Customer incentives to boost Fonterra farmers this season
Next month Fonterra farmers can apply to receive customer funding for solutions designed to drive on-farm efficiency gains and reduce emissions intensity.
Farmers can apply to receive a reimbursement on certain on-farm solutions of up to $1,500 for their farm, as long as they achieve the Co-operative Difference in 2025/26.
Based on 2023/24 data, Fonterra expects this to be over 85% of farmers.
The funding is part of a wider package of customer incentives announced earlier this year, funded through separate agreements with Mars and Nestlé.
Group Director for Fonterra Farm Source, Anne Douglas, says the on-farm solutions put forward have been selected based on farmer feedback.
“When we announced the new incentives in February, we asked farmers what on-farm solutions the customer funding should cover.”
“What we’ve selected is based on that feedback, as well as the fact that they are results-driven, widely available, easy to use and help drive emissions efficiency.”
Included in the funded solutions are a range of animal performance tools from LIC and CRV, as well as pasture and data optimisation tools and on-farm planting to improve carbon sequestration.
This will benefit a large group of farmers by supporting them to further improve efficiency gains and emissions intensity reductions, which will in turn help us make progress towards our Co-op’s on-farm emissions target.
“We’re pleased to be working closely with a range of providers to deliver on-farm solutions this season,” says Anne.
“These will benefit a large group of farmers by supporting them to further improve efficiency gains and emissions intensity reductions, which will in turn help us make progress towards our Co-op’s on-farm emissions target.”
To be eligible for the funding for on-farm solutions, farmers need to achieve any level of the Co-operative Difference in 2025/26 and meet the Terms and Conditions for the initiative.
The confirmed list of customer-funded on-farm solutions for the 2025/26 season includes:
Animal performance – through LIC & CRV
- 4th and subsequent herd tests
- BVD tissue testing for animals less than 12 months
- Johne’s disease testing carried out on milk samples
- Genomic testing
- Sexed semen services
Pasture optimisation
- Pasture.io. subscription
- Aimer subscription
Data optimisation
- FarmIQ subscription
- Trev subscription
Carbon sequestration
- On-farm planting using a nursery/provider of your choice