FEBRUARY, 2024 ISSUE 160
WEST VIC REGION GREENER PASTURES Filipino-born dairy farmer Mike Solde has made his home in south-west Victoria, working for farm owner Ben Bennett. Page 3.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2024
2 // WEST VIC REGION
Chair’s message
Biosecurity critical BY BRENDAN REA
AND JUST like that, January has come to an end, and we are well and truly into the new year. While we hope for the best in the year ahead, it is important to prepare for the worst to protect our businesses. As farmers, we understand that there are certain aspects of our business that are beyond our control, such as the weather or milk prices. However, we can take proactive measures to prepare for negative situations and minimise any impacts on our business. Biosecurity risks facing Victorian farmers are ever present. I believe it is important for us all to keep in mind that no farm business is exempt from the possibility of biosecurity disruption and impact. It is critical that we be aware of the risks and take appropriate precautions to protect our businesses. Two of the most significant biosecurity risks that could potentially devastate our industry are, of course, lumpy skin disease and foot and mouth disease. Each has demonstrated an ability to establish and spread across borders. While we hope that these diseases do not enter Australia, we must prepare for the possibility and take measures to minimise the risk if there is an incursion. This means that biosecurity should be a part of our ‘business as usual’ approach to protect business continuity through times of disaster.
The Biosecurity Strategy for Victoria was launched last November, and it outlines five overarching goals and 20 actions that aim to safeguard the state against pests and diseases. The strategy was formed through extensive engagement with Traditional Owners and nearly 450 stakeholders covering all aspects of Victoria’s biosecurity system — from farmers and industry groups to land managers and emergency management agencies. The goals include building better partnerships with key stakeholders, strengthening the state’s capacity to prepare and respond to emergencies, and identifying more ways the government can support Victoria’s biosecurity system as a whole. One of the key goals is to strengthen partnerships through improved collaboration to achieve better biosecurity outcomes. At WestVic Dairy, we are currently working with Agriculture Victoria on delivering biosecurity sessions that will help farmers best prepare for potential biosecurity threats. The sessions aim to address and discuss the current state of emergency animal disease risk to Australian agriculture, what is being done beyond the farm gate to prevent an animal disease incursion, how we can prepare for a biosecurity threat, and how your current farm biosecurity management can influence the risk of disease and pest outbreaks. Another key goal of the biosecurity plan is to ‘broaden the basis of preparedness and response’. Here in the south-west, we are also building strong partnerships in order to best
respond to a regional emergency like an animal disease outbreak. The Industry Leadership Group, formed in 2016 in response to the industry circumstances that year, has biosecurity and other emergency possibilities high on its priority list. Members of the group include WestVic Dairy, Agriculture Victoria, local dairy processing reps, local government, regional agencies and farmer advocacy body representatives. It is reassuring to know that various parts of the industry in the region are proactively working together ahead of emergencies to ensure a timely, coordinated, cohesive approach when an emergency arises. Each action an individual takes or does not take, is important to the industry’s ability to maintain profitable production, protect animal welfare, and maintain social licence. Working together, we can best continue to protect our dairy industry and Australian agriculture from biosecurity risks. To learn more about Victoria’s Biosecurity Strategy, visit: https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/biosecurity/ protecting-victoria/strengtheningvictorias-biosecurity-system-program/ biosecurity-strategy-for-victoria As always, we’re available to speak with any farmer, so please reach out to me or other directors to share your thoughts, raise concerns, or propose ideas. Finally, I hope you all get to enjoy a good autumn break. Brendan Rea is the WestVic Dairy chair.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2024
WEST VIC REGION // 3
Finding greener pastures BY RICK BAYNE
AFTER MILKING 7000 cows in a 12-hour
Mike Solde and farm owner Ben Bennett work well together.
shift every day for two years, Mike Solde started thinking like a cow and looked for greener pastures. The Filipino-born dairy farmer started his working career in Saudi Arabia and it was a tough initiation. “In Saudi Arabia I was just milking the whole day … 7000 cows. You have to stand up walking around for 10 hours of the day,” Mike said. “There were just seven of us in the team milking 7000 cows. We had to milk 300 cows in 25 minutes. At first, I wanted to go home but as time goes by you get used to it.” But two years was enough, and Mike has instead found his feet and a farming system he enjoys in New Zealand and now Australia. Mike is one of a growing platoon of Filipino workers on south-west dairy farms, along with many more farms across the nation and across the ditch. Mike completed a six-month, government-funded certificate training program in his native Philippines in pursuit of an international career in dairy. The only options after the six-month course are to go to Japan or Saudi Arabia, which are used by most graduates as a bridge to get to New Zealand. Only Filipinos with agricultural science degrees can go straight to New Zealand or Australia. Mike had been doing different types of
Working with the mixed herd is the best part of the job for Mike Solde.
Mike Solde is happy to put the long days and hot conditions in Saudi Arabia behind him and enjoy better conditions in Australia.
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farming, including growing bananas in the Philippines, but wanted something more. “I looked for greener pastures — just like a cow,” he said. But his first taste of a greener pasture was actually a hot desert climate at Almarai, on one of the biggest super farms in the world owned by the country’s king. It’s a massive operation and consists of seven huge farms — each with 19,000 cows. “We milked four times a day in two shifts — one in the morning and one at night,” Mike said. “They were 12-hour shifts, with only two days off per month, and we were milking the same cows four times a day. Our farm consists of three separate milking parlours each putting through 7000 cows a day on a Rapid Exit dairy.” The average cow produced about 24 litres a day over the four milkings. They were living in big barns, and although they could venture outside, they tended to stay in the climate-controlled shade. “Saudi Arabia is very hot. The cows could go out but it was a controlled temperature inside, 16 degrees, so they’d go out for a minute and come back in pretty quickly,” Mike said. It was a very intensive farming system. “They used to plant corn on another huge farm owned by the king, using a water irrigator, and imported grasses from places like Spain and Mexico,” Mike said. “They were well fed — they had thousands of tonnes of grass.” His relocation to Invercargill in New Zealand’s South Island was another eye-opener, this time having to deal with a lot of inclement cold weather and floods over his two-and-a-half years in the country. But there were only about 600 cows and a Filipino boss, and Mike got to do a variety of jobs including tractor work, fencing, milking and feeding the cows. In mid-2023 he came to Australia to join Ben and Kylee Bennett on their farm at Pomborneit. Mike’s wife Kris and son Zev joined him in November. Ben said he wanted reliability and looked to the Filipino community when unable to find a local staffing solution. “It was just Kylee and myself but we wanted to scale back and we needed a reliable person,” he said. “There is a big Filipino community here in the Western District and we decided to tap into that.” Continued on page 4
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2024
4 // WEST VIC REGION
Finding greener pastures Continued from page 3
Ben admits the process was a “long burn”. “The visa process took a bit of time,” he said. “I had told Kylee it was going to take a month, but after nine months it was wearing thin. You must plan ahead if you want to hire international staff.” He said farms struggling to find local staff should consider looking at overseas markets. “New Zealand went from 200 Filipinos 10 years ago to well over 2000 working on farms today, along with other nationalities,” he said. “It’s definitely growing in Australia and it’s all very positive. From what I’ve seen, they have a positive attitude, good work ethic and capacity, and empathy and exceptional handling of the stock. “The visa process is not cheap but as everyone knows, a stable workforce is worth the money. Having a good reliable staff member cuts the stress out of it.
“Mike being able to help to reduce the burden of milking, to fix things like water leaks, fences and make sure the cows are fed and have water removes a great burden.” The farm will calve down just under 400 this coming season. It’s a low-cost farming system with a focus on tight and easy calving and high fertility. It is on the edge of the Stony Rises and a lot of the land has been cleared of rocks more than a decade ago. Ben has a pasture system centred on perennial lucerne, which he says suits the local land. Mike is revelling in his third dairying country and said he had found his right niche, especially as he got to work closely with the cows. “The job is never boring. I couldn’t cope with working in an office … I like to move and be active,” he said. “You have to work hard and be passionate and have a good attitude and like working with the cows.”
The Bennett farm in the Stony Rises is surrounded by the region’s famous stone walls with Mt Pordon in the background on one side and the Pombo Mart on the other.
The farm will calve down just under 400 this coming season. It’s a low-cost farming system with a focus on tight and easy calving and high fertility.
Ben Bennett’s pasture system is centred on perennial lucerne, which he says suits the local land.
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Mike the milker. He worked 12-hour shifts of non-stop milking in Saudi Arabia.
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2024
WEST VIC REGION // 5
Free ag courses OPPORTUNITIES FOR people
to find a career in agriculture are expanding across south-west Victoria as farming industries struggle to find suitable trained employees. South West TAFE Agriculture teaching education manager Bec Toleman said the Victorian Government had expanded access to free TAFE courses in agriculture to meet the demand for employees. “The government has recognised the ongoing skills shortage in agriculture and is now offering a free pathway, starting with a Certificate II in Agriculture and continuing with Certificate III and then either the dairy production certificate or the Certificate IV,” Bec said. “As long as you’ve finished one agricultural course, you can enrol into the next and keep moving through for free, which we’ve never done before.” The free TAFE offer has encouraged South West TAFE to expand its agriculture staff and course offering. “We’ve got more staff on board and have courses in Hamilton, Colac, Warrnambool and Glenormiston,” Bec said. South West TAFE is planning to introduce a Certificate IV in Agriculture in Colac next year and a Certificate III in Hamilton and is
also offering a series of compliance short courses, including use of tractors, quad bikes, front end loaders and a free chemical handling course. “The government is trying to support the industry by putting as many options as possible on the table and we’re expanding to meet that by adding more staff across all campuses and new courses to better service the area,” Bec said. A $2 million project at the Glenormiston campus will add to the SWTAFE agricultural program, with more personal development opportunities for teachers and potential to expand into school camps. WestVic Dairy regional manager and executive officer Lindsay Ferguson welcomed the increase in courses and said workforce
shortages remained a key issue in the south-west dairy industry and one high on the list of strategic priorities for WestVic Dairy. “Skilled staff are essential for the running of a successful farm business and while backpackers can fill a gap, farms much prefer to employ skilled local staff that have commitment and are permanent,” Lindsay said. “WestVic Dairy has staff members dedicated to helping people discover and develop their careers in the industry and any schemes that can add to the pool of skilled staff are welcomed.” Bec said there had been a lot of interest in the Free TAFE agricultural certificates, but farmers were crying out for more workers. “We’re finding a lot of farms that are short staffed across the board,” she said. “The need for skilled workers is probably at one of the highest levels it has ever been and we haven’t fully recovered after the border closures during COVID. “I’m constantly getting calls from farmers asking if I’ve got people they can employ.” There are also financial incentives on offer for farmers who put students into traineeships through South West TAFE.
FARMS NEEDED South-west Victorian farmers are being asked to open their gates to help train a new generation of farm workers. South West TAFE agriculture teaching education manager Bec Toleman said students needed access to animals and different types of farms to get the most out of their agricultural courses. “We want to provide our students with the opportunity to observe, learn and participate in activities on farms to expand their knowledge,” Bec said. However, a dearth of options has led to an appeal to the industry for greater input. “For the past few years, I’ve been using my own network of friends and contacts, but we need to access animals and more farms for all of our ag courses,” Bec said. She said it was important that students saw different types of farms, from family to corporate operations, organic, beef, sheep, dairy or produce. Students need practical work and can help with on-farm jobs. “We want our students to gain a wide variety of skills and an understanding of the different farming enterprises in the south-west region,” Bec said. “If anyone has animals coming
up to drenching, vaccination, if any sheep, beef or dairy farms are doing anything new and innovative that can benefit students. “It could be doing multispecies pastures, installing new equipment or helping with some fencing, we can come out and use their property to teach the students and also help get the jobs done on the farm.” Last year students helped to drench more than 450 sheep on one property and also watched vets preg testing animals. “We want practical activities, not just coming out and watching, but being able to do things that will help students gain knowledge and experience. “We’re not asking farmers to do the training; our teachers will be there; we just need properties and jobs where our students can get experience.” Access to farms would be once or twice a year and students would be fully supervised by experienced trainers. South West TAFE is seeking host farms anywhere in the southwest, particularly the Hamilton, Colac and Glenormiston areas. 2 Any farmer able to help can email Bec on Rebecca. Toleman@swtafe.edu.au or phone 0466 506 728.
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6 // WEST VIC REGION
Keeping cows comfortable BY RICK BAYNE
MATT LYNE has always seen himself as a
cow-friendly person and that hasn’t changed with his new robotic dairy. Matt’s dairy might feature the latest technology, but he said relationships with the cows and the people around him were still the key to successful farming. “Things don’t happen without good relationships,” he said. Matt’s decision to install a Lely robotic dairy is a bit surprising considering he doesn’t own the land, but the two-robot system is working well with his current output. Matt has been dairying since leaving school about 20 years ago, and about 10 years ago started to rear and trade beef and dairy calves. He worked for Derek and Julia Gale who not only gave him opportunities to learn dairying but to build equity. “They understand the importance of more people getting into dairying and you can’t do that without the support of a lot of other people,” Matt said. About 18 months ago, a property at Glenfyne came up for lease, about a 15-minute drive from Camperdown where Matt lives with wife Jess and two children.
It was a dairy farm 20 years ago and since had multiple uses, including as an outblock for dairies, raising beef. “About three months in, I thought it was too nice a block just for beef, so I asked the owner if he’d mind if I put a milking plant in the old dairy,” Matt said. “He was originally thinking of a second-hand herringbone for the structure built in the 1960s, but the robotic option was raised in discussions with South West Dairies. “I thought I can’t afford that but they took me to see one and once I saw how happy the cows are I decided to look into it.” It was a big investment for a lessee, but Matt negotiated a formal long-term agreement to replace his previous handshake deal and everything in the dairy can be removed and relocated if needed. “A conventional dairy would be cheaper or second hand cheaper again but you look at what you’re getting for your money,” Matt said. “I couldn’t see myself in a conventional dairy in five years. I’ve always been someone who thoroughly enjoyed milking, but you know your body has limitations as you get older.” He talked to different companies and was impressed with all products, but Lely units fit without reconstructing the shed. “With other robotic systems, the cows step
Matt Lyne hadn’t considered robots until he saw how the cows liked them.
in on an angle and step out so you need more width, with Lely they walk in at the back and out at the front and that fits perfectly in this shed.” It was a 22-a-side swing-over herringbone — now it has two robotic units, one either side of the pit which has been covered with mesh. It is recommended that robotic dairies are built next door to a manual and the cows are walked through to get them used to it before making the switch. That wasn’t an option for Matt who had pieced together a herd from dispersal sales that were being milked at his brother James’ farm. “Until I started the robots, I hadn’t milked cows for myself,” Matt said. Despite the first week being a challenge with cows being trucked into their new home, the herd was quick to adjust to the robots. “The biggest selling point for me is how content and happy the cows are,” Matt said. “They are working on their own timeline. From a health perspective, the cows are walking at their own pace, sleeping when they need to, coming in to get milked when they’re ready.” The herd has about 150 cows, with 125 in milk at any time. They are mostly Jerseys and Matt will move towards a 100 per cent Jersey herd, though he will be limited to existing numbers due to
the dairy size and the farm being just over 100 hectares, including land for young stock and dry stock. He continues to rear all animals and the export of dairy heifers and beef continues to be an important part of his business. “You get efficiency gains with larger herds but you also get losses,” Matt said. “Large herds walk further, which comes at an expense with more energy burned, less time eating and less milk produced. From production per cow, smaller herds have their own efficiencies.” The dairy runs 24-hours-a-day and about 75 per cent of the time there are cows milking. Matt does all the cow and dairy work — although ideally it would be a 1.5 workforce — while all harvest and cultivation work is outsourced to younger brother, agricultural contractor Michael. “I don’t want too much capital tied up in farm machinery outside the dairy and it’s good to pool resources and build relationships.” South West Dairies installed and service the robots on behalf of Lely and Matt also developed a good relationship with Fonterra’s field services team as he planned the changes. Now he’s enjoying working with the cows under a new arrangement — more of a spectator than a boss.
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2024
WEST VIC REGION // 7
The two walk-in, walk-out robots fit into the existing 1960s dairy space.
He misses the direct involvement of working with cows during milking, but the dairy provides all the temperature, activity, rumination, cell count, butter fat and protein stats he needs. In general, they are producing well and Matt will now focus on fine-tuning the herd and developing a slightly bigger cow. “My cows are relatively small but I will grow them a bit bigger over time which will give them a greater eating and production capacity.” Although not from a Jersey background, he became enamoured with the breed when cattle trading. “I got 20 Jerseys pretty much for the cost of transport and I really liked their nature and they are easier to handle,” Matt said. “They will meet you at the gate, then run through and the rest of the group will follow. “They are efficient and I notice on hot days that Jerseys will be out grazing, other cows will be huddled under a tree. “For their liveweight, they are a really efficient production animal.” Matt is introducing year-round calving, with breaks only for Christmas and the wet winters. “The robots come with collars, so you get heat detection so I can AI year-round and slowly spread them out,” he said. “The robots have limits to how many cows they can milk. Year-round calving enables me
to keep that maximum number all year. “Seasonal calving has its pros and cons, but for me maximising from my capital investment is important and having 30-40 extra cows in the herd will help. “Always having freshly-calved cows in the system works quite well. It is a voluntary system and a fresh cow works well in a robot system.” It also fits well with his fresh milk contract with Fonterra. Six months in, the cows have settled well, and so has Matt. “I enjoyed the milking procedure and the connection with the cows, but you wouldn’t get me going back,” he said. “The flexibility is phenomenal and you can’t put a price on that. I look back at before and don’t know how we were juggling when I was fixed milking twice a day. “I always thought I was a cow-friendly person and cows were happy around me, but to see a cow express herself when you’re not dictating what she does is very different. “They see you differently. I’m just a spectator in their minds.” Matt hopes to fine-tune the herd with genetics, building on those that thrive in the system, and has long-term ambitions to buy the land and also potentially look at a separate farm with a similar system.
Maintaining a cow connection — having happy cows is part of the appeal of the new robotic dairy.
The herd has about 150 cows, with 125 in milk at any time.
The property at Glenfyne.
Matt says relationships are the cornerstone to his farming success.
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2024
8 // WEST VIC REGION
Having a ball for charity MORE THAN 150 of the region’s dairy farm-
ers gathered to raise more than $10,000 for the LET’S TALK Foundation at the WestVic Dairy Farmers’ Ball. LET’S TALK executive officer Alex Mellert said it was great to see so many farmers come together to spend an elegant night out supporting mental health. “The support we felt on the night for breaking the stigma surrounding mental health was overwhelming and shows how important this topic is to the farming community,” Alex said. “We are incredibly thankful to the WestVic Dairy Young Dairy Network leadership team
for choosing LET’S TALK as the charity for this year and everyone who attended for making this an amazing event. “We also want to say thanks to Lely for their generous sponsorship and the businesses for donating items for the auction, without whom the night would not have been possible.” The auction part of the evening saw three generous bidders successfully walk away with great auction items — a two-night stay in the Grampians, a two-night stay in Port Fairy, and a prized heifer. Then it was on to the main charity raising event of the night — the charity raffle to win a
trip to the Netherlands provided by Lely. The winner of the highly anticipated raffle draw was Terang dairy farmer Oscar Baxter. Oscar was there on the night to hear his name called and said, “I didn’t think I was going to win!” He has recently taken on an exciting farming management opportunity and is looking forward to the trip. Return airfares to Amsterdam, a week of accommodation and a fantastic itinerary of farm visits and behind the scenes access to Lely Headquarters are all included. “I’m excited about this once in a lifetime
experience — going and seeing the different ways of farming, the barn style indoor cow system and the different rules and regulations,” Oscar said. “It was a great night, and it was so good to see everyone dig deep to raise such a big amount raised for a great charity.” Organisers thanked Grampians Villas, Audley’s Accommodation and Emu Banks Holsteins and Jerseys who donated items for the charity auction. The ball was held on Saturday, November 25 at the Matilda Rooms, Warrnambool Racecourse.
“Unfortunately, we had to turn some people away, which is indicative of the appetite for learning about cattle and to have this type of experience with other young people,” she said. Most of the participants have some farming background, but some are being introduced to agriculture for the first time. “It’s about connecting kids to other kids to share similar experiences and interests and also expose young people who haven’t had the opportunity to experience the agricultural lifestyle,” Lucy said. The organising committee includes
former participants in the camp. “They have benefited from the camps in the past and have now volunteered to share their experiences as group leaders.” Lucy said the organising committee was grateful for the contribution from major sponsors DemoDAIRY Foundation. “The DemoDAIRY Foundation support has been an essential part of reinvigorating the event,” she said. 2 For more information about the DemoDAIRY Foundation, visit https:// www.demodairy.com.au or contact DDF secretary Ian Teese on 0427 358 987 or itag@bigpond.com
YOUTH CATTLE CAMP REVIVED The Western District Youth Camp has been revived for 2024 to introduce a new generation of young people to the world of dairy cattle. The camp at the Noorat Showgrounds from January 3 to 5 is the first since 2020 and is fully subscribed with 50 people aged eight to 16 attending from Gippsland, northern Victoria, South Australia as well as locally. It is being supported by major sponsor DemoDAIRY Foundation. Organising committee member Lucy Collins said the new-look camp had
returned with a broader emphasis. “Historically the camp had a strong focus on teaching children to show cattle, but this year’s event has been expanded into a more inclusive opportunity for young people to be exposed to cattle handling, care and husbandry,” Lucy said. “It’s much more than just showing and there is a strong focus on farming careers.” Traditionally, there was a close affiliation with Holstein cattle, but this year’s event also includes Jerseys and other breeds. Lucy said there was strong demand for the camp.
Gre at S ou th We s t
Da iry Awa r ds 2024
Great South West Dairy Awards 2024 The Great South West Dairy Awards are set to return for the 16th time this year! Nomination forms are now open to recognise and celebrate the accomplishments of those in our dairy industry. Please take the time to nominate someone you believe deserves to recognised by visiting westvicdairy.com.au and completing a nomination form.
There are seven awards: • Dairy Farm Business Management Award • Employee Award • Young Dairy Leader Award • Natural Resource and Sustainability Award • Service Provider Award • Farm Photo Award • Recognition award - Honour Board induction.
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