leonards Rd,Culverden Ph: 03 315 3033 – F: 03 315 8413
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