A SOUTH Lakeland milk producer is planning to travel half way across the world to check out how New Zealand's dairy industry has changed over the past two decades.

James Robinson, a fifth generation dairy farmer from Kendal, last witnessed Antipodean milk production during a working holiday on New Zealand's South Island 20 years ago.

He will make his return journey next spring with his wife Michelle and sons Robert and Chris, after winning a national agriculture competition.

The "holiday-cum-study tour" will be a welcome break for the family, who run a 100-cow pedigree dairy Shorthorn milking herd producing 7,000 organic litres per cow, with much of their production from grazed grass or grass silage.

“The furthest we’ve been as a family before now is Rome, so this really will be a trip to remember,” said Mr Robinson. “When I visited New Zealand previously their dairy industry was quite different to the way it is now. I believe milk producers in New Zealand have been investing in their businesses in recent years, so it will be interesting to see how they are now reacting to this current downturn in global milk prices.”

James, who runs Strickley Farm, near Kendal, converted to organic milk production nine years ago. The herd is block calved in late summer/autumn and produces good yields from grass silage and rotational paddock grazing.

“The system suits our farm and at the moment the premium that we are receiving for organic milk is sufficient to make it work,” he said. “We rely heavily on good quality grass, so we are reseeding regularly to maintain production. We are trying some red clover for the first time this year.”

Mr Robinson won his holiday prize in a grassland competition sponsored by forage seed company Germinal.