We asked farmers across New Zealand what they were looking for in a maize seed provider.
This is Andrew Macky's Story
Tell us a bit about your family history, and your journey to getting to where you are now
Our family has been farming on our Waikato dairy property for around 110 years. My Great Grandfather originally acquired the farm, then my Grandfather worked on it alongside my Father, William Macky. I’m the fourth generation to work on the family farm.
Tell us a bit about your operation
The farm is 98 hectares (effective). I milk 320 Jersey cows Once a Day through peak milk production and I run them in two herds.
You’re not just a farmer, you’re an influencer in the farming industry - tell us a bit about that journey. What would you like to achieve by influencing others?
I run a YouTube channel on the side, known as The Once A Day Farmer, as a means of informing people about good farming practices and to provide an insight into my day-to-day life of working on a farm. It’s inspiring to see people from town getting involved and learning what farming in New Zealand is all about. A key aim is to change perceptions of New Zealand’s farming industry and shed a positive light on it.
How did your journey begin with Corson Maize?
I started growing Corson Maize hybrids around 10 years ago. A key drawcard that really appealed to me was the harvest results I could achieve, particularly after planting a low population of plants per ha and achieving an impressive high yielding maize crop.
Why is maize an integral part of your farm system?
Maize is an important part of our dairy operation. During the summer months, we experience dry conditions that result in below average pasture growth, maize can tolerate these dry periods and produce a high-yielding bulk crop. In the 21/22 season, I changed from my usual hybrid of choice to PAC 400 (Plenitude) and it performed well. Considering the extremely dry conditions we had this summer, PAC 400 (Plenitude) managed to hang in there. I was really surprised at how green all the plants were and the yields that we got at the end (harvested maize silage at 22 t/ha). I’m very happy with it.
Given the year-on-year trend of drier conditions in summer, I have started to increase the planted area of homegrown maize each year as it offers a safeguard to feed supply and gives us options leading into the future. Farming is a game of levers, the more levers you can pull, the better. It's also a cost-effective supplement to grow on farm.
What stands out about the service that Corson Maize provides?
It's great having Corson Maize come along for the ride, as they know what I’m looking to achieve and offer technical guidance on how to get there. It's a great company to work with, they deliver great customer support and have top performing maize hybrids. I really like them. I've been happy with Corson Maize for the last 10 years and I wouldn't think about changing.