He specializes in milk production and moved to New Zealand to upgrade the technology and wants to return to the country to promote the process.

Young man Martin Rostagno He was clear on what to do when he became an agricultural scientist. It is going to study and experience in another part of the world and then use everything he learned in Argentina when he returns. Despite the difficulties of the decision, it is now succeeding precisely in one of the major dairy producing countries such as New Zealand.

Martin was born in Cோrdoba, San Francisco, and began to show interest in the countryside as his family was not involved in the operation. In 2019, he graduated with a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the Littoral National University in Esperanza- Santa Fe. He also completed a diploma in agribusiness in 2018 at the National University of Villa Maria. He recalled being a coach at the Chillon Health Center during his student days.

“When obtained from an agronomist, It was obtained from a cachitologist (As a friend and colleague Claudio Bosco told me), we know little about everything. But still Agricultural life is very extensive, and then a world awaits us Every expert is going to lean towards the branch he wants the most and get expertise there, ”he explained.

So in his case, his most preferred branches were milk and meat production, precision farming and livestock, and bioeconomics in other branches. Also, it was a pioneer to travel to many countries to gain knowledge about each category. But he acknowledged that every detail was so detailed that it was difficult to cover it all. In addition, he will continue to deepen his knowledge in this field for the time being, as he has risen to positions in companies that have worked in New Zealand milk production.

But still Going to New Zealand was not easy, and his current position is to become an assistant manager of a dairy farm in the ocean country. Upon receipt, he sent “a lot of emails” and after applying for 80 to 130 job vacancies a day, he finally got a New Zealand company to contact him. “The story of this is that every evening I go to get a mate from my grandmother, and she always says to me ‘And? Is something new? Has something happened?’ … and the answer is never there,” he laughed.

“It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to hire someone on the other side of the world without knowing you and, above all, without work experience as an expert in my case. I never lost hope and applied”, He explained.

Thus, after many attempts, the first step of his ambitious goal was taken as soon as he got it. And in 2019 he was on his way to his goal.

“Initially it was hard for me, it still costs a lot to stay away from everything, but it is important not to miss the North, not to miss that goal, not to miss the goal that was set for me when I came to New Zealand,” he noted.

The first city he lived in was Vanaka, surrounded by mountains and lakes on the South Island. “Very similar to southern Argentina,” he compared. There he worked on a dairy farm with 5,000 milking cows on 3,000 hectares. “Snow-capped mountains across the field, some nearby lakes and two rivers flowing through the field. It’s a movie place, ”he explained.

There it grew Farm Assistant, This is the first step when going to work on a New Zealand dairy farm without any experience. “You do the most basic work of all. There I started learning, although I had knowledge in my studies, I had no experience, ”he said.

After 3 months, Got a different job in a higher position On a dairy farm with 700 milking cows in another city, it was not suitable for the climate because it rained a lot (about 1,700 mm per year) and it was very cold. He also pointed out that he wanted to know about irrigation management and therefore had to move to areas with low rainfall and irrigation.

So, in February 2020 he got a job Herd Manager (Hert manager, he is known in New Zealand) In a 1,300-herd herd in Ashburton, Canterbury, the heart of the South Island dairy farm.

“Another reason I accepted it was because all staff speak English is my first job and the best way to learn it. I always worked with Latinos on the other two tamboes, so they translated for me several times, on the one hand I was good, but on the other hand I did not learn the language,” he said. .

The establishment had a Calcetta Tampoe with 80 descendants. 500 to 600 cows milk per hour, Depending on the time of year. “Really crazy. I have learned a lot in that field, especially how to manage grazing that is important to New Zealand’s grazing system, ”he said.

Then, in October 2020, he was promoted Assistant Manager of a Dairy Farm 900 milking cows in a single batch with two-stage calf system (calf in autumn and spring), track and manure on North Island.

“It’s not very common to see these dairy farms in New Zealand, and it caught my attention with the responsibility of the post. So I accepted the opportunity and went to the North Island in November 2020 to start anew again.”

Looking to the future, he looked forward to itWill stay in New Zealand for a couple more seasons But then he wants to know other organizations in other countries like Japan, Israel, Ireland, Canada and USA. “I also want to do a master’s degree in Animal Nutrition or Agribusiness. With this experience and knowledge, I would love to return to Argentina, “said the young man who has an Instagram account.

Production differences with Argentina

Focusing on the differences between dairy products in Argentina and New Zealand, he explained in commercialization. There is no word for litter in the sea country, Each handling data per kilogram of solids per day per cow or kilograms of solids per hectare per hectare or per season.

“Industrial payments to a milk producer are equivalent to the price of a kilogram of solidsUnlike Argentina, in terms of liters, there are some industries in Argentina that pay for solids, but it is very good, ”he said. .

In terms of production, Argentina is a very extensive country, so it depends on defining the system you are going to find, for example, dairy farms in the south of Argentina are similar to New Zealand, ie. Livestock system, stopped calving and irrigation. But dairy farms are 100% discontinued dairy farms or mixed dairy farms.

“It makes a difference if I can The minimum number of staff required in the New Zealand system. It is estimated that there is one for every 200-250 cows depending on the milking method and if there is irrigation with the rest. So for a herd of 600 cows, common in New Zealand, only 3 people quietly care for it.

Another difference is that LCalf calving is stopped at most dairy farmsOnly a few dairy farms on the North Island, unlike Argentina, continue to calve throughout the year.

“The reserve ratio in New Zealand is high, averaging 3.4 cows / ha. Since there is no milk without grass, much attention is paid here to the production and management of pasture. Due to soil and climatic conditions, the same crops made in Argentina cannot be produced, or the same supplements for food are not available, as there is none or its price is high. Therefore, if grazing management is too bad, the food shortage will have to be offset by the purchase of more expensive outdoor inputs, which will make the system unprofitable, ”he said.

In terms of milking, unlike in Argentina, Cow and nipples are not cleaned and dried, The nipple shield is put directly on. “There are dairy farms that cut each room once a day, while others make a quarter cut only every morning. It speeds up milking and does not require much staff as no one needs to clean or dry the nipples, ”he added.