Dairy News Australia - August 2019 - With Gippsland Region

AUGUST, 2019 ISSUE 106

GIPPSLAND REGION

Dealing with drought see page 3

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA AUGUST 2019

2 // GIPPSDAIRY CHAIR’S MESSAGE

GippsDairy Chair’s message

Nominations sought for GippsDairy board WITH NOMINATIONS being called for posi-

tions on the GippsDairy board, I was thinking about why people should put their hands up and apply.

Personally, I’ve found my seven years on the board to be rewarding in both a professional and personal sense.

As a farmer, the insights I have gained into the industry have made me appreciate the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to build skills at a farm level and develop the industry on the national and international stage.

The programs that GippsDairy has rolled out during my time on the board have been significant in their impact on farmers during some extremely difficult times.

From the post milk-price drop Tactics For Tight Times to the recent seasonal response to ongoing dry conditions, GippsDairy has proven itself to be responsive to farmer needs

when called upon.

Building farmer skills, knowledge and resilience has been an ongoing GippsDairy focus.

In good times and bad, we have delivered programs, workshops and events that help make better farmers and a stronger industry.

To be part of this process as a board member, deputy chair and then chair, has been an extremely rewarding experience.

The governance training that all board members receive during their time as directors is vital for the efficient and fair running of an organisation that seeks to spend levy dollars as wisely as possible.

The skills learnt through governance training are certainly not lost when directors leave the GippsDairy board. Many former directors have gone on to contribute to the wider dairy industry and all former directors take their governance knowledge back into their local communities to

help build stronger and more viable organisations within them.

Whatever your background in the industry, GippsDairy is looking for people passionate about the dairy industry and Gippsland as a whole. We’d love to hear from you.

Applications are due by Friday, August 30— late applications will not be accepted.

Short-listed applicants will be interviewed by an independent selection panel at Warragul in mid-September.

Successful candidates will attend an induction session and be invited to attend the board meeting on October 7.

For a copy of the position description, phone 5624 3900 or email info@gippsdairy.com.au

Grant Williams GippsDairy chair

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA AUGUST 2019

GIPPSLAND REGION // 3

In August last year, the Nixon’s installed a polycarbonate and gravel feed pad, at a cost of $140,000, that has paid for itself within the past year.

Pushing production during the drought JEANETTE SEVERS

WHEN DAIRY News Australia interviewed

Bete Bolong dairy farmer, Chris Nixon, about how he was managing the East Gippsland drought at this time last year, he had made decisions with the lost expectation of a spring break.

As the drought continues in its third year in 2019, Mr Nixon said his focus in the dairy farm business had been on maintaining production per cow, while making de-stocking decisions to reduce herd numbers.

Chris and Helen Nixon, with farms in the Orbost and Cann River district, own two springcalving Friesian dairy herds and a spring-calving Angus beef herd. Fodder to support the dairy business in 2018 cost them $660/tonne including freight.

In the past year they have benefited from one delivery of donated fodder — paying the freight cost of $100/tonne. They also paid the freight cost on a delivery of donated almond hulls. Both feed deliveries were organised through the Victorian Farmers Federation.

In the past year, the Nixons have made decisions about improving drought resilience across the farm, including building a feed pad a year ago and cleaning out all dams about 18 months ago — work they paid for themselves.

In recent months, they accessed Victorian Government grants to improve water efficiency and re-sow pastures.

In August last year, they sold most of their remaining Angus cows and 11-month-old steers and heifers, retaining a core breeding herd of 100 cows and 110 of the best heifers. Mr Nixon had already fed out 5000 tonnes dry matter of silage, along with hay.

“We don’t have the pasture and we’ve fed out the silage we put away in a bunker for conditions like this,” Mr Nixon said at the time.

By Christmas last year, they had sold 100 dairy cows and gradually reduced the herd to 405 milkers.

“We have de-stocked 40 per cent across the farm in the last two years,” Mr Nixon said.

“We started 2018–19 with 520 milkers and by June 30 this year, we were down to 405. I took the view that milking extra cows would increase feed costs. De-stocking the herd by 25 per cent has reduced dairy production, but I’ve maintained cow production at 7000 litres/cow/year.

“I’ve kept all the heifers, because being smaller, they’re cheaper to feed. Our drought strategy is to keep all heifers and join them — if the season breaks, I’m halfway back into full production.

“But we’re assuming again this year, it’ll be a tough spring.”

The cost of freight to Orbost precluded him continuing to purchase hay throughout this year; although at the time of this interview, he had ordered two truckloads of cereal hay, specifically to calve the cows down.

“Because of the heifers we kept, we’ll calve down 500 females — cows and heifers — this spring,” he said.

What has worked in the past year, was utilising a peat swamp that had dried up — he sowed 60 ha of maize and harvested 44 ha of it as chopped silage at 25 tonne/ha; and 16 ha was retained for grain, yielding 7.4 tonne/ha.

This was in addition to an irrigated block of 30 ha of maize, which is double-cropped to produce silage in spring and a winter cereal crop. It produced a mixed result.

“We were very happy with the result of

sowing maize in the peat swamp,” Mr Nixon said.

“But of the 30 ha irrigated crop, that yielded 0–25 tonne/ha, depending on where the irrigation went — or not.”

An annual crop program, the 30 ha paddock relies on regular spring and summer rainfall to produce its best yield. The irrigation only covers part of the paddock.

He is looking to again utilise the peat swamp to opportunistically sow maize.

“It’s dried up for the first time ever in this drought, so we decided to use it,” Mr Nixon said.

“Because I grew so much maize last year, costed at $110/tonne DM because of the yield, we’re not so reliant on feed.

“We’ll risk another summer crop on the swamp if it stays dry.”

Constructing the feed pad in August last year, well before any government assistance was being meted out to Victorian farmers, was an investment gamble, but Mr Nixon said the new infrastructure had paid for itself in its first year.

Because he has been reliant on feeding out chopped maize silage with the wheat ration on the feed pad, he has been able to add canola oil to the feed mix — and waste is 25 per cent down on feeding silage to cows in the paddock.

“It cost $140 000 to build the feed pad — not including the cost of our own labour nor most of the gravel, which came from the farm,” Mr Nixon said.

“The geohex was about $70 000 and the concrete troughs were $35 000. We bought in screenings and there was some contractor costs.”

He chose the geohex polycarbonate base, overlaid with gravel, after watching the use of a similar feed pad on another farm at Orbost.

Chris Nixon.

“I watched how it stood up to use over three years,” Mr Nixon said.

His trigger points for decision-making for the rest of this year are built around whether there will be a spring break.

“By the end of August, it needs to be wet and raining before the gale winds begin in September and October,” Mr Nixon said.

“If we haven’t had rain by the end of August, all surplus cows will be gone from the dairy — carryover cows, those who slipped calves and late-calving cows.”

The next trigger point is the end of September, when he will be able to estimate how much maize silage will be harvested in October.

“Because I grew so much maize last year, costed at $110/tonne DM because of the yield, we weren’t reliant on feed,” he said.

“With the freight costs to Orbost at $100/ tonne, it precludes buying in feed; you have to be as self-reliant as possible.

“We maintained feeding wheat at 5 kg/cow/ day, as well as the maize silage.

“By the end of September we’ll be making decisions based on August rain or no rain.”

He also currently has 1000 bales of hay, available for the beef heifers, that was harvested at Cann River over summer — that fodder could be used to support the dairy herd.

“Because we sold 500 beef cows over the past year, if we have a spring at Cann River, we’ll be able to cut hay and silage.

“Last year, summer rain meant we were able to harvest 1600 bales of hay. So, at the moment, I’ve got 1000 bales of hay up my sleeve, if I need it at Orbost,” Mr Nixon said.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA AUGUST 2019

4 // GIPPSLAND REGION

Funding helps, but rate relief needed JEANETTE SEVERS

Chris Nixon.

Helen and Chris Nixon have accessed a range of Victorian government-administered grants, although his view is the co-funding is aimed at small landholders rather than commercial farmers.

Late last year, the Victorian Government funded a bundle of assistance grants for farmers who are affected by drought in East Gippsland and Wellington shires and in northern Victoria.

When Mr and Mrs Nixon decided to resow the entire 380 ha dryland dairy farm and a 300 ha outblock, they applied for the pasture recovery grant of $5 000.

“We had to oversow the entire farm with short-term rye-grass and cereal,” he said.

“The $5000 grant paid for one tonne of seed.”

Fortunately, 350 mm of rain has fallen

GippsDairy BOARD DIRECTOR positions People motivated to enhance the Gippsland dairy industry are encouraged to apply for a position on the GippsDairy board.

Selection criteria include strong networks, technical knowledge of dairy farming, the ability to commit the time required and other skills needed by the board. Diversity is important to the GippsDairy board.

Successful candidates will be offered governance training.

Applications are due by Friday 30 August 2019 – late applications will not be accepted. Short listed applicants will be interviewed by an Independent Selection Panel at Warragul in midSeptember. Successful candidates will attend an induction session and be invited to attend the Board meeting on 7th October.

For a copy of the position description, phone 03 5624 3900, email info@gippsdairy.com.au or visit www.gippsdairy.com.au

this year. While it hasn’t been enough rain to improve the soil moisture profile, it has supported the germination and initial growth of the oversown pasture during winter.

Mr Nixon also applied for an On-farm Drought Infrastructure Support Grant — up to $5000 — to help fund a reticulated system for watering the cows.

“We bought solar-powered pumps for the dams to reticulate water to troughs and because we want to keep the cows out of the dams,” Mr Nixon said.

“We’re also applying for a Federal Government-funded On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme. We want to cover the dams with a film to reduce evaporation and reticulate more water around the farm.

“It’ll cost about $250 000 and we’ll get it done, but we’re still seeking quotes for the work.”

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA AUGUST 2019

GIPPSLAND REGION // 5

The On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme was established to provide a 25 per cent rebate up to $2000 to primary producers, for the costs associated with installing on-farm water infrastructure that addresses animal welfare needs and builds resilience to drought and dry conditions.

“We need to reduce water wastage and evaporation,” Mr Nixon said.

“Climate change is bringing us droughts that hit harder and last longer. We need to be prepared.”

The Victorian Government has received more than 4500 applications, to the end of July, for the On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Support and Pasture Recovery grants.

Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes said late August would be a trigger point for making further decisions about government assistance to farmers affected by drought in eastern Gippsland and northern Victoria. The dateline is dependent on a spring break in those regions.

Late August also coincides with decision-making around water storages and irrigation — the irrigation season for Lake Glenmaggie, in the Macalister Irrigation District, normally opens on August 15 with first water allocations.

Meanwhile, Ms Symes encouraged farmers to be vocal about how they are managing the drought and what could make a difference to them.

“I will continue to meet with farmers and discuss how we can help them prepare for and manage tough seasonal conditions,” she said.

“We are continuing to work closely with stakeholders to inform where any potential further support may be required; and how we can work together to keep building drought preparedness in our rural farming communities.”

In the meantime, Mr Nixon, (whose father, Peter Nixon, was Federal Minister for Primary Industries, 1979–83), said the Victorian Government and East Gippsland Shire Council needed to get together and decide on rate relief for farmers.

Mr Nixon is concerned that recent announcements by the NSW Government to further support fodder transport will be to the detriment of Victorian farmers.

He is also disgusted that for two years, the three levels of government ignored the drought in East Gippsland and Wellington shires.

“Drought support for Gippsland farmers has been very late and a poor response, when compared to NSW and Queensland,” Mr Nixon said.

“The grants now available to us have worked reasonably well, but in the quantum of money available, they’ve been about supporting small landholders rather than large, commercial farmers.

“Rate relief, based on assessing the farm as commercial, frees up cash flow for farmers to spend on farm business — buying in feed, paying for agistment and investing in infrastructure.

That spending helps local rural businesses, which are also being affected by the drought.

“Just because farmers are not united and speaking as one, shouldn’t preclude them from the discussion and decision-making.”

The rates bill for the Nixons’ combined Orbost and Cann River farms of Chris and Helen Nixon is just under $40 000, increased by 2.5 per cent in the past year.

“I’m running 100 cows to pay for my rates,” Mr Nixon said.

“The State Government should be embracing rate relief with both arms, as a fair and equitable way of helping farmers. It should be a base policy for drought relief.”

The Victorian Government and East Gippsland Shire Council are in a stand-off over providing rate relief.

Ms Symes has encouraged farmers to apply for the $2500 and $3500 Farm Business Assistance Program grants — which are cash payments available for people to use on anything.

“These grants can be used wherever farmers’ cost pressures are — feed for livestock, paying all or part of their council rates, or on household bills. Farmers know their businesses better than anyone else,” she said.

Mayor Natalie O’Connell said East Gippsland Shire Council had applied to the Victorian Government, through the premier’s office, for assistance to provide a rate subsidy for East Gippsland farmers. Notwithstanding, there has been a concerted, long and vocal community push for the council to reduce rates or provide rate relief for farmers and small business owners.

“A rate subsidy is something that council cannot absorb on its own, without impacts to other services,” Cr O’Connell said.

“Our officers are committed to working with

any ratepayers to put a plan in place for paying any overdue rates, given the financial times as a result of the drought.”

The council has recently extended free silage wrap disposal at three sites in the shire and will soon be contacting local groups to offer funding for events to reduce social isolation and offer social support.

“We have also appointed a drought assistance officer, whose primary role is to assist farmers in navigating the paperwork to access the ranges of assistance,” Cr O’Connell said.

Mr Nixon also called on the Victorian and federal governments to fund transport subsidies in Victoria, to make farmers competitive in accessing fodder.

It costs him $100/tonne to transport fodder from South Gippsland or western Victoria — which precludes he and other farmers from accessing livestock feed in order to maintain production.

“NSW has gone back to transaction subsidies, the Victorian Government should replicate that decision,” Mr Nixon said.

“There’ll be plenty of hay available in the spring. We just want to be competitive with NSW farmers, to be able to buy it.

“A tonne of hay ($400), freighted to Orbost (+$100), is equivalent to the production output of one cow for me — $500. If it’s all the feed she’s getting, it’ll last her 52 days. At the end of 52 days, will I have made $500 more out of that cow?

“So it has to be worth it for me to keep feeding that cow.”

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA AUGUST 2019

10 // GIPPSLAND REGION

Dairy dream becomes reality JEANETTE SEVERS

EBONY AND Stuart Arms are in their fourth

season of dairy farming at Neerim South, after making the decision to follow her lifelong dream.

They started small before being offered the chance to lease an existing dairy farm and herd.

“We had a 35-acre block with an eight-bay walk-through dairy,” Mrs Arms said.

“We recommissioned it, picking up secondhand equipment for replacement gates and plant parts. We bought a second-hand vat and 42 cows. We were given a 12 tonne silo, we just had to move it.”

The big-ticket items were concrete work for the pit and sump and purchasing and installing a new hot water service.

“Our first milk pick-up was 206 litres,”

Mrs Arms said.

“Our plan was to milk in it for two to three seasons while building our herd.”

However, a dairy farmer looking to retire heard about them and offered the couple a longterm lease of his farm — which included the house.

It was an ideal opportunity, so the Arms family moved onto the farm, buying some of Bob White’s herd at the dispersal sale. He added 70 cows he held back from the sale to the milking herd.

For Mr White, his decision was about offering the Arms family an opportunity, while also giving him an ongoing interest in the daily happenings at the farm.

The business relationship is that Mr White provides all the machinery and Ebony and Stuart Arms raise all the calves and carry the cost of

Ebony Arms is living her dream of dairyfarming, building equity while leasing a dairy farm at Neerim South.

pasture, feed and grain.

“There’s a lot of shared responsibility,” Mrs Arms said.

“We create an annual fertiliser plan and we’ve renovated just about every paddock.”

They follow a sowing regime of a forage crop followed by pasture on a lot of the farm, while the hill country, being steep, remains untilled and is oversown regularly.

In the first season, Mrs Arms milked 160 cows and this season that has grown to 230.

The herd is split-calving. Mr White’s cows

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“We built-up the herd buying fresh cows and breeding up,” Mrs Arms said.

The 12-a-side herringbone dairy has been well maintained, with cup removers and sanitisers and a large entry yard from the laneway that leads cows in from the paddocks.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA AUGUST 2019

GIPPSLAND REGION // 11 milking, but it’s very easy in the one-person shed,” Mrs Arms said.

Now into their third season on the farm, in June this year they were milking 4100 litres from 130 cows. Because of a dry autumn and winter, they made the decision to dry off 100 cows early pre-calving.

“Production was down and their condition dropped in autumn; so we dried them off two months early,” Mrs Arms said.

The spring-harvested silage was fed out in autumn and two–year-old hay is now being fed to the milking and dry cows.

Winter rain enabled leafy brassica crops to get up enough to become part of the grazing rotation in June and July. Rye-grass was sown to follow on for spring grazing.

Mr and Mrs Arms have become actively involved with the Young Dairy Network and have completed a number of dairy courses through GippsDairy and Dairy Australia.

“The discussion group focus is really encouraging and has helped me to improve pasture production,” Mrs Arms said.

“I was raised on a dairy farm and I always wanted to get back into this industry. It just took a while to find a way.

“Now I’m finding ways to have a voice in the industry, raising issues with suppliers and building my capacity to be a spokesperson.”

She also recently completed the Developing Dairy Leaders course and both Mr and Mrs Arms are planning to become more actively involved with the UDV.

Ebony Arms, with farm owner, Bob White, and contract farm worker, Wayne Robinson.

Ebony and Stuart Arms have a long-term lease for Mr White’s dairy farm.

Balancing help on the farm JEANETTE SEVERS

STUART ARMS raises the calves, outside

of his employment advising on animal nutrition for CopRice and organising their three school-aged sons.

Mr Arms has hereditary spastic paraperisis (HSP), a progressive disease affecting his legs, with flow-on effects to his back and core.

A typically active sporting teenager, he noticed the onset of symptoms as an 18-year-old.

“I use a walking stick for balance and assisting movement and its use takes a pounding on my elbow, too,” Mr Arms said.

His main issues around the farm are

balance and awareness of his environment, including avoiding the cows. From August, the calving work becomes more intensive.

“I can ride the motorbike and assist with bringing the cows in,” he said.

“I need to be aware the cows are 450 to 500 kg each and of where they are. I’m slow and we’ve got to be conscious of that. For me, a normal work hazard has doubled risk.

“If the cows or calves knock me and I fall over, or I lose my balance in the muddy yard and fall over, I need assistance rising again.”

Mr Arms carries milk buckets to the calves — again, being careful about his environment and moving with awareness, balancing the bucket in one hand with how he places the walking stick on the ground.

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