Australian Vet recruited by New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra to look after 100,000 cows in China

An Australian veterinarian is leaving the country to take charge of one of the largest corporate dairy herds in the world.
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New Zealand owned Fonterra International is building what it calls dairy hubs in China that will house up to 20,000 cows.
Two hubs are already operating and there are plans for at least three more.
In a sign of how dairy has become a truly global industry, Rob Bonanno, a vet from Shepparton in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley was recruited by an Irish agency to work for a New Zealand dairy giant in China.
«Just before Christmas an Irish recruiting agency, literally a bloke I’d never heard from in my life, he contacted me and I said; ‘Oh it would want to be a good job,’ and he said; ‘It is a good job.’,» Dr Bonanno said.
«I said it would want to pay well and he said it does pay well.»
He accepted and four of the five members of the Bonanno family will move to China, with their eldest son staying in Australia to complete university studies.
For the next three years, Dr Bonanno will work with a rapidly expanding Fonterra dairy herd in the country.
It is expected that by the end of his tenure, Dr Bonanno will be in charge of the health of up to 100,000 dairy cows at five Fonterra hubs across China.
«It’s a pretty daunting task,» he said.
«What my aim is to try and produce milk in China to world’s best practice.
«I’m not just talking production, but we’re also talking welfare outcomes, we’re talking environmental outcomes and if that can be achieved it will be something amazing.»
Fonterra International does not even process the milk produced by its dairy hubs.
The milk is supplied to Fonterra’s China partners as they try to build trust with sceptical Chinese consumers about the quality and safety of locally produced milk.
Dr Bonanno said he can’t wait to take on the role.
«Professionally, the opportunity just makes your lips smack, you just get excited and salivate at the prospect,» he said.
«I’m not naive, I understand it is going to be challenging because of the language barrier, I don’t speak a word of Chinese and that’s going to make it hard.
«There are more than enough resources though to achieve what we could possibly dream and maybe even more.»
 
Source: ABC

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