MURRAY REGION
Grain is the last piece in the fodder puzzle
Andrew and Christine Sebire have been growing crops on their Echuca dairy farm for the past eight years. They have had to learn on their feet but as the years have progressed they have been able to improve their management and, dependent on the season, they can grow up to 50 per cent of the grain needed for their 500-cow dairy herd.
ANDREW AND Christine Sebire are the first to admit they have still got a lot to learn when it comes to growing crops on their Echuca dairy farm. The dairy farmers turned to growing grain as a natural progression for their business when they acquired some additional land eight years ago. Already self-sufficient in hay and silage, growing grain is the last piece in the fodder puzzle for the couple, but it hasn’t come without its share of trials and tribulations. The couple grows 30 to 50 per cent of the grain requirements for the 500-cow split-calving herd. Yields are currently sitting about 4tonne/ha and, while this is a bit lower than the average of 6tonne/ha, the couple said being an end user of
the product did compensate for some of this. “We are willing to take on board and learn new things but the major focus of our business is still the dairy side. Cropping does come last and our management at times has affected our yields,” Mr Sebire said. The ability to irrigate some of the cropping area is the block’s biggest downfall. “The infrastructure is not great and it does limit our ability to deliver water properly – our permanent pasture and shaftal for the milking herd is always our priority, but we are working on that part of our business to make it better,” Mr Sebire said. He said while they were used to growing pasture, cropping had been a whole new ball game. “The best piece of advice I can give to some-
one is to surround yourself with a good mix of agronomists, contractors and farmers. We don’t have any of the gear so we rely heavily on contractors do all the work.
“We both enjoy getting off-farm and seeing what other farmers are doing. It is a great way to pick up ideas and you can always learn something new.” “We have done a lot of things wrong over the years but having a good relationship with our agronomist is the most important thing.
“When they are telling you to do something it can be difficult if cash flow is tight and you are not confident of the outcome. It’s a bit like laying a bet really, especially when you are outlaying a lot of capital for spray, seed and fertiliser.” Perhaps the biggest lesson the Sebires have learned to date is storing the grain on-farm in a grain bag. Initially they sent their grain off to the feed mill and it came back with a pro mix, but they had to pay double freight – there and back. They tried a feed company but their grain came back with rocks in it, which wrecked their roller mill. Continued page 3 >