Paul Quinlan has always driven change for the dairy industry. His commitment has been recognised with a national award. PAGE 18
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BY MADELYN IRVINE
For more than a decade, Australia’s dairy export market has been dominated by eastern and south-east Asian countries, with China emerging as the primary destination.
However, recent shifts in trade dynamics have presented challenges for Australian dairy exporters.
In 2014-15, China imported more than 110,000 tonnes of Australian dairy, accounting for 14.6 per cent of Australia’s total dairy exports by volume.
By 2020-21, this figure had surged to nearly 290,000 tonnes, representing more than 35 per cent of total dairy exports.
This growth was largely driven by a decline in domestic dairy production in China and government-led initiatives promoting dairy consumption for its health benefits
Additionally, in 2020, stockpiling and panic buying —particularly of UHT milk and milk powders —further contributed to the record-high import volumes seen in the 2020-21 season.
However, as Chinese milk production recovered and previously stockpiled inventories remained sufficient, demand for Australian dairy fell.
This led to Australia exporting 17.9 per cent less dairy to China from 2022-23 to 2023-24.
Since then, there has been some recovery in dairy imported by Chinese buyers as domestic stockpiles are worked through and local milk production weakens, but whether this momentum continues is uncertain.
During the early 2010s, Australian dairy exports peaked at more than 110,000 tonnes in 2012-13.
At that time, Australia was Japan’s largest dairy supplier by volume, with cheese consistently accounting for at least 80 per cent of exports.
However, in 2015, trade sanctions between the European Union and Russia led to European exporters seeking new markets.
With cheese making up a significant
portion of EU dairy exports, their increasing presence in Japan contributed to a decline in Australian dairy exports to the region over the following decade.
This season, however, Australian dairy exports to Japan have increased off the back of Australia’s improved export price competitiveness, reaffirming the country’s position as an important market for Australian cheese.
South-east Asia remains a consistently important market for Australian dairy exports despite recent fluctuations.
After growing through 2021-22, Australian exports to the region fell in both 2022-23 and 2023-24 as inflation hit consumers and importers.
Nonetheless, there has been strong demand from importers in countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand, with dairy imported into these markets rising 14 per cent, 35 per cent and 44 per cent, respectively, over the past five years.
Despite the broader market downturn, these three countries achieved the highest import volumes seen in more than a decade in 2023-2024, indicating continued demand for Australian dairy products such as liquid milk, condensed milk and milk powders.
The global dairy market will continue to evolve, bringing both challenges and opportunities for Australian dairy.
Looking to today, Asia remains an important export region for Australian dairy, and improved demand from buyers in these key markets have supported Australia’s exports this season.
While some uncertainty remains, both in terms of future demand from Chinese buyers and potential changes to trade flow (resulting from US tariff measures), the Australian dairy industry is well-positioned to navigate future changes and capture any new opportunities that may arise.
ɋ Madelyn Irvine is a Dairy Australia industry analyst.
BY JEANETTE SEVERS
Q FEVER cases are on the rise in Victoria, with 77 cases reported to public health officials in 2024.
Q fever is a reportable zoonotic disease that spreads to humans from animals, including farm, domestic and wild animals.
While people working with animals and animal products are most at risk, because of the wide aerosol radius of the bacteria Coxiella burnetii that causes Q fever, others at risk include their families, and people living or working near roads where livestock and their products are transported.
People can also be exposed to the dust containing bacteria while doing something as simple as mowing their lawn.
In the same way, roadside slashing can release the bacteria from vegetation or soil, to be inhaled by people in the vicinity.
In a Queensland health study, Q fever was found in 5.3 per cent of the rural and remote cohort and five per cent of Brisbane residents.
Symptoms of Q fever can begin within four days or up to six weeks after exposure.
The disease can be debilitating for many years. According to Victoria’s Department of Health, 10-15 per cent of people with severe infections develop chronic fatigue, also known as Q fever fatigue syndrome, which can last for many years.
Long-term complications include heart disease, bone and joint infections and vascular infections.
Initial symptoms of Q fever include high fever with sweating and chills, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, fatigue, cough and weight loss.
Patients may also develop hepatitis – inflammation of the liver, or pneumonia – infection of the lungs.
In early February, Victoria’s Department of Health issued an alert for the increase in cases, from the state’s Chief Health Officer Tarun Weeramanthri.
Virtually everyone is at risk of contracting Q fever, given the wide radius the aerosol Coxiella burnetii can spread in the community.
“Q fever can be treated with antibiotics. If you receive early treatment, you’re likely to recover sooner and have less long-term complications,” Dr Weeramanthri said.
“There has been a significant increase in cases compared to recent years.”
The Royal Australian College of GPs has reported Q fever as the most commonly reported zoonotic disease in Australia.
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In RACGP literature, notification rates are highest in Queensland, followed by NSW, then South Australia, before Victoria’s diagnoses are counted.
According to WorkCover Victoria, Q fever is a notifiable disease and should be part of every farm’s occupational health and safety plan.
Q fever disease has been found in children, and the demographic group with the highest incidences of Q fever is people 30 to 70 years old.
Veterinarian Richard Shephard said farmers, their workers and their visitors, could all become exposed to the disease if it’s within the herd.
Because the disease can live for a very long time in dust, this is the most common avenue for contracting Q fever.
Dr Shephard said people could become exposed to Q fever bacteria well after it was evident in animal fluids.
When he contracted Q fever, he suffered with severe flu-like symptoms.
“People can contract Q fever and end up with life-long and debilitating symptoms,” Dr Shephard said.
“The best protection against Q fever is to get yourself, your workers and your family vaccinated.”
In 2017, Casey Bermingham ended up in hospital with a diagnosis of Q fever.
At the time, she was dairy farming with her husband at Nambrok.
After three days of illness at home, Casey attended her local hospital and was admitted, and after two days, based entirely on her clinical symptoms, intravenous antibiotic treatment began.
For Casey, it was another four weeks before Q fever antibodies showed up in her blood tests.
Before the infection, Casey milked in the morning and was involved with calf rearing and other jobs on the farm.
She was also a nurse in the local community.
After contracting Q fever, Casey was very debilitated and her main role on the farm became relief milker.
Even then, she suffered from severe fatigue and migraines.
The couple has since sold the farm.
After Gippsland comprised 36.3 per cent of all diagnoses in 2023, last year the GippsDairy board successfully lobbied the government to fund vaccinations in the region.
Initially, a GP clinic in Maffra was funded for two days to provide people with testing and vaccinations for Q fever in June and July 2024.
This year, three GP clinics, in Neerim South, Korumburra and Sale, have been funded to offer 200 subsidised Q fever tests and vaccinations until the end of March 2025.
GippsDairy board chair Sarah O’Brien said funding to subsidise each Q fever test and vaccination had been committed through the Livestock Biosecurity Fund, administered by Agriculture Victoria.
Dairy farmers, their employees, sharefarmers or lessees, will be given priority to access the subsidised Q fever test and vaccination.
A skin test and blood test are taken at the GP clinic to identify if the person has previously had Q fever, before they can be vaccinated.
Somebody with antibodies to Q fever cannot have the vaccination.
Gippsland Regional Public Health Unit senior epidemiologist Katie Walker said
Gippsland was over-represented in the Victoria’s Q fever statistics, with most cases that were identified living and working in the Wellington Shire.
GRPHU Public Health Physician Shereen Labib said an awareness campaign would target the local agriculture industry, dairy farmers and their workers, veterinarians and general practitioners.
“With the Gippsland region being so over-represented in terms of infections we aim to increase Q fever awareness and use of prevention measures, including use of personal protection measures and vaccination,” Dr Labib said.
“Ultimately, we want to achieve a decrease in people infected with the disease.”
The Queensland Dairy plan will be launched soon and has a range of initiatives for industry productivity, sustainability and growth.
But it needs government buy-in to work, says eastAUSmilk.
The organisation’s government relations manager, Denise Spinks, said eastAUSmilk had worked tirelessly with the department, processors and active farmers to finalise a plan for the Queensland dairy industry.
Ms Spinks said the plan sets out key priorities for the future to help farmers access new
technologies and pastures, improve infrastructure for climate resilience and other strategies to increase productivity and farm gate output.
“eastAUSmilk has asked the Queensland Government for support in the next budget, or earlier,” she said.
“Farmers all read the news that the next budget will be tight, but compared with big ticket items like infrastructure, housing, education and health, our asks are very low cost with high impact.
“The asks relate to extending the popular
and effective technology uptake and Farm Business Resilience Programs and resources to support implementing the plan and work on new pasture development.”
Ms Spinks said in total, the ask is only $3 million over four years, plus extending and improving access to the Farm Business Resilience Program.
“All would agree — a small handout for a big hand-up for dairy.”
She said eastAUSmilk and its farmer members would continue to work with the new
The cost of producing milk in Australia continues to compare favourably with other dairy-exporting regions, despite a structural lift in global milk production costs across the past five years.
In its report, The cost of milk: Dissecting milk production costs, Rabobank says dairy farmers in many dairy-exporting regions have felt the pressure of increasingly higher milk production costs over recent years.
The average total cost for milk production across eight major exporting regions (Argentina, Australia, China, Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands, California and the upper midwest of the United States) increasing by around US6¢/litre from 2019 to 2024 (up by 14 per cent) with more than 70 per cent of the increase occurring since 2021.
Australia, though, was still one of the lowest-cost producers in 2024, the report said, second only to New Zealand, despite labour costs in Australia increasing significantly over the past five years.
And Australia has also been among the regions — along with New Zealand and the Netherlands — generating the best gross milk price margins since 2019.
Report author, RaboResearch senior agricultural analyst Emma Higgins, said globally, dairy production cost increases have been broad-based.
“The majority of the cost pressure has been on-farm working expenses rather than other ancillary costs, such as serving debt, taxes and depreciation,” she said.
“Feed expenses have been the largest culprit in cost increases, with average feed bills across the eight regions rising 19 per cent from 2019 to 2024.
“The proportion of feed costs as a percentage of overall costs is generally lower
for extensive and quasi pasture-based feeding systems like Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Ireland.”
Labour cost increases have been the most significant in Australia across the past five years — jumping by more than 50 per cent since 2021 — while interest rate pressures have been felt the most by NZ, Australian and Argentinian producers.
Oceania leads the way
The report says Australia and NZ have competed neck and neck over the past six years to hold the title of lowest-cost producer, in US dollar terms, among the eight regions.
“New Zealand is currently in the lead ... as Australia has grappled with higher labour costs,” Ms Higgins said.
“The Oceania region’s strong reliance on
Queensland Government to deliver this support.
“We commend the government’s ambitious commitment to increase total Queensland agricultural industry total farm gate output to $30 billion by 2030 — and dairy farmers are ready to go to deliver our share.
“Importantly for Queensland, a more productive and sustainable dairy industry delivers in spades for local, regional economies while ensuring Queenslanders can drink more homegrown milk.”
pasture-grazing, supplemented with homegrown feed stuffs or locally-produced feeds, has more broadly supported its low cost of production positioning.”
Ms Higgins said China remained the highest-cost milk producer, but had become more cost competitive in the past three years.
Since 2019, the regions generating the best cash flow on a gross milk price margin basis (milk price minus operating costs) have been NZ, Australia and the Netherlands.
“These regions have experienced constant positive milk gross margins through the cycles and lower volatility compared to other regions,” Ms Higgins said.
Looking ahead
Ms Higgins said the dairy sector globally had experienced significant price and cost volatility over the past decade.
“And it is fair to say that will not change in the future,” she said.
“Continued cost structure management, relative to milk output, will be required to maintain dairy farmers’ economic resilience in a potentially turbulent business operating environment — something Australian and New Zealand dairy farmers have demonstrated in previous commodity price down cycles.
“Ultimately, dairy producers will need to maintain strong milk margins to fund such productivity improvements within an increasingly-complex business environment.
“As such, dairy exporters and traders will require a stronger understanding of supply dynamics and profitability drivers for dairy farmers.”
ɋ For a more detailed story, go to: https:// dairynewsaustralia.com.au/
BY JEANETTE SEVERS
GIPPSLAND JERSEY began as a micro business processing single origin liquid milk from Jersey cows.
That was in the second half of 2016.
This year, the company moved into a cheese manufacturing factory to continue value-adding to its range of dairy foods.
In doing so, they have adopted the mantle of a very old Italian family manufacturing Parmesan, ricotta and other cheese and dairy products.
The story of Gippsland Jersey is a story of rapid growth in a shrinking domestic milk production pool.
Since the company was established, Australia’s milk production has dropped two billion litres.
Initially, Gippsland Jersey milk was processed by a third party, from milk produced on the Jindivick dairy farm of Steve and Bec Ronalds, and the product was marketed by Sallie Jones.
A crowd funding campaign two years later saw the co-principals, Sallie Jones and Steve Ronalds, move their processing to a facility at Lakes Entrance.
The farm was owned by Sallie’s family, and they used the funds to fit out and expand a processing factory on the property, with processing starting in that building in January 2020.
Their own factory was an opportunity for the pair to rapidly begin value-adding to their dairy offering — liquid milk in one and two litre bottles, cultured butter, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, crème fraiche, non-homogenised milk specifically created for baristas, and yoghurt. By this time, four farms were supplying a portion of their production to Gippsland Jersey.
All the milk was sourced from Jersey cows.
More recently, Sallie and Steve have purchased a new factory, at Pakenham, to increase
their value-added offering to include cheese.
The Europa Cheese factory at Pakenham was for sale and the Gippsland Jersey founders have snapped it up.
They are now learning to make ricotta, pecorino and other cheese products with a view to diversifying a greater dairy foods offering.
They are also utilising the factory shop, with a retail offering.
The first batches of ricotta and pecorino were made on February 8.
“We’ve been looking for a new property for a couple of years, because we’re outgrowing the Lakes Entrance factory,” Steve said.
“The Pakenham property has a lot of space to grow and to put all our processing equipment in there.”
After buying the property in October 2024, Steve made many trips carting stainless steel with his trailer from Lakes Entrance to Pakenham.
“The Lakes Entrance factory will remain the cool store and distribution centre for
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Gippsland Jersey products in East Gippsland and into NSW,” Steve said.
“Most of our milk and other products are transported to Melbourne, so it makes more sense to have delivery facilities in West Gippsland.”
Steve made the last butter at Lakes Entrance on December 6. He then packed up the butter making equipment and moved it to the Pakenham factory.
“Our first obstacle was re-commissioning all the equipment and getting that fired up at Pakenham,” Steve said.
He said he was looking forward to making a range of hard cheeses, including cheddars and Parmesans.
Europa’s previous owner, John Interlandi, is working alongside Steve and using his traditional recipes to teach him the skills of cheese making.
The first ricotta came out of the tub on February 6.
“We won’t see Jersey Parmesan for a fair while, because it takes 12 months to mature, but
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we’ll be regularly making ricotta,” Steve said. Gippsland Jersey was named Australia’s best milk in the Dairy Industry Association of Australia awards ceremony in May last year. It followed the accolade of being named Victoria’s best milk only a week prior.
In the DIAA Victorian Dairy Product Competition, Gippsland Jersey was awarded Overall Milk Champion for its full cream milk, and Highest scoring pasteurised (homogenised) milk.
In the DIAA national Awards of Excellence, Gippsland Jersey achieved the highest scoring unmodified full fat milk.
“We’re calling it the Best ‘Real’ Milk in Australia,” Sallie Jones said at the time.
“Our flagship product is Gippsland Jersey Full Cream Milk, and now DIAA have deemed it our jewel in our crown.
“What a journey the past eight years have been for us.
“It has been an eventful journey, with many ups and downs. We’ve faced numerous challenges, including the ongoing pursuit of perfect milk quality.
“There’s been times when it hasn’t met expectations, and we’ve had to change course rapidly.
“We’re confident now that Gippsland Jersey consistently offers incredible quality and it’s the best milk for coffee, breakfast, or to enjoy any way.”
At the national awards, Gippsland Jersey also received gold awards for its full cream milk, its unhomogenised milk, its light milk and its ghee, and silver awards for its unsalted butter and cultured sour cream.
“Getting the awards has raised awareness of our brand and increased demand for volume,” Steve said.
“We’re growing, and a lot of that is on the back of the awards.”
That growth also means they are looking for more milk suppliers.
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BY SOPHIE BALDWIN
CRAIG LISTER has always farmed with the health of his 350-cow herd, and his 570ha dairy farm, at the forefront of his mind.
Running a grazing system at Calivil in northern Victoria, the calving split herd is calved to match pasture growth — two-thirds in spring and a third in autumn.
Craig firmly believes a grazing system is good for the environment, good for his cows and helps reduce labour issues.
The dairy platform consists of around 121ha, although that depends on what is grown and where, while the rest is dryland crop alternating between vetch and wheat.
Craig doesn’t produce grain, but he does let his wheat go most of the way, harvesting the top six inches for silage.
“It’s not as high in starch and energy as corn but it is a great substitute and works well for us, especially when fed with vetch,” he said.
“Unfortunately we weren’t able to do that this year due to the short spring and we harvested it for hay instead and we are really missing it.”
Genetics have always played a major role in herd management at Calister Holsteins, and Craig has been avidly watching the evolution of the poll breeding process for the past decade or so.
He recently opened up his farm to show-
choose to be a polled breed,” he said.
“A2P2 is a bull that allowed me to make a very significant step towards that conversion.”
Craig said the decision to invest in polled genetics was largely a welfare one.
“I don’t believe I have had to sacrifice any genetic quality either.”
Of the last 108 calves born on the farm, only 17 were un-polled.
He said the A2P2 heifers were performing well in their first lactation.
“They are functional and have good type and mammary function for a commercial herd and they are sitting where they should be for herd production — having them polled is a bonus.”
Craig said the key is to use influential bulls like A2P2 wisely, so the next step can be taken to make polled genetics a significant option for people who choose to farm that way in the future.
“A2P2 allowed me to add polled and then go back to the best of the non-polled Holstein bulls to add in diverse genetics, which will eventually broaden the polled gene pool.”
Craig is no stranger to breeding quality animals, and Calister Holsteins has been responsible for sending some great bulls into the Genetics Australia program over the years, including Decipher and Maebull.
“It all comes back to the welfare of our herd and the environmental impact of our business,” he said.
Craig believes dairying is all about perspective and, right or wrong, you pick your path and hopefully you can add to the sustainability of the industry in years to come.
“Polled genetics are a bit like mulesing in the sheep industry, there is no point ignoring it because it isn’t going to go away.
“I am proud to have a career in the dairy industry and I am proud of what we do here on our farm.
“We have a symbiotic relationship with our land and our animals and we are producing a product that feeds the nation.
A2P2 is bred by the Vogue Cattle Co in Canada and has more than 2500 daughters worldwide.
Genetics Australia’s northern Victoria regional sales manager Jon Holland said A2P2 is ranked number two in Canada for type, and his first Australian milking daughters had ranked highly at more than 110 for overall type in Australia.
“He is one of the global leading confirmation bulls, a global polled phenomenon, and being a homozygous polled bull sets him in a league of his own,” Jon said.
“I have been farming for 25 years and while it is tough and finding labour can be an issue at times, I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”
BULLA DAIRY Foods has announced an increase in its milk price for the 2024-25 season, with a step-up of $0.20 a kilogram of milk solids.
Bulla has told its farmers this price increase follows a review of business performance over the peak Christmas and summer trading periods.
“At our recent Christmas Farmer Forums, we shared that Bulla would review our position regarding milk price in February,” Bulla CEO Allan Hood said.
After this review “we are in a position to pass on an increase to our valued farmers,” he said.
“We acknowledge the challenges our farmers are currently operating under with rising costs, adverse weather and shifting market conditions.
This month, a group of Queensland and NSW farmers will travel to Finley in southern NSW to tour intensive dairy farms around the region.
The trip is part of eastAUSmilk’s Dairy Farmers Technology Uptake Program (DFTUP), supported by the Queensland Government’s Bush Boost fund.
The program will fully fund 20 spots for Queensland members to join the tour.
The DFTUP focuses on the training of new technologies leading to better on-farm adoption to improve labour efficiencies, animal welfare, business management and profitability, which complements the program’s grant program and other nationwide initiatives to get more technology onto farms.
“We have been lucky to secure seven different farms to visit in the Finley region and one farm in northern Victoria,” eastAUSmilk project officer Jade Chan said.
“There are a wide range of farm systems and technologies attending farmers will see, which include free-stall and composting barns, and Arizona dry lot,” she said.
“Farms also have a range of automation on-farm including feed management, heat detection and milking systems.
“There are significant regional and environmental differences when compared to the key dairying regions in Queensland and NSW, however, in some scenarios there are significant similarities where farmers will have the opportunity to learn about the different challenges each hosting farmer has had with their farms and on-farm investments.”
After visiting farms across the region, guest speakers from Garlock, Murray Irrigators Limited and a NSW dairy farmer will chat to the group through a series of dinners held during the tour.
The final dinner will consist of a panel discussion with the hosting farmers where any last-minute questions and information can be shared.
“eastAUSmilk is happy to be connecting farmers from north Queensland all the way through to the south coast of NSW on this trip,” Ms Chan said.
“At Bulla, our farmers aren’t just suppliers; they are an essential part of our family business.
“Supporting them with a competitive and sustainable farm gate milk price remains a top priority for Bulla, and we’ll continue to work closely with our farmers to build a strong and resilient future together.”
The updated milk price, which will be applied retrospectively from July 1, 2024, will be paid with the February milk payment in March 2025.
The new pricing will also apply to monthly milk payments from March 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025.
Bulla is one of Australia’s oldest and largest family-owned dairy companies, owned by the same three families since 1910.
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MORE THAN 140 dairy farmers and service providers attended an open day in South Australia to explore cutting-edge dairy farming technology.
Dairy Australia South Australia, in collaboration with GEA Farm Technologies Australia, hosted the open day on February 5, at the Donava Holsteins robotic dairy.
The event, led by the Zweck family — including Gary, Ros and their son Justin —demonstrated the transformative power of automation in modern farming.
The Zweck family, who have been farming for more than 46 years, made the shift from conventional dairy operations to incorporate advanced technology, improving farm sustainability and productivity.
When the time came to replace the old herringbone dairy due to its age, the business was also looking for labour efficiencies.
After examining options in the market, the family decided that the GEA offering provided them with solutions to meet their needs.
Over a 12-month period, they integrated Automatic Calf Feeding, Robotic Feed Pushing and GEA Robotic Milking.
The family said these innovations had greatly enhanced both farm operations and cow welfare monitoring, as well as creating a more balanced lifestyle, enabling the family to spend more time with the new farming generation.
“We need more farmers to take on this technology within the industry, it needs to expand
so that the support for industry increases,” Gary said.
“It’s a great industry to be in,” Justin said. “I couldn’t handle sitting in a city office.”
The event was divided into three groups, each focusing on one key technology: GEA’s automated calf feeders; the feed pusher ensuring 24/7 access to fresh feed for the cows; and the automatic milking system.
During the farm tour, GEA’s herd management specialist William Bredin also shared how the CowScout collar system enhances heat detection and health monitoring.
“CowScout helps identify the optimal insemination times and tracks non-cycling cows and those potentially still cycling,” William said.
“It also monitors cow health and alerts you to signs of illness, allowing early intervention.”
Throughout the day, local dealership Dairy Tech SA and GEA’s team provided extra insights into these technologies and their potential to revolutionise farming practices.
GEA’s Darren Pratt highlighted the importance of providing tailored solutions for Australian farmers.
“We understand the unique challenges Australian dairy farmers face and offer a range of solutions to enhance flexibility, efficiency and profitability while prioritising animal health,” Darren said.
For more information about GEA’s dairy farming solutions, visit: https://www.gea. com/en/dairy-farming/
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BY SOPHIE BALDWIN
BRENTON THOMAS and Juddy Jennings
won’t forget their trip to Tatura for International Dairy Week in a hurry
Their cow — Lightning Ridge CMD Dback Barbara-Red — topped the 2025 show, taking out Supreme Champion Cow and making her the first ever Red and White to receive the honour.
The win comes off the back of Brenton’s own cow, Instyle Solomon Dahlia, winning in 2024, making him the very happy owner of two IDW supreme champion cows in a row.
The boys, from Cooriemungle in southwest Victoria, were absolutely delighted with the win.
They both thought Barbara was a pretty good chance of winning the Red and White show, but they were blown away when she won supreme champion.
“We never thought she would go all the way, but during the show a few people came up to us saying she was in with a chance and then we started to get a little bit excited,” Juddy, of Rusty Red Holsteins, said.
Juddy purchased Barbara sight unseen as a calf because of her red gene and her world class pedigree.
Brenton, of Instyle Holsteins, bought into Barbara as a two-year-old after she went to his farm in preparation for IDW back in 2022.
“Even then she had all the makings of a
really great cow, she just needed to fill out a bit more. She had a great udder and her pedigree was amazing,” Brenton said.
“When she went out into the ring in the supreme class I got really nervous but quietly I thought she was in with a pretty good chance.”
Both the boys agree it was an honour to have their cow judged supreme champion by legendary Holstein Judge Mike Duckett.
“He has bred some pretty amazing cows over the years and to have him judge ours as best of the show was amazing,” Brenton said.
Barbara has recently been joined and down the track the boys are planning on doing some IVF work.
They have a daughter, Alpha X Lighning Ridge CMD Dback Barbara-Red Ex 92, selling in the Settlement Sale at Heytesbury on February 28.
For someone who only took on the Instyle prefix off his dad five years ago, Brenton has been pretty successful at IDW in a relatively short period of time.
This is only the fourth time he has shown
at the event and he already has two champion cows under his belt.
“I like to breed balanced cows which work well for us on our farm,” he said.
“I like good feet, legs and udders — really extreme cows don’t last on my farm.”
Brenton and his wife Ellie and children Evie, Jayme and Lewis milk 200 cows.
“I left school when I was 16 to become a builder but I have always loved cows,” he said.
“Dad had a dispersal sale about seven years ago but kept his heifers and we ended up using them as the foundation for our herd.
“I do like farming but if I didn’t love cows there would be no way I would be dairy farmer, there are a lot easier ways to make money,” he laughed.
Brenton said when he originally bought the farm, with the help of his dad, the milking herd was largely crossbreeds, now it is predominately Holstein with a few Jerseys.
He keeps his show team away from the milking herd so he can give them the additional care they require.
“I remember going to the Winter Fair and seeing a bunch of Avonlea cows, I looked at them and that’s when I decided to stop running my show cows with the main herd, and it’s worked out pretty well ever since,” he said.
Juddy has around 60 cows, with the majority of his herd milked at his cousins farm.
“I change my mind a bit but the dream is to one day have my own farm, I just love breeding good cows,” Juddy said.
BY SOPHIE BALDWIN
IT WAS an International Dairy Week to remember for Matt and Nicola Templeton of View Fort Holsteins.
Not only did the couple take out Intermediate and Interbreed Champion, they also went on to win Grand Champion with View Fort Lambda Butter.
Personally, Matt also had the opportunity to judge the Jersey Show and was named IDW’s 2025 recipient of the Lex Bunn Award, which recognises someone who is a major contributor to the dairy industry but doesn’t seek any recognition.
Ever modest, Matt described IDW 2025 as “pretty good”.
Having hosted an on-farm sale back in November, where the couple had sold some of their very best cows, Matt said he was initially unsure how they would go at IDW.
The fact every animal shown in its own right by View Fort placed top three or better in their class, is testament to the skill this couple have when it comes to showing cattle.
Fairvale Solomon Melody won the fiveyear-old class, best udder and reserve senior champion.
Matt said it was an honour to see Avonlea Yf Goldwyn Cinnamin ET win the mature class and see her acknowledged in the champion cow class.
“We took eight cows in total, two of which we showed for other exhibitors,” Matt said.
View Fort Jagger Satin — owned by B. Salmon, D. Patten and C. Moscript, and shown by Matt and Nicola — placed second in the junior three in-milk class and went on to be named reserve intermediate champion.
Matt said it was also great to see two of the heifers sold in the sale place first and second in the junior two class, with View Fort Tattoo Pink, now owned by Benlago Holsteins, take out grand champion in the youth show.
“This was one of the strongest Holstein Shows I have ever seen and having a judge like Mike Duckett in the ring certainly helped with the quality,” Matt said.
“The genetics available have definitely helped to make Australian cows better and better each and every year.”
Matt said having the opportunity to judge the Jersey Show was a dream come true.
“To judge a national show in your home country is such a great honour.
“I have judged overseas before but to do it on your home soil with such a strong show was unbelievable.
“There are some really good young cows coming through and it was also great to see so many new faces and breeders out in the show ring.”
He said the biggest Jersey in-milk class had
18 cows, while the heifer classes were also very strong.
“The five-year-old class was amazing and that’s where the champion and honourable mention came from, but any one of those top four cows could have gone on to win on any given day.”
Matt said IDW 2025 was certainly one of the best events he had been to in many years.
“It’s great to see the crowds back. The atmosphere was just amazing and I hope it continues to grow over the coming years.
“Social media and live-streaming is great and has the ability to take the Australian dairy industry worldwide, but there is nothing quite like being in the ring and seeing the cows in the flesh.”
And to receive the Lex Bunn Award on top of everything else was the icing on the cake.
“I never expected to win, it was very left field for me,” Matt said.
“I have watched the award year after year but I have never thought of myself in that way.
“I can remember my dad taking me to Tatura in the early years and watching the judging take place under the gum tree.
“I have seen droughts, floods and fires and just about every harsh element Tatura can throw at you and to be recognised for the Lex Bunn award, after being given the opportunity to judge the Jersey Show, was amazing.”
ɋ As Dairy News Australia went to print, we heard the sad news that Matt has lost his courageous battle with cancer. Our thoughts are with his family.
SOUTH GIPPSLAND farmers Graham and Kaye Laing have installed a new, more powerful generator for their dairy with the help of Saputo’s Milk Cooling Rebate.
Graham and Kaye have been dairying for most of their lives. Both were born on dairy farms and milking cows since they were kids.
As Kaye says, it’s in their blood.
In 1980, they purchased their first ‘little plot’ together in Nyora.
The farm is now 200 hectares and they milk around 300 mainly cross-breed cows, with some Jersey and Friesians. The dairy is a 25 swingover.
In mid-2024, after their 75KVA generator in the dairy failed, they rang their Saputo Dairy Australia field services adviser Jol Dutton.
“I told Jol our generator had blown up and we’d need a new one pronto to keep the milk cool,” Graham said.
“Jol then mentioned we’d be able to get a rebate on a new one through SDA’s Milk Cooling Rebate.”
The rebate assists suppliers to develop and maintain a cooling and storage system that complies with SDA’s temperature and milk quality guidelines.
Saputo rebates 30 per cent of the net cost of purchase and installation of eligible MCR projects.
The Laings decided to purchase a bigger 100 KVA tractor-operated generator to ensure they had plenty of capacity to keep operating without mains power if required.
They decided to go for a tractor-operated generator because they didn’t want to deal with another motor they’d have to start up.
“We went with the tractor because it’s cheaper to set up and generally, your tractor motor won’t fail.”
Jol also helped with the paperwork, so it was a smooth and easy process.
The new generator is now installed, and they know there’ll be very little downtime should the power go off.
“Within 15 to 20 minutes, we can be connected to the generator and up and running, as long as the tractor isn’t too far away.”
To operate the generator, Graham simply backs up the tractor to where it’s located in the dairy, puts the power take-off shaft on and turns on the motor.
It's not the only thing that’s been keeping the Laings busy.
Six months ago, they brought on new sharefarmers — a Filipino couple, Don and Grace Yasana, who’ve been in Australia for three years following a 13-year farming stint in New Zealand.
“We wanted to start Don and Grace off with a fresh young herd of cows so Kaye and I bought 300 heifers back in March/April of 2024,” Graham said.
“I said we’d help them break the heifers in, so we milked with him for three months.”
Don’s now working with Graham and Kaye’s 16-year-old grandson, Jax, who has been living with his parents on the farm, learning about dairy.
Their five other grandchildren are also on-farm.
“I’m teaching them how to do farm work,” Kaye said.
“It’s a great upbringing and is keeping them
well balanced.”
As for what keeps Graham and Kaye going? Kaye says dairy is part of their DNA.
“We love our milk product and want to ensure people have good healthy food to eat.”
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BY RICK BAYNE
PAUL QUINLAN has always liked to drive change for the dairy industry.
With a career spanning four decades, Paul is always looking for the next best thing that makes life better for farmers.
“Dairying is such a complex business and farmers generally have to accept a price rather than set the price, so efficiencies are really important,” he said.
“We have to keep ahead of the game. Genetic advancement and making sure they are breeding from the right cows is key to that.”
Paul’s commitment to the herd improvement industry has led to his National Herd Improvement Association of Australia (NHIA) Significant Contribution Award, recognising his “outstanding and transformative contributions” to the industry.
At 61, Paul remains passionate about exploring new frontiers in herd improvement, including calf health monitoring, extending dairy advancements to beef herds and introducing emerging technologies and review strategies to eliminate bobby calves through better genetic selections and sexed semen.
He’s already seen massive change since bucking the family trend of going to university and instead going straight from school into a job.
Although raised in central Warrnambool, Paul had horses on a nearby paddock and his father Bill had a house cow.
He liked the idea of working outdoors and secured a job with Western Herd Improvement in the mid-1980s to look after farmer data, help farmers manage their herd testing and advise on genetics and bulls for their breeding requirements.
“That was all farmers had at their fingertips at the time to make decisions on their farms,” he said.
He quickly fell in love with the work.
“I loved working with farmers,” he said.
“They were so engaged and loved the interaction. We were always very welcome because we were working to improve their cattle, their second-most important asset after their land.
“They were always interested in improving and advancing the genetics of their herd.”
Paul did some business courses and learnt insemination and when Western Herd Improvement (WHI) merged with the Warrnambool Co-op, where his father was CEO, he looked look after the rural services.
WHI was approached by farmers to start a branch in Tasmania and also two Gippsland herd improvement companies merged under its banner.
Paul was approached by the Tasmanian Dairy Industry Authority to look after their herd testing and recording business, in turn leading to a managing director role with Tasherd which became a cornerstone of genetic improvement services in the region.
Paul parted ways with WHI in 2004 and started Advanced Genetics with business partners, which included offering electronic herd testing meters, the first in Australia at the time. WHI folded within a year.
He later joined ABS and facilitated an exit of herd testing services out of the business. He worked in various roles at ABS.
“The one I enjoyed the most as business initiatives was the Australia-China connection, working with customers in China to find the best genetics out of Australia for them and opportunities for buying livestock.”
Paul then took on national sales role for ABS where he played a key role in pioneering genomic testing for international sires in Australia, revolutionising genetic selection to
meet local needs.
“At one stage we had more than 50 per cent of the young Holstein bulls on the genomic list. It was about driving change as much as accepting change.”
Paul didn’t always thrive in the big corporate environment and left the company in 2019.
He later joined World Wide Sires as business development manager, the role he continues to hold today, to better promote available technology, particularly CowManager.
“I liked CowManager because it was different,” he said.
“It’s not like everyone else with the collars. Someone said to me — collars are for dogs; ear sensors are for cows and I think they’re right.”
He says the CowManager system provides an X-ray vision into cows.
“You can see their eating and rumination habits, whether they’re cycling and whether they’ve got a temperature — which is unique to the ear sensors.
“From a genetic perspective, which is my true love, it reinforces what you’re recommending for people to continue in their breeding selections, and that’s health traits, which are so important.”
Paul says the technology helps to reduce none-discretionary culling.
“Cows are usually culled because they’re not getting pregnant, mastitis, or lameness; with CowManager we could pick up those health issues earlier so they could be treated earlier.
“Added to these features, the Calf to Cow concept, monitoring the calf with an ear sensor from being a young animal, looking for any setbacks, is also a unique feature of the CowManager system.
“It helps to tighten the calving pattern by getting early pregnancies and all of a sudden you get discretionary culling, not non-discretionary culling.”
Paul says herds are 100 per cent better than when he started.
“For the most part, you don’t get a cow leaving the herd because she dropped her udder.
“Genetic gain and all the traits are accumulative. If you concentrate on something for
long enough, you will improve it.”
He also recommends sexed semen for at least three weeks of mating.
Paul remains a fan of innovation and making changes to improve outcomes for farmers.
“Farmers do a great job with their animals from their experience, this just adds the extra level for something they can’t see.”
He continues to enjoy interacting with farmers, talking about the technology and seeing them get the benefits out of it.
Paul sticks by his father’s business maxim of providing something good that someone else isn’t doing that well.
After receiving the NHIA honour at International Dairy Week, Paul admits it was a
thrill to be recognised by his colleagues within the industry.
“It’s not something you look for but when I look at the value we’ve added over the years, it gives you a thrill.”
NHIA CEO Sara Merckel said Paul’s career had been defined by a commitment to offering dairy farmers access to the best tools and knowledge available, ensuring a dairy farmer’s life is easier and more profitable.
“He has championed the integration of advanced herd recording, milk testing, artificial breeding services, and genetic advice, ensuring farmers in western Victoria, Gippsland, and Tasmania have access to cutting-edge solutions.”
DATAGENE’S CENTRAL Data Repository — Australia's largest database of dairy animal performance records — is shedding new light on the breed preferences of the country’s dairy farmers.
Now DataGene wants more farmers to record the breed of their cows and heifers for a clearer and more accurate picture of the national herd composition.
According to the latest statistics, Holsteins make up 70 per cent of Australia’s national herd, down from 76 per cent a decade earlier. Jerseys, on the other hand, have been undergoing a slow and steady rise in popularity.
The national herd recorded a two per cent increase in the number of Jersey cattle during the past decade to a total of about 17.4 per cent. However, 12 per cent of the national herd doesn’t have a recorded breed, according to DataGene analysis.
Michelle Axford from DataGene said recording the breed, if it’s known, assisted the herd improvement sector.
“If the breed of a calf is known, say for example it’s mostly Holstein, recording the breed increases the precision with which statistics can be delivered,” she said.
“It also increases the chance of that animal getting a breeding value of its own, for genetic evaluation.
“However, if a dairy farmer doesn’t know the breed, it is better to leave this blank than record potentially inaccurate information or genomic test the animal for an accurate determination of the calf’s breed.”
to their herd recording.
This growth has come thanks to DataGene’s development of efficient, high throughput connections between dairies and the Central Data Repository with programs such as Ginfo, the national genetic information reference herd, and the dedication of Australia’s dairy farmers
DataGene is also investigating options to expand the Central Data Repository outside of herd recording with its DataConnect project.
DataConnect is a multi-year project where DataGene works with milking equipment manufacturers, on-farm software providers and corporate dairy companies to identify the best mechanisms to connect data to the Central
Data Repository. This project will improve the quantity and quality of the information feeding into breeding tools such as Australian Breeding Values increasing reliability and enabling the development of new ABVs.
ɋ To find out more, read DataGene’s 2024 Herd Improvement Report at https://www. datagene.com.au/about/corporate-reports/
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WATER POLICY was top of the agenda for meetings between peak farmer organisations and Victorian and federal MPs recently.
On Tuesday, February 11, Victorian Farmers Federation and Australian Dairy Farmers leadership met with Victorian Water Minister Gayle Tierney.
The following day, VFF representatives went to Canberra to meet with Coalition MPs.
At the meeting with Ms Tierney were VFF president Brett Hosking, VFF United Dairyfarmers of Victoria president Bernie Free, VFF Water Council chair Andrew Leahy and northern Victorian dairy farmer Natalie Akers, as well as ADF president Ben Bennett and ADF chief executive officer Steve Sheridan.
Much discussion focused on the drought situation facing south-west Victoria and potential lack of stock water in the Heytesbury area and potential infrastructure solutions.
Ms Akers said the group congratulated Ms Tierney on her statement to parliament on February 6 where she made it very clear that “there may have been a change in minister, but there is no change in Victoria’s position and we oppose untargeted, non-strategic buybacks”.
She said the minister in her speech highlighted the prospectus developed by the Victorian Government last year, which sets out a roadmap of working with local communities to “rightsize” the Goulburn-Murray Water footprint.
“We invited the minister to northern Victoria and she was keen to head up north and learn about our issues; she was also very interested to learn of the outcomes of our meetings in Canberra the following day,” Mr Leahy said.
“It was a great opportunity to meet with the minister and highlight the concerns facing those in northern Victoria around the basin plan as well as highlight issues in the south-west.
“It was a good first step in getting to know our new water minister and we look forward to continuing a strong working relationship.”
In Canberra on Wednesday, February 12, Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell organised a series of meetings for Mr Leahy and Ms Akers.
They met with Federal Nationals Leader David Littleproud, Shadow Federal Water Minister Perin Davey and other National and Liberal MPs: Senator Bridget McKenzie, Anne Webster, Matt Canavan, Sussan Ley, Dave Sharma and Keith Wolahan.
Ms Akers said the meetings provided a good opportunity to highlight Victoria’s position on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, particularly leading into a federal election.
Mr Leahy said it was a great opportunity to get to Canberra and put forward the views and concerns of Victoria.
“With a change in government looking possible at the upcoming federal election, it was great to discuss with the Shadow Water Minister Perin Davey the problems with the basin plan and the changes required moving forward,” he said.
“We need water buybacks to cease — they kill rural communities.
“We need a greater focus on environmental outcomes rather than just focusing on volumes of water, we need a greater focus on rural and regional communities and we need to ensure some firm parameters are set around the Murray-Darling Basin Authority
BY GEOFF ADAMS
MEAT SOURCED from dairy cows is routinely used for human consumption in many countries overseas, so why isn’t it so popular in Australia?
An academic at an Australian university has challenged some assumptions after conducting research on dairy beef at a recent International Dairy Week leaders breakfast.
Professor Jane Quinn is a professor of veterinary physiology at Charles Sturt University. While often a major component of beef supply in many countries, dairy beef is less commonly utilised in Australia.
Reasons for opinions about dairy beef have included a processor belief that dairy carcases were of below premium quality compared to beef breed carcases, whereas dairy farmers believed that the prices offered for dairy steers of similar weight to beef were non-viable.
Consequently, many male calves have been euthanised at birth with others sold within five days of age as ‘bobby calves’.
Prof Quinn noted these options raise social license and animal welfare concerns, but also reflected the loss of considerable potential beef supply.
Her research project evaluated two growth rate pathways from birth to veal and mature beef end points.
Holstein, Holstein-Jersey crosses and Jersey dairy breeds were evaluated together with lesser numbers of British and European beef breeds.
All pathways produced beef of Meat Standards Australia acceptable quality, at least equal to the beef breed cohorts.
However, there were some issues raised, including higher pH levels.
Meat & Livestock Australia has set maximum pH levels in relation to MSA grading.
Dairy tended to have a higher pH, but that may not have been an issue for eating quality as Jersey and Holstein MEQ was better or equivalent to beef and correlated to marble score.
Prof Quinn could find no evidence for grounds to discriminate between Holstein and beef breeds and that growth rates for Holsteins matched beef breeds under similar conditions.
Jersey beef showed the highest meat eating quality scores, with Holstein and HolsteinJersey cross equivalent to traditional beef breeds.
Although the pH levels were high, that did not influence the meat-eating quality.
She found a dairy veal pathway was viable and had high eating quality. Consumer analysis showed high eating quality.
MLA and Dairy Australia have funded a Growing Beef from Dairy project designed to increase the adoption of economically sustainable dairy beef production as an alternative to early life slaughter of surplus calves through the adoption of best practice breeding and feeding for identified markets.
The project, based in Gippsland, will develop a bespoke extension and adoption package to assist farmers to make better informed decisions on the management of surplus calves with a focus on the target market for the calves.
Saputo Dairy Australia’s Cobram site has won the 2024 Business of the Year award by Goulburn Murray Local Learning and Employment Networks (GMLLEN) for Moira Shire.
This annual award recognises one business from each local government area serviced by GMLLEN for their exceptional involvement with local schools and students.
SDA said the award highlighted the company’s commitment to providing real ‘on-thejob’ experiences, industry connections and transition preparation through the School to Work pathway program.
Cobram site manager Adam Harwood
said he was proud of the recognition from GMLLEN for their efforts in supporting the next generation of industry professionals.
“We are incredibly proud of the entire team at Cobram for their dedication to fostering strong connections with the community and providing valuable opportunities for local students to explore careers in the dairy industry,” Mr Harwood said.
“This award is a testament to our commitment to community engagement and the development of future industry leaders.”
Abbey Monk, the School to Work (S2W) Activities Coordinator at GMLLEN, praised
SDA for its extensive support of students throughout the year.
“We commend SDA for all the touch points they’ve offered students throughout the year,” Ms Monk said.
“We recognise this takes time and is a huge investment from everyone involved.
“We are immensely grateful for their commitment to provide opportunities to the young people in our community.”
SDA said in line with the ‘Saputo Promise’, the company continued to invest in the dairy industry and community programs where its people and dairy farmers live and work.
HOLSTEIN AUSTRALIA chief executive officer Rohan Butler is joining Genetics Australia as its new national sales manager. Announcing the appointment on February 11, Genetics Australia CEO Anthony Shelly said Rohan would bring strong business acumen and a passion for people and cattle to the position.
The role is a newly created position to manage the company’s sales portfolio, provide strategic management of the field sales team and to engage with stakeholders.
“We’re an expanding organisation and want to ensure we continue to support our field representatives to further drive the business,” Anthony said.
“Rohan is an excellent candidate who has great experience and expertise in the herd improvement and genetics space.
“This role brings together a lot of Rohan’s strengths, passions and attributes. He has very strong business acumen which will be a great attribute for our business.”
Rohan has been with Holstein Australia for 15 years, initially as genetics service manager and for the past four-and-a-half years as CEO, and previously worked for another genetics company.
Rohan said he was looking forward to a new challenge.
“This new role is an opportunity to work with an organisation with a strong domestic presence and a long history as a member co-operative, which is not dissimilar to a breed association,” he said.
“It was time for a change and a new challenge, and it’s an exciting time for Genetics Australia with the new opportunities and products that are flowing from the joint venture with URUS.
“It’s a different role, not just about sales, but supporting the sales field staff to ensure they have everything they need.
“Genetics Australia is in a great place to grow and it’s exciting to be part of that.”
Rohan said while he would miss his role with Holstein Australia, the organisation was also well placed for the future.
“There are some exciting opportunities ahead for Holstein Australia,” he said.
“We have started a new strategic plan process, so, it’s a great opportunity for someone to come in to build on that with some fresh perspectives.”
Rohan starts with Genetics Australia in March.
PASTURE OPTIMISATION and profitability after a dry summer comes from getting the basics right in our pastures — ensuring quick winter feed while also setting up for a much need silage and hay production later in the season.
Dairy farmers put a lot of time and effort into maximising many aspects on-farm — making selections to boost productivity and ryegrass-based selection and implementation is no different.
Before rushing into sowing, a well-planned approach to renovation and oversowing ryegrasses ensures that the areas you focus on contribute to milk production efficiency through the upcoming winter and spring.
Soil testing and fertility: Know what’s beneath your feet.
Soil fertility drives pasture performance including establishment, so invest in soil testing early to determine pH levels and nutrient requirements. Address any deficiencies early with targeted applications of lime, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur.
Without this foundation, you’re working uphill when to keep the plants healthy when under stress.
Weed and pest control: Nothing competes with newly sown pasture like winter grasses, broadleaf weeds and insect pests.
Controlling weeds in the first four to six weeks after sowing is crucial.
We often see farmers overlook this step, only to struggle with large weeds later in winter which take more chemical to kill and create more holes in newly sown pasture.
Timing: After a dry summer in 2024-2025, are you confident in your autumn break?
A false break can lead to early germination without follow-up rain, putting your investment at risk with young plants under too much stress and vulnerable to pests like crickets.
Do you wait for reliable moisture or take the gamble? The answer is down to your appetite for risk and budget.
Early soil fertility: Nitrogen boosts early growth, but balanced nutrition is key.
A good start includes a combination of phosphorus for root development and sulphur for plant health. The aim is to not only establish quickly but ensure strong regrowth post-grazing.
AR37 ENDOPHYTE TAKES RYEGRASS PERSISTE NCE & INSECT PROTECTION TO A PREMIUM LEVEL.
Performance pasture with high rust tolerance
Grazing management: Newly established pastures need time.
Preventing overgrazing, especially at the first grazing, goes a long way to ensuring strong regrowth through winter.
This is where you set up your pastures to push quality growth into spring and beyond.
Species selection
Should you choose an annual or Italian ryegrass?
While annual ryegrasses are commonly chosen for their price and rapid early growth, opting for an Italian ryegrass can extend production into late spring and early summer where soil moisture is available.
What sets the higher quality Italian ryegrass such as Vibe Italian Ryegrass apart, is their genetic breeding for late season quality and growth they can provide after an annual ryegrass has gone stalky, finished and put up a seed head.
This added regrowth from these more persistent Italian ryegrasses can enhance profitability across various farming systems, whether it be dairy, beef or sheep production.
Given the comparable seed costs, Italians frequently prove to be the more cost-effective choice over time if you have moisture available in spring to deliver the benefits.
Based on a $2/kg difference in seed, at 25kg/ha sowing rate, the investment in an additional $50 per hectare could pay off for your farm in spring.
If your main goal is rapid establishment and early winter feed, annual ryegrass is the ideal choice, delivering quick growth and allowing for faster grazing rotations to maximise feed availability through June-August.
Dairy businesses thrive when feed costs are controlled, and nothing beats well-managed pastures for cost-effective production.
Investing time in getting the basics right this autumn means setting your pastures up for strong winter performance provided reasonable autumn moisture arrives.
Ryegrass selection plays a key role, with an Italian ryegrass giving flexibility to cut high-quality silage or hay when conditions allow, securing your feed reserves for next summer and beyond.
– A collaboration by the Notman Pasture Seeds team, including Peter Notman, Andrew Allsop and Jason Hibbs.
Mohaka AR37 tetraploid hybrid ryegrass: Strong cool season growth, late spring quality & protection from insects with AR37 endophyte.
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Base AR37 tetraploid perennial ryegrass: High quality feed & proven performance across wet, dry & neutral weather patterns.
AR37 ENDOPHYTE has been shown to be crucial for maximising nitrogen efficiency in perennial ryegrass, resulting in economic gains and environmental positives.
DLF Seeds Australian research manager Martin Harmer spent four years exploring the nitrogen efficiency benefits of AR37 endophyte and how incorporating it into a pasture system can improve a farmer’s bottom line.
Martin’s research examined the impact of AR37 novel endophyte and its role in increasing nitrogen efficiency on high-performing grasses.
An endophyte is a fungus found naturally in many grass species, including ryegrass. It provides the plant with protection from insects, and in return the plant provides the endophyte with a place to live and reproduce.
With a focus on AR37 (an endophyte known for strong insect control resulting in improved pasture production), Martin uncovered its ability to solve other costly problems farmers face, including expensive fertilisers.
Martin recently published a study looking at how farmers can improve nitrogen use efficiency by using AR37 endophyte.
His paper — Improvement in the nitrogen use efficiency and uptake of perennial ryegrass caused by the Epichole fungal endophyte AR37 includes a four-year field trial which evaluated the effects AR37 endophyte has on nitrogen efficiency in high performance ryegrass varieties.
grass was subjected to five different nitrogen application rates assessed over 22 harvests.
Yield and nitrogen content were measured and the trial was managed under irrigation to simulate optimal growth conditions.
Martin said the outcome of this study was that the AR37 endophyte is crucial for maximising nitrogen efficiency in perennial ryegrass, resulting in economic gains and environmental positives.
“The pastures will also respond more vigorously in difficult conditions, such as in autumn,” he said.
“Many farmers will be familiar with perennial ryegrass paddocks that appear slow to respond to autumn rains after summer, which can cause an autumn and winter feed deficit.
“By protecting plants from insect pests, AR37 endophyte promotes accelerated growth that’s essential for farmers in difficult times.
“Improving nitrogen efficiency on farms helps increase farmers’ profitability by generating more financial output, while also potentially reducing nitrogen losses.“
DLF Seeds has several AR37 products for farmers to sow for autumn.
The findings demonstrated that pastures inoculated with AR37 endophyte had higher production, leading to better forage yields and higher profitability compared to traditional, non-endophytic varieties.
“For farmers, the variety of perennial ryegrass selected and the endophyte it contains will impact both their farm’s profitability and how well their pasture is able to utilise nitrogen to produce feed,” Martin said.
“Selecting the right ryegrass variety (in this case Base with AR37 endophyte) increases the pasture’s response to nitrogen fertiliser, reducing the amount needed to grow a given amount of feed.
“Ultimately, you’re producing more feed for the same amount of nitrogen.”
The research was conducted at a farm in Australia using a controlled set-up. The
Vast AR37 perennial ryegrass provides strong year-round production with excellent pasture growth during summer and autumn, while Base AR37 perennial ryegrass is a high-performance, Australian industry-leading variety with high seasonal production and excellent late quality feed.
For more information, go to: https:// www.dlfseeds.com.au
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LAUNCHED IN 2022, Allure Italian Ryegrass from Upper Murray Seeds (UMS) has quickly proven it’s at the top of the diploid Italian ryegrass market.
In the three years since its release, Allure’s strength has been its rapid establishment alongside its grazing recovery, allowing farmers to get back into paddocks sooner and maximise productivity.
Allure establishes quickly and grows vigorously through autumn and winter, ensuring reliable feed when it’s needed most.
Its high dry matter yields support livestock nutrition and boost overall pasture productivity.
Allure has also proven a good performer late in the season with December rain or irrigation.
The key to Allure’s success is its exceptional ability to recover rapidly after grazing.
“This feature keeps grazing rotations tight and maximises grazing opportunities, contributing to long-term profitable pastures,”
says Damien Glass, the UMS area manager for northern Victoria.
Adaptable to different farming systems, Allure thrives in medium to high-rainfall zones and performs well under irrigation. Its versatility also extends to hay and silage production, giving farmers flexibility in feed management.
With its fast recovery, high yield potential, and adaptability, Allure Italian Ryegrass is helping farmers optimise pasture systems and increase profitability.
For more information, visit: www.uppermurrayseeds.com.au/product/ allure-italian-ryegrass/
Allure establishes quickly and grows vigorously through autumn and winter.
Frenzy is a high-yielding tetraploid short rotation ryegrass containing the NEA endophyte for excellent livestock performance.
Cropmark Seeds says it establishes fast, delivers strong cool-season growth, and produces year-round.
Perfect for over-sowing or short-term pastures, it provides lush, high-performing feed for your stock.
Its rapid establishment makes it ideal for stitching into old or run-out pastures or as a short-term (two to three years) option in specialist pastures.
Frenzy has undergone vigorous trialling across the dairy regions of Victoria, including multiple trials in Gippsland and the Western District, where it demonstrated exceptional performance.
Frenzy’s key point of difference compared to other hybrid ryegrasses is its speed of establishment and winter yield, derived from its high percentage of Italian ryegrass in its breeding.
Being a late-heading tetraploid hybrid ryegrass, it has high feed quality and provides greater longevity than Italian
ryegrasses, offering multi-year persistence when conditions allow.
Its vigorous growth makes Frenzy ideal for over-sowing into run-out pastures to boost productivity. Its speed of establishment is a real asset in a late autumn-break.
Frenzy also makes a great high feed-value short-rotation pasture when sown with clovers and forage herbs such as Chico chicory or Oracle plantain.
Frenzy can typically be sown alone at 25 to 30kg/ha or stitched into existing pasture at 15 to 20kg/ha.
Frenzy is available from all seed retailers and rural merchants.
For more information, contact Cropmark’s local representatives:
Gippsland, northern NSW, Queensland: Adam Sheedy on 0428 132 096.
Western District, South Australia, Tasmania: Bruce Hume on 0427 607 375.
Northern Victoria, southern NSW: Sven Koljo on 0429 375 452.
Damien Adcock Southern Research Agronomist
We’ve been evaluating Forge for a number of years and I’ve been really impressed with the establishment speed, winter yield and early-spring forage yields. The quality and quantity of feed Forge NEA can produce is outstanding.”
Forge NEA is our newest high performance ryegrass that has been added to the range for 2025.
Forge NEA is a longer-termed Tetraploid hybrid ryegrass. Forge NEA is bred for maximising feed over a 3-5 year period. Forge NEA delivers outstanding winter, summer and total annual yields. With grazing-safe NEA endophyte that will help to deter insect pests and aide in the longevity of the pasture stand. With NEA endophyte there is no alkaloid induced ryegrass-staggers or adverse animal health risks to cattle or sheep, so you can graze with confidence.
BY DR LES SANDLES
HOW OFTEN have we heard “the answer is the soil beneath our feet”?
Well, it is for good reason as it turns out.
Soil is not just dirt. Soil is distinguished from
Frenzy out competes on growth.
The highest-yielding short rotation ryegrass in the 2024 National Forage Variety Trials cropmarkseeds.com.au
dirt through its bustling population of microbial wunderkind.
These tiny titans of the tilth are the unsung heroes of agriculture, holding the key to boosting our farm’s carrying capacity, and plant and animal health.
More microbes means healthier, more dynamic soils providing more nutrients for our plants, which, in turn, means we grow more pasture of higher quality.
But here’s the kicker: we really have no clue which microbes we should be rooting for. The microbial stars of one farm or field might be the wallflowers in another.
It’s a bit like a soil-based game of musical chairs, where the most active microbes shift and change, adapting to their environment as conditions dictate. Just don’t let them see the light of day — air is their kryptonite.
Japanese soil scientist Dr Higa (of Bokashi fame) found a lush patch on his lawn where he dumped his microbial library in a fit of frustration and had his epiphany — it’s not about one microbe but rather about the whole gang working together. A consortium in fact, performing like a finely tuned orchestra.
It might be easier to imagine a superhero team where each microbe has a specific role, like the Avengers of the agricultural underground.
We need the full buffet of microbes to really get the underground party started. Here’s a shortlist of the essential players we should be inviting to our microbial shindig:
ɋ Bacteria: These little champs fix nitrogen, decompose organic matter, make water, and even help seed clouds for rain. Some even function much like our dairy cows, but way smaller, cyclically shuttling nutrients from soil to the plant.
ɋ Fungi: The decompose rs extraordinaire! They break down tough components and help plants absorb nutrients.
ɋ Yeasts: Also decomposers, and plant feeders, and vital to devouring any oxygen that finds it way into the rhizosphere.
ɋ Actinomycetes: Think of these as the soil’s medical team, producing antibiotics and delivering nutrients like seasoned couriers.
ɋ Archaea: These extremophiles thrive in tough conditions and help with nitrogen cycling. The also manage excess H ions producing methane.
ɋ Protozoa: The little predators of the soil world, regulating bacterial populations and keeping things in check.
ɋ Nematodes: The microbial ninjas, controlling populations of microbes and recycling their nutrients like pros.
ɋ Mycorrhizal fungi: These are the ultimate team players, forming networks with plant roots and transporting nutrients and water over vast areas. They’re crucial for soil and plant nutrition, but they don’t take kindly to cultivation.
So, the next time you’re out in the paddock, cultivating or spreading fertiliser, think of this: if you switched your focus down a level — from the plant to the soil’s microbial milieu — and attended their simple needs, you wouldn’t need the cultivation or the fertiliser because a healthy mix of these microbial marvels would be doing all the heavy lifting for you. This mind-blowing fact might help put things in perspective — the carrying capacity of the soil (kg livestock/ha) is matched by the microbial mass within the soil.
ɋ If you would like to know more, drop us a line at: info@4sight.bio
WHEN SOURCING supplementary feed for your livestock, there are two key issues to consider before purchasing a seemingly cheaper feed: feed testing and commodity declarations.
You need to know exactly what you are getting. This will ensure that the feed value is right for the class of livestock being fed, and give you value for money and peace of mind that it’s safe to feed.
Get the feed tested
When sourcing feeds, always ask for the feed analysis before you buy.
If a test isn’t available, it may be possible to get a sample and send the test off yourself, before deciding to purchase.
If you purchase feed without a test, it’s still worth taking a sample and getting a test done so that you can fine-tune your rations and ensure that livestock nutritional requirements are being met.
Several companies do feed tests and can provide follow-up advice if needed. Their websites will provide details about how to sample, costs involved, how to access sampling kits and payment methods.
It is important to note that not all companies test and report on the same nutritional components.
Ensure that you have any samples tested for metabolisable energy, protein, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and dry matter.
Because energy is the main requirement of livestock, knowing the metabolisable energy (ME) values of different feeds is vital to working out how much you need to feed and the best value (as cost of energy) to buy.
A feed analysis report will inform the ME, expressed as either MJ ME/kg DM or as megajoules per kilogram of dry matter (MJ/kg DM). ME is the amount of energy in the feed that is available for livestock to use.
Protein is measured as the crude protein (CP), as a percentage of dry matter. Protein contains nitrogen, and this is used to estimate the protein content of feeds.
A portion of the nitrogen in feed is non-protein nitrogen (nitrates, ammonia and urea); crude protein is a measure of both this and the feed protein (amino acids).
Crude protein values give a good indication of whether a particular feed will satisfy the protein needs of an animal.
Fibre is measured and reported as neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) as a percentage of dry matter.
NDF is a measure of all the fibre (the digestible and indigestible parts) and indicates how bulky the feed is.
ADF is a measure of the proportion of feed that is indigestible to stock (mainly cellulose
Rumen-protected fat supplements like Megalac allow dairy farmers to efficiently meet herd energy demands.
Dairy producers looking to optimise herd performance against their feed budget will benefit by including rumen-protected fat supplements in rations, says Dr Richard Kirkland, global technical manager for Volac Wilmar Feed Ingredients.
An essential nutrient in dairy rations, cows typically need 15 to 20 per cent of their metabolisable energy (ME) to come from fat, which may be equivalent to more than 6 per cent fat in the ration dry matter (DM) for high-yielding cows.
“These key feed supplements help ensure the fat requirements of the animal are met while also providing a concentrated source of energy without adding to the acid load in the rumen as is the case with starchy cereal energy sources,” Dr Kirkland said.
“Looking at the blend of fatty acids within a fat supplement offers the ability for farmers to target specific areas of cow performance to support their milk contract.”
In rations based on forage and cereals, meeting energy requirements with a
and lignin). Feeds with a high ADF are low energy.
If both NDF and ADF are reported and the ADF represents a high proportion of NDF, this means most of the fibre content of the feed is indigestible to stock.
All measurements of energy and protein are made on a dry matter basis. This allows feeds of different moisture contents to be compared.
Dry matter is the amount of feed left after all the water in the sample has been removed by oven drying. It is expressed as a percentage of the original sample.
Knowing the dry matter percentage enables you to work out how much to feed to meet the energy requirements of the stock.
Digestibility is provided on a feed analysis report as a percentage of dry matter — either DDM (digestible dry matter) or DMD (dry matter digestibility), depending on the company doing the analysis. It is the percentage of the dry matter digested by the animal.
High-quality feeds will have a figure above 65 per cent. Feeds below 55 per cent are of poor quality — if animals are given free access, they will be unlikely to maintain their liveweight if this feed was supplying all their diet.
Check the feed is safe
When sourcing feeds, particularly new
supplies or fodder from failed or harvested crops not originally intended for livestock, you should obtain a commodity vendor declaration form
This will provide some background information about the feed source, including whether it has been sprayed or treated with a chemical that is still within a withholding period (WHP), export slaughter interval (ESI) or export animal feed interval (EAFI).
A blank commodity vendor declaration form can be downloaded from the Integrity Systems website.
– Michele Jolliffe, Agriculture Victoria dairy extension officer.
nutrient-dense and rumen-safe ingredient is essential.
As a macronutrient, fat is energy dense with 500g of a fat supplement like Megalac increasing energy density by 0.5 MJ/kg DM.
Dr Kirkland said compared to cereals, it contains more than 2.5 times the energy density while protecting rumen function, and improving milk production and feed efficiency.
He said from supporting body condition and conception rates to milk production, meeting energy requirements is essential for the short and long-term performance of a dairy herd.
“The multi-purpose benefits of rumen-protected fat supplements make them a great catch-all ingredient in dairy rations to give farmers a greater return on investment from their feed inputs.
“There are a lot of feed ingredients that will fulfil one role in a ration — but only rumen-protected fat delivers a highly-concentrated energy source without risk to rumen function, and enabling specific areas of herd performance to be targeted.”
ProDairy can assist you with the development of a tailored plan:
• On-farm visit by a ProDairy veterinarian.
• Review of the current biosecurity principles, the major risks and actions taken to reduce those risks.
• Development of a customised biosecurity plan.
Visit prodairy.com.au for more information.
FARMERS COULD save more than $50,000 a year on interest costs for hybrid, electric and hydrogen-powered utes and methane-reducing feed for their herds under a new tranche of cheap loans.
The nation’s federal green bank has announced $100 million will go to farmers as part of a $300 million green finance incentives package open to agribusinesses and equipment purchasers.
Farmers for Climate Action chief executive Natalie Collard welcomed the government “using the carrot rather than the stick” so farmers could choose how they wanted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while remaining profitable.
“This is exactly the sort of program our 8400 farmer members have been calling for ... credit where credit is due,” Ms Collard said.
“Farmers know why we need to reduce emissions — this year’s bushfires remind us that climate change is hurting farmers now.”
The commitment from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation offers farmers discounts on interest rates of 1.15 per cent for eligible borrowers through the National Australia Bank.
Farmers can opt to keep the saving or reinvest it in low-emissions fertilisers and methane-reducing livestock feed additives, such as the red seaweed product developed by the CSIRO.
The announcement has been made alongside a new CSIRO-developed tool known as the pathfinder to help farmers understand
the carbon footprint of their properties and explore ways to cut emissions.
Loans under the Emissions Reduction Incentive program are expected to range from
“Providing lower-cost, green finance makes it easier for Australian businesses to invest in technologies and practices that reduce emissions and operating costs, drive long-term business growth and enhance their competitiveness,” Ms Slade said.
The announcement follows federal green bank the Clean Energy Finance Corporation arranging with Rabobank to offer concessional loans to landowners for the upfront cost of planting native trees to attract carbon credits.
“The agriculture sector is at the heart of the net-zero transition, with challenging climate conditions impacting Australia-wide,” the corporation’s head of natural capital Heechung Sung said.
“In lowering their carbon footprint, farmers can become more resilient to climate change while also lifting the appeal of their produce, as consumers increasingly preference sustainable products,” she said.
Investments in recycling facilities, manufacturing solar, wind and battery components or making low-emission cars, trucks, buggies and earthmoving equipment will attract a 0.5 per cent interest rate discount.
Customer loans for investments through the $200 million NAB Green Finance for Vehicles and Equipment program are expected to range from $10,000 to $5 million.
$1 million to $5 million.
Businesses now recognise the opportunities of going green, NAB Group’s business and private banking executive Rachel Slade said.
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation is a specialist net-zero investor with access to more than $30 billion from the Federal Government.
– with AAP.
and Fert is a leader in equipment for foliar and fine particle fertiliser application, and has helped more than 1000 farmers grow healthier, more resilient pastures with less inputs.
Now a new study backs up Tow and Fert’s work, confirming dairy farmers can reduce nitrogen fertiliser costs by up to 39 per cent per litre of milk produced, without compromising yield, by using foliar feeding.
Published in a European Innovation Partnership Wales report, the findings support a 2013 study in New Zealand, which demonstrated the efficiency of foliar feeding in improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) while maintaining pasture productivity.
Trials across four dairy farms in Wales compared conventional granular nitrogen fertilisers with foliar-applied nitrogen, which is absorbed directly through the leaves.
The results showed up to 315 per cent higher NUE in foliar-fed systems, requiring significantly less nitrogen to achieve similar dry matter yields.
“Foliar feeding has opened my eyes to a new way of fertilising,” said one participating farmer. “Not only have I seen a reduction in costs, but it’s also been effective in dry and cool conditions where traditional methods struggle.”
Tow and Fert is revolutionising fertiliser application, helping farmers reduce inputs while growing nutrient-dense, resilient pastures. By optimising NUE, farmers can boost animal health, promote beneficial microbes and enhance soil vitality, all while lowering costs and improving sustainability.
One of the biggest challenges farmers face today is the rising cost of inputs. Tow and Fert sprayers provide a practical, results-driven solution, allowing farmers to apply fertiliser more efficiently, reduce waste and improve pasture growth. Whether it’s dissolving nitrogen or phosphorus and other granular fertiliser products for foliar application, applying lime flour, oversowing small seeds, or integrating biological products, Tow and Fert gives farmers greater flexibility and control over their fertiliser program.
ɋ Find the full research paper at: https://businesswales.gov. wales/farmingconnect/sites/ farmingconnect/files/documents/ EIP%20Foliar%20Feed%20-%20 Final%20technical%20report%20 -%20March%2022.pdf
DELEGATES TO the Australian Dairy Conference were treated to an impressive display of the latest John Deere equipment and feed technology, including the brand new 6M 155 tractor.
With all products designed to prioritise production, profitability and sustainability, the new 6M 155 features more speed, power and customisation to create the ideal mid-size utility tractor for the dairy and beef industry.
The V451R Variable Chamber Baler was also on display at the Gold Coast Conference & Exhibition Centre. As was the HarvestLab 3000 sensor, which uses near-infrared technology to allow precision measurement and documentation of the nutrients available in different crop types, and inform decision making that creates the optimal feed for cows and higher milk yields.
John Deere Australia’s Erin Wagstaff said combining reliable, functional machinery with groundbreaking precision ag technology helped dairy farmers to refine and improve every facet of their business.
“The range of John Deere tractors and data management sensors can assist farmers to monitor input costs like fuel through Operations Center, while AutoTrac ensures accurate sowing, mowing and raking, and HarvestLab assesses the quality of the crop, not only as it’s being cut, but the benchtop kit means you can assess silage quality at any time,” Erin said.
“By adding more optionality to the 6M range,
we’ve built the tractor for the future based on the reputation we’ve built up over 100 years for quality and reliability.
“It has more power, more technology and new features like the reversible fan that makes the 6M the go-to machine for the vast range of tasks on the farm.”
For the first time in the new range of 6M tractors, four models are 200hp or above, and those wanting extra speed for transportation have the option of a 50kph transmission.
Another attraction is the intelligent power management, providing a 14.9-kW (20-hp) boost for many typical operations that use rear power take-off in high-power applications or in transport.
The sloped hood design delivers enhanced operator visibility, while the option of single or dual rear wheels or larger tyres brings improved traction and power to the ground.
There is also a digital cornerpost display in the cabin, featuring integrated connectivity and scaleable precision technology.
The name and numbering conventions have been aligned with John Deere’s 6R, 7R, 8R and 9R tractors, which display the series separately from the rated engine horsepower, and the sleek styling of the 6Ms includes a new flag design and louvre shape.
HarvestLab 3000 gives dairy farmers a way to monitor and analyse silage quality, providing information such as moisture, dry matter, protein, starch and sugar within minutes. The technology is available on John Deere’s
self-propelled forage harvesters and separately as a bench test kit.
All data is displayed and site-specifically documented in real time, so operators can adjust settings for machine optimisation in the field, rather than waiting for laboratory results.
Erin said she enjoyed connecting with dairy farmers during the two-day conference and highlighting the equipment and technology available to support on-farm efficiencies.
“We know milk production is the key focus for dairy farmers, so complementing that with reliable equipment and precision agriculture technology in other areas of their operation can have a powerful impact on productivity, sustainability and their bottom line,” she said.
Quick, Effec�ve and Easy way of feeding all types of large square bales out evenly. The Raptor carry’s and simultaneously feeds out two bales together. It’s unique hydraulically driven rotor and push bar system, is designed to break the biscuits up evenly and consistently right to the very end. It’s easy to use, easy to remove the strings and makes a great straw applicator for herd homes, calving pads and calf sheds. For more informa�on please call
What if you could proactively improve calf and cow health sothey can better withstandchallenges, including those caused by mycotoxins?
What if you could control calf diarrhea before an outbreak, and reduce the incidence, severity and duration of other common diseases that affectthe feedconversion efficiency of lactating cows and your bottom line?
What if you could add nutritional insurance to every stage of your cattle’s lives resulting in healthier heifer calves that join the milkingherd ready to contribute at a high level, and lactating cows that spend less time off feed.
Has been shown to:
•Agglutinates and binds E. coli and Salmonella enterica.
• Agglutinate and bind E. coli and Salmonella enterica
•Reduces the incidence, severity and duration of mastitis and cryptosporidiosis infection.
• Reduce the incidence, severity and duration of mastitis and cryptosporidiosis infection
• Reduce blood stress markers during and after transport and temperature stress.
•Reduces blood stress markers during and after transport and temperature stress.
• Minimise cytotoxic damage caused by a variety of mycotoxins and carryover of aflatoxins in milk
• Improve weight gains and performance in calves and milk yields in lactating cows
•Minimises cytotoxic damage caused by a variety of mycotoxins and carryover of aflatoxins in milk.
•Improves weight gains and performance in calves and milk yields in lactating cows.
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