Pāmu (Landcorp Farming Limited) is inviting farmers, rural professionals, and industry stakeholders to Exeter Calf Rearing Facility near Taupō on Thursday 29 October for a day of practical discussion, shared learning, and on-farm insights into the future of beef-on-dairy.
Titled Beef-on-Dairy: Creating Value from Calf to Market, the event will follow the journey from breeding and genetics through to calf rearing, finishing systems, and market opportunities, bringing together farmers, industry experts, and partners to explore both the opportunities and challenges of scaling dairy beef in New Zealand.
Pāmu leaders and farm teams will be joined by expert speakers from LIC and Silver Fern Farms, along with representatives from DairyNZ, the Dairy Beef Opportunities programme, LIFT, VetPlus and Focus Genetics.
Visitors will take part in three interactive rotations covering genetics, calf rearing, and the pathway through to finishing and markets.
"Our goal of rearing all dairy-born calves by 2030 has demanded significant change across our farming systems, infrastructure, and partnerships," says Pāmu Chief Executive Mark Leslie.
"The Exeter Open Day is an opportunity to open the gates, share what we're learning, and have grounded conversations with farmers and industry about how we work together to create more value from every calf."
Discussions will cover genetics - including the Synergizer™ - and breeding decisions, calf sourcing, animal health and welfare, biosecurity, finishing performance, animal flows, and emerging market opportunities, with a focus on the practical realities of making beef-on-dairy work at scale.
A key theme of the day will be the importance of collaboration across the value chain. Farmers, breeders, rearers, finishers, processors, and industry partners all have a role to play in building a sustainable and profitable dairy-beef sector. Visitors will hear from initiatives including the Dairy Beef Opportunities programme and LIFT, which are helping address challenges across genetics, pasture productivity, finishing systems, supply chain development and market opportunities, demonstrating how a coordinated approach can help unlock further growth.
Based near Taupō, Exeter sits at the heart of the Pāmu beef-on-dairy programme. The facility is on target to rear around 2000 autumn calves and 4300 this spring, which move through Pāmu finishing systems around the country. This is a fundamental part of the 2030 strategy that has seen Pāmu rear 72.2% of calves in FY26 and tracking at more than 79% at this stage in the FY27 season.
Whether guests are already involved in beef-on-dairy and looking to learn more, or interested in thinking about where the sector is heading, the open day offers an opportunity to connect with others across the industry, see systems in action, and join the conversation about the future of beef-on-dairy in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Gates open at 10.30am with coffee thanks to LIC, and the event winds up at 2pm with a lunch thanks to Silver Fern Farms. The event is free, and registration is essential.
https://www.pamunewzealand.com/community/open-farm-days
About the Dairy Beef Opportunities Programme
The Dairy Beef Opportunities (DBO) programme is a joint initiative by New Zealand’s dairy and beef industries and the New Zealand Government to grow the country’s dairy-beef sector, create new revenue opportunities for farmers and strengthen the efficiency and sustainability of the wider livestock industry. The Programme aims to unlock more value from non-replacement dairy calves by strengthening dairy-beef integration and developing innovative, New Zealand-focused pathways for raising them for beef.
DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, the Meat Industry Association, and Dairy Companies of New Zealand have jointly developed the Dairy Beef Opportunities (DBO) Programme, co-funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries. https://www.dairynz.co.nz/research/science-projects/dairy-beef-opportunities/
About the Livestock Innovation Farming Transformation (LIFT) Programme
The LIFT Programme is a five-year, Primary Sector Growth Fund co-invested initiative led by Pāmu Landcorp Farming Limited and industry partners to validate and scale farm system change enabled by wearable and virtual fencing technologies in sheep and beef systems.
Bringing together farmers, researchers and industry partners, the programme supports the development and adoption of practical tools, research and farm system innovations that help improve animal performance, pasture utilisation and finishing outcomes. By helping farmers produce more high-quality feed and finish cattle more efficiently, LIFT aims to strengthen the long-term sustainability and value of dairy-beef production in Aotearoa New Zealand.
https://www.pamunewzealand.com/innovation/lift-livestock-innovation-farming-transformation
