Behind the scenes

How RVC Is Working for Dairy Farmers Beyond the Farm Gate

Our very own John Spearpoint was recently elected to the New Zealand Veterinary Association’s Dairy Cattle Veterinarians (DCV) executive committee - and it’s worth explaining what that actually means for farmers in this region.

The committee works directly with MPI, DairyNZ, Fonterra, Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ), Federated Farmers, and the Veterinary Council of New Zealand on animal health, welfare, biosecurity, and how veterinary practice is regulated. These are the main stakeholders that shape the rules and initiatives our business and your operation have to work within. Having a vet from RVC on that committee means someone with farm and veterinary experience is around the table when those decisions get made.

On-Farm Research and Clinical Trials

Beyond policy, RVC is also involved in work closer to the ground. We continue to play an active role in on farm research and clinical trials. These projects allow us to evaluate new technologies, medicines, and novel approaches to animal health before they become widely available. The practical benefit is regional data that supports better decision-making on what actually works here, on farms like yours, in this climate and system.

Biosecurity: Being Ready Before It Matters

John, Tristan and Lucie have recently been appointed by MPI and the Director-General to the VetNet-Biosecurity programme. This is a national network of 200 private vets trained and ready for rapid field deployment if an exotic disease outbreak occurs.

A foot-and-mouth outbreak would cost New Zealand an estimated $14.3 billion annually to the farming economy. When something like that hits, the response in the first hours and days matters enormously. Having local vets already trained, already embedded in their region, and already familiar with the farms and farmers they’d be working with is a meaningful advantage over parachuting people in.

For you, that means if the worst happens, the vets showing up are people you trust and know your operation.

These roles matter because the decisions that affect your operation aren’t only made on farm. Having RVC involved at the policy, research, and biosecurity level means we’re working for you in places you don’t always see.