Rural Delivery - First Episode

Television (Full Length Episode) – 2005

Getting maximum results from cattle and dairy herds is the theme of the first episode of Rural Delivery, a magazine-style series focussing on the agribusiness sector. The first story is set in Ruakura where a scientific trial into extended lactation using 56 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows has delivered promising results. Northland cattle farmer Alec Jack discusses the challenges of sourcing quality calves. There's a market update and a weather report, and presenter Roger Bourne interviews CEO-turned-educator David Irving about business learning centre The Icehouse, whose agribusiness programme upskills farmers.

We've found that when you go and buy a 100 kg calf at the weaner fair you really don't know whether it was born at 35 kgs or whether it was born at 45 to 50, and its those big, heavy calves that have the real growth potential and the potential to make us more money, quickly.
– Northand beef farmer Alec Jack on his struggle to find good breeding stock