If you’ve followed along with our last post, you’ll know how palmkernel (often called PKE) helps dairy farmers fill feed gaps, keep cows healthy, and keep milk flowing. But zoom out a little, and you’ll see the bigger picture goes way beyond a feed bag.

For city people looking in from the outside, questions often pop up:

• Is palmkernel worth the cost?
  
• Is palmkernel sustainable?
  
• Should we be worried about the palm oil industry?
  

These are fair questions. Farming isn’t just about cows and grass anymore — it’s about economics, environment, and ethics. So let’s take a closer look at palmkernel dairy farming, honestly and simply, with no sugar-coating.

Running a dairy farm is like balancing on a seesaw: milk prices go up, feed prices go down, then drought arrives, and the whole thing tips the other way. Palmkernel expeller (PKE) gives farmers something rare in agriculture — a bit of predictability.

1. Predictable Price, Predictable Feed

Grass is the backbone of New Zealand-style dairying. It’s cheap, it’s natural, and cows thrive on it. But there’s a catch — grass depends on the weather. Too dry, too wet, too cold, and suddenly growth slows down. Milk production can drop overnight.

That’s where PKE steps in. Because it’s an imported byproduct of the palm oil industry, it’s available year-round at relatively stable prices. Farmers can bulk-buy, budget ahead, and avoid last-minute panic-buying of other expensive feeds like grain or silage when the weather doesn’t play nice.

This reliability is a key reason why palmkernel in dairy farming is common in New Zealand and other pasture-based systems. It’s not about replacing grass — it’s about filling the gaps when nature doesn’t cooperate.

2. Better Milk = Better Payout

Here’s a bit of dairy economics many city folks don’t know: farmers aren’t paid only for how many litres of milk they produce. The payout is based on milk solids — the fat and protein content in the milk.

Palmkernel helps boost these solids. That means the exact same cow, eating the right balance of grass plus PKE, can produce milk that’s worth more money. Multiply that across a whole herd for an entire season, and you’re talking thousands of extra dollars.

It’s a simple equation: better feed = better milk = better return.

3. Less Waste, Lower Costs

Anyone who has ever composted knows how quickly fresh feed can spoil. Grass, maize silage, and even grain can go mouldy if not stored and handled properly. Palmkernel, on the other hand, stores easily and lasts longer.

That means:

• Less spoilage.
  
• Less labour managing feed.
  
• Lower storage costs.
  

Every kilogram of PKE that gets eaten (instead of rotting) is money saved. Less waste is another big tick for both economics and sustainability.

The Environmental Side: Is PalmKernel Ethical?

Here’s the tricky part. For all its economic benefits, palmkernel raises red flags for some people — especially city consumers who’ve heard about palm oil and deforestation. So, let’s break it down.

PalmKernel: The Byproduct Story

Palmkernel expeller isn’t the same as palm oil. Palm oil is the main product of palm plantations — used in cooking oil, processed foods, and cosmetics. After the oil is extracted, what’s left behind is a fibrous meal — PKE.

If nobody used it, it would go to waste. By feeding it to cows, farmers are essentially recycling a global byproduct into valuable milk. That’s part of what some call the circular economy — stretching the value of a crop across different industries and reducing waste.

So when critics say, “Palmkernel is destroying the rainforest,” the answer is more nuanced: PKE isn’t the reason forests are cut down. Palm oil is. The kernel meal is just what’s left over.

Local vs Global Balance

Yes, PKE is imported. It travels by ship from places like Indonesia and Malaysia. But shipping bulk products like this is often more carbon-efficient than it seems. A single bulk cargo ship can carry tens of thousands of tonnes, meaning the emissions per kilogram of feed are relatively low.

More importantly, PKE can replace multiple local feed sources that would otherwise need land, water, fertiliser, and fuel to grow. Think of it this way: instead of ploughing up extra land for grain crops, farmers can use PKE and keep more land in grass and native cover.

It’s about balance. Most farmers don’t (and shouldn’t) rely on PKE 100%. It works best as a supplement, not a full diet. When used in moderation, it fills feed gaps without taking over.

Farmers Care About Sustainability Too

It’s easy to picture farmers as profit-driven operators chasing the next payout. But here’s the truth: farmers live where they work. They raise families on the same land they farm. They drink the water from their local rivers, breathe the same air, and walk the same paddocks their cows do.

That means sustainability isn’t just a buzzword — it’s survival.

Using palmkernel wisely allows farmers to:

• Keep pastures from being overgrazed.
  
• Reduce waste in the food chain.
  
• Produce more milk from the same number of cows.
  

And when farms stay profitable, it means rural communities survive too — schools stay open, local businesses keep running, and families can keep farming for another generation.

This is the heart of palmkernel dairy farming: it’s not just about cows, it’s about people, land, and livelihoods.

The Social Question: How City and Rural See It Differently

For people living in cities, the idea of importing millions of tonnes of PKE can sound strange, even wasteful. For rural people, it’s just another tool in the box to keep cows healthy and milk flowing.

Here’s where the perspectives often clash:

• City people View: Why are we importing feed from halfway across the world when we already grow grass here?
  
• Farm View: Because grass isn’t enough year-round, and cows need steady nutrition to stay healthy.
  

Both are valid. The bridge between them is communication and transparency. Farmers need to explain why they use PKE, and consumers deserve to know what’s behind their glass of milk.

The Bigger Picture: PalmKernel in a Global Food System

Palmkernel is part of something much bigger than dairying — it’s part of how the world feeds itself. Think about it:

• One crop (oil palm) produces cooking oil, industrial ingredients, biofuel, and animal feed.
  
• By-products like PKE prevent waste and add value.
  
• International trade links tropical producers with temperate consumers.
  

In an ideal world, no rainforest would ever be cut down, and all feed would be local and perfect. But in the real world, we need compromise. The goal isn’t to eliminate palmkernel entirely — it’s to use it smarter, alongside other sustainable practices like regenerative grazing, crop rotation, and precision feeding.

Future of PalmKernel Dairy Farming

Where is this heading? Farmers and researchers are already working on:

• Alternative feeds: like homegrown legumes, seaweed supplements, and byproducts from brewing or milling.
  
• Tighter sustainability standards: importing PKE only from certified, deforestation-free sources.
  
• Smarter feeding systems: using technology to give cows exactly what they need, reducing waste.
  

Palmkernel may not always be as central as it is now. But for the time being, it’s still a valuable part of the puzzle.

Final Thought: More Than a Feed Bag

Palmkernel isn’t magic. It’s not a miracle shortcut. But used wisely, it helps farmers:

• Keep milk flowing, even in tough seasons.
  
• Reduce waste in the global food system.
  
• Stay financially afloat when margins are tight.
  
• Protect their land and communities for the future.
  

For people in the city, here’s the simple takeaway: that splash of milk in your coffee or tea comes from more than just a cow. It comes from a thousand decisions, big and small, like what goes into the feed trough.

And the bigger picture? Palmkernel dairy farming is about making those decisions carefully — balancing dollars, dirt, and doing it better.