Supporting the growth of the dairy sheep industry in New Zealand–industry update and review of a programme linking industry and science

Commercial sheep milking is an emerging industry in New Zealand (NZ). The purpose of this review is to provide a brief industry update and to provide an overview of a six-year research programme spanning on-farm production and environmental footprint, through to milk composition, processing, and functionality, and its contribution to both fundamental knowledge and practical information for the NZ dairy sheep value chain. Key outcomes of the research programme included: the development of a suite of lamb-rearing regimes to utilise all offspring as either replacement or for meat production; improved feeding management of ewes to enhance milk production; best-practice guidelines for effluent management; evaluation of nitrogen leaching to inform practices to minimise the impact on waterways; establishing an understanding of the composition of sheep milk produced under NZ farming conditions and the functional differences compared to milk from other species to support product development opportunities. A summary of the industry impacts from this research and future directions is also provided.