DairyNZ said farmers needed to find extra space for calves and prepare staff, as calf sheds come under pressure to maintain shed hygiene and avoid calf sickness.
Meat processors have been flagging the pinch point for some time as a result of Fonterra changing its supply conditions and live cattle exports being banned.
New rules stop the co-op’s suppliers from killing newborn bobby calves on the farm, and they must be given a useful life under new terms of supply.
Meat Industry Association (MIA) industrial operations and innovation manager Richard McColl said the bobby season was already a “short and sharp” time for processors over a busy peak of two to three weeks for each island.
Meat processors had put a lot of time and effort into planning for increased numbers and had worked closely with bodies such as DairyNZ so farmers were aware of possible delays, he said.
“There is potential for increased calf numbers this year, and as a result of that the potential for delays through that big processing period over the calf season.”
Numbers were expected to rise because Fonterra farmers must supply their calves to a value-add chain such as a meat producer or pet food operator, and could no longer “euthanise” them behind the farm gate, he said.
Over the past few years New Zealand had exported about 100,000 yearling cattle, and there was basically no domestic market for the animals now the ban was in place, so they would turn up as bobby calves, McColl said.
There would be a better feel for the extent of delays over the next few weeks, he said.
“I wouldn’t want to put a number on it. Through that peak period, we could see delays and I would like to think that five days is at the upper limit of what we would expect, and maybe one or two days through that peak period depending on numbers, and we don’t have a sense of that at the moment.”
There might be isolated incidents of farmers experiencing longer delays, but he said he would be surprised if bobby calves had to stay on farms for as many as 10 days through the peak.
Some processors had increased staff and plant capacity, but industry labour was in a much better position than this time last year as a result of the freeing of worker immigration rules.
Farmers should book only for calves that needed to be collected, as overbooking could increase delays and they needed to find extra space for calves, DairyNZ said.
Animal care lead adviser Penny Timmer-Arends said calf rearing differed greatly across dairy farms because of varying shed designs, equipment and staff experience.
“We know individual farms are adapting their system and, based on similar delays last season, farmers are seeking out solutions with animal care at the heart of their decision-making.”
DairyNZ has been communicating with farmers since April that there could be processing delays this season in order to give them as much time as possible to plan.
Farmers have been told to have dry loading facilities, as truck drivers would likely leave behind wet or unhealthy calves.
