Dairy News Australia October 21

So your calves have crypto. PAGE 27 LEVY SALE HITS MARK Strong results for Yalcara RECOMMENDATION The four levy options are in ahead of the March 2022 poll� PAGE 4

and Dryfield auctions� PAGE 24

OCTOBER, 2021 ISSUE 132 // www.dairynewsaustralia.com.au

MILKING CHANGE A 'NO-BRAINER' After Tandarook farmer Spencer Rendell saw a webinar about 10-in-7 days milking he didn't hesitate — he adopted the system the next day — and his cows couldn't be happier. PAGES 10 & 11

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

MARKETS // 3

Costs of intervention ELIZA REDFERN Industry analyst

Dairy fat good for heart health: study.

PG.17

U-turn from dairy exit plan. PG.18

So you think you need a barn? PG.20

MARKETS ���������������������������������������������������3 NEWS �����������������������������������������������������4-24 ANIMAL HEALTH ���������������������������27-29 MACHINERY AND PRODUCTS ��������������������������������������30-34

THROUGHOUT THIS pandemic, governments across the world have launched an unprecedented number of stimulus efforts, aimed at keeping local economies afloat.

At large, these packages have helped to s­ ustain consumer spending and keep ­commodity markets supported.

While temporary support measures in ­general have proved relatively effective at combatting broader economic turmoil, longerterm outcomes are less clear.

In some places, markets have become ­reliant on ongoing intervention and if government funding dries up, crisis may follow.

This is the case in Sri Lanka, where a ­growing food crisis currently is taking place.

Sri Lanka is experiencing a third COVID-19 wave and without tourism, the island has lost one of its largest income sources.

The country has been in severe debt for some time, which has been partially repaid via its foreign exchange reserve. Interest rates have been raised in an effort to mitigate ­inflation and further deprecation of the rupee, as the costs of imports climb.

Sri Lanka is now in a position where its remaining reserve can only support a few months of imports.

In response, the government has declared a state of emergency, allowing it to set retail prices for essential foods and seize stocks from traders. However, these economic and import challenges are only one part of the whole picture, with another threat to food availability looming in the background.

Since 1962, Sri Lanka’s government has operated a fertiliser subsidy, aimed to shelter farmers from any significant increases in global prices.

Over the next four decades this scheme adapted and evolved, with various breaks to alleviate budget pressures. Some research has illustrated that during these breaks, food ­production fluctuated in response.

In 2005, a fertiliser subsidy program was introduced for rice/paddy farmers to support self-sufficiency, fixing prices for various ­fertiliser types or in some cases providing the stock for free. For other farmers, stocks were offered at heavily discounted rates.

After years of fertiliser subsudies, in May the Sri Lankan Government announced it would restrict and ban imports of chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals.

Consequently, these subsidies have s­ upported the misuse of chemical fertilisers and created land reliant on this input. As a result, food production in Sri Lanka is closely linked to government agricultural policy.

In May 2021, the Sri Lankan Government announced it would restrict and ban imports of chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals (insecticides and herbicides). The policy change came from two positions: one of health and one of costs.

Reports of rising incidents of chronic kidney disease and cancer in agricultural areas set off alarms for residents and government officials alike.

While the link between fertiliser misuse and deteriorating health remains inconclusive, health care costs have reportedly been rising in recent years.

Similarly, the costs of importing product to supplement a fertiliser subsidy have been mounting in an already economically strained country.

This led to an overnight change in policy, and many expect domestic food production may decline as a result.

According to a recent survey conducted

by Verité Research, more than 90 per cent of Sri Lankan farmers use chemical fertilisers in some capacity, with 76 per cent relying h ­ eavily on the input.

Close to 80 per cent of respondents supported the government’s vision to phase out chemical fertilisers but stated it would require more than a year to do so to avoid a drop in food production.

With 85 per cent of farmers expecting yields to decline in future harvests, this position comes from concerns of how to create, source or utilise non-chemical fertilisers.

The survey suggests every six in 10 farmers have not received any guidance on organic cultivation or have access to adequate knowledge to implement appropriate changes.

When the Sri Lankan Government announced the restrictions to chemical ­fertiliser, it also claimed the country would produce its own organic products. However, the appropriate infrastructure or capacity to manufacture quantities required is lacking.

Therefore, the government has allowed state fertiliser companies to tender for organic product to help fill requirements. These imports are expected to be very costly, undermining a key purpose of the fertiliser policy change.

Nevertheless, until domestic production capacity builds, imported fertiliser will be crucial to support domestic food production.

In Sri Lanka’s current position, it is safe to assume that a reduction in food production is an unwelcome but inevitable outcome of the cold turkey approach to restricting chemical fertiliser imports.

Various subsides over the past 60 years have produced an agricultural system ­dependent on the input and heavily reliant on government support.

So, while short term stimulus efforts can insulate a country from economic disaster, it appears the shield of market intervention can sometimes produce severe consequences longer term.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

4 // NEWS

Increase in levy recommended THE INDEPENDENT committee reviewing the dairy service levy, the Levy Poll Advisory Committee, determined an increase in the service levy is in the best long-term interests of the dairy industry.

Its decision included setting the options for the levy poll and recommending a 20 per cent increase in the levy.

In July, the committee recommended a poll be conducted of all dairy farmers to determine the future level of the dairy service levy.

Following this recommendation, the committee was required to determine the voting options which will go on the ballot to be voted on in March 2022.

The four levy options to be presented in the levy poll are: ■ no change to the levy (status quo) ■ an increase of 15 per cent ■ an increase of 20 per cent (recommended by the committee) ■ an increase of 25 per cent.

Committee chair Ron Storey said in making its decision the committee took into consideration many factors including that there has been no change to the levy since 2012, CPI increases in that time, financial projections of a continuing decline in reserves, future commitments required for the dairy industry to succeed, as well as analysis of the benefits of the levy investment for dairy farmers.

“After detailed consideration of these factors and farmer feedback, the committee determined that a levy increase of 20 per cent is in the best long-term interests of the dairy industry.

“LPAC agreed that while an increase to the levy is recommended, farmers will make the final choice, and therefore an option of no increase is included on the ballot paper.

“Throughout the process, LPAC heard from many farmers, some of whom advocated for no levy or no increase, and others who supported a larger levy for increased investment in research, development and extension and other dairy industry services to secure their future.

“LPAC has considered these views, and on balance, believes farmers have been provided with a choice in the poll to select from the ‘increase’ options, or to choose ‘no change’ to the levy.

“I would like to thank all farmers who contributed and the LPAC members for their dedication and contribution and their commitment to acting in the best long-term interest of the dairy industry.”

An independent committee has recommended a 20 per cent increase in the dairy service levy.

Dairy Australia managing director David Nation said levy was an investment “made by farmers to deliver value back to their own ­businesses”.

“We have a track record of delivering value through investments and partnerships that are not possible to make as individual farmers,” he said.

“Our focus is to set out a case for farmers to best understand what can be delivered at each rate of investment proposed in the levy poll.”

Dairy Australia has four priority areas for increased investment.

1. Labour — Farmers will have access to more people on-farm to address labour needs both now and in the future.

2. Regional services — Farmers will benefit from more accessible regional extension and services tailored to their business needs.

3.

Climate — Farmers will be supported to address the climate challenge and reap the benefit of returns from carbon market participation.

4. Policy development — Farmers will have a stronger voice through more informed policy positions that advance the dairy industry.

Mr Nation said beyond these areas of importance, the dairy service levy would continue to be invested by Dairy Australia in services to benefit dairy farmers and protect the right to farm.

Farmers will hear more on how additional investment in dairy’s future ahead of the poll in March 2022.

To view the full report visit: dairylevyreview. com.au

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

NEWS // 5

Bega returns full-year profit BEGA CHEESE, which recently acquired Lion

Dairy & Drinks, has recorded a $140 million fullyear profit for 2020–21.

The $2 billion turnover company has reported its annual results, which included the half-billion-dollar purchase of the dairy and drinks business, which has substantially increased its asset base but also impacted debt levels.

A normalised profit before income tax of $141 million was reported on sales of $2.07 billion with net debt of $324 million, up from $231 ­million the previous year.

The purchase of Lion Dairy & Drinks was partly funded by a $393 million net capital raising and saw the company increase in size to an employer of more than 4000 people.

Executive chairman Barry Irvin said the demand for infant formula softened during the year due to changes in the Chinese market ­created by shifts in customer preferences and a weakened daigou (informal) channel.

The year saw the company conclude two potentially expensive legal actions in its favour.

The company announced a final fully franked dividend of five cents per share for 2021 taking

the total dividend for the year to 10 cents per share.

With the combined capacity of factories at Tatura and Koroit, the company has become one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of lactoferrin.

Lactoferrin is a protein found in cow’s milk, particularly in colostrum, and is commonly used as an anti-bacterial agent and can act against viruses and fungus.

Chief executive officer Paul van Heerwaarden said farm milk production around Australia only grew by 0.6 per cent during the year with strong competition for supply.

He noted the competitive market and milk supply pressures remained strong.

The company lost milk supply due to the The Bega Cheese stable now includes a range of products. end of the two-year Koroit supply guarantee with Saputo, strong competition and Remuneration for the executive chairman including base salaries, incentive payments and ­supplier exits due to retirements and alterand CEO almost doubled for 2021, reflecting the superannuation. native land use. company’s increase in size due to acquisitions.

Remuneration committee chairman Terry With the acquisition of Lion Dairy & Drinks, Mr Irvin was paid a total of $1,067,000, up O’Brien said the new levels were between 25 and Bega Cheese now has fruit supply arrangefrom $535,0000, and Mr van Heerwaarden a 50 per cent of a comparable group. ments with growers who supplied more than Directors were based a base of $94,000. total of $1,597,000, up from $857,000 —

b oth 37,000 tonnes of oranges, apples and pears.

FONTERRA REVIEWS OWNERSHIP

Fonterra Australia managing director René Dedoncker welcomed the ownership review.

Fonterra Co-operative Group is considering the most appropriate ownership structure for Fonterra Australia, with one option an initial public offering with the co-op retaining a significant stake.

Fonterra Australia managing director René Dedoncker said he welcomed the ownership review. “(This) is an important milestone for our business which plays a significant role in the Australian dairy industry,” Mr Dedoncker said.

"It would be a great outcome if Australian investors, including our staff and the farmers who supply us with their milk, could have the opportunity to participate in the ownership of our business with its iconic Australian brands.

“As we explore our options we will be mindful that our customer and

farmer relationships are core to our business.

“These key stakeholders can be confident there will be no change in how we engage with them through this period, while an outcome that results in improved access to external capital will enable Fonterra Australia to continue advancing the Australian dairy industry.”

Fonterra Australia Suppliers’ Council chair Alan Davenport said he hoped ownership options could present opportunities to further align supplier interests.

“Farmers are already proud to supply milk for a fantastic stable of local brands, and I am pleased that one of the options under consideration is an IPO of Fonterra Australia,” Mr Davenport said.

“I look forward to working with René and the team to ensure any change to the ownership structure builds on the partnership between Fonterra Australia and its farmer suppliers.”

Fonterra’s chief executive officer Miles Hurrell said the Australian business remained important to the co-op.

“By having access to ongoing external capital, we believe the Australian business will be best placed to deliver on its strategy and capture its full potential, at the same time as unlocking capital for the co-op,” he said.

The co-op is also starting divestment of its Chile investments and said, all going to plan, a significant portion of the net sale proceeds from the transactions could be returned to shareholders by the 2024 financial year.

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6 // NEWS

Anti-virus protein produced THE TATURA Milk factory is extracting an anti-

viral, anti-bacterial ingredient from its Goulburn Valley milk supply that has attracted global interest from academics working in immunology.

Researchers around the world are looking at how this protein, called lactoferrin, might be useful in combatting viruses like COVID19 — but don’t get too excited and don’t think Goulburn Valley cows are going to save the planet just yet.

The Tatura factory has been harvesting lactoferrin from its milk supply for almost 20 years and has been supplying the protein as an ingredient for infant milk formula for many overseas countries.

Bega Cheese, the owner of Tatura Milk, has another lactoferrin facility at its Koroit factory and is Australia’s largest producer of lactoferrin.

There is no evidence, accepted by authoritative medical authorities, that lactoferrin can be used to combat COVID-19, but some researchers believe it could have some future therapeutic uses.

Bega Cheese bio-chemist Bradley Coleman has followed the global interest in the protein, but his opening remarks when you talk about COVID-19 remains “get vaccinated” if you want an answer to the pandemic.

“We’re very aware of the public and scientific interest in the role that lactoferrin can play,” Dr Coleman said.

“Although it has potential to support general immunity there is no clinical evidence that suggests it can prevent or cure COVID-19.

“Most of the research so far has been on a laboratory scale and while research is encourag-

ing, it does not reflect the complex interaction with the human body.

“There are a number of trials under way to assess whether lactoferrin does have a benefit.

“To really understand it you need to be doing the multiple, large scale, double-blind, placebocontrolled studies.”

Preliminary research out of the academic centres is interesting.

One study was done in Italy, where COVIDinfected participants were taking it orally and with nasal spray. The study saw a reduction in symptoms over the course of treatment, but it was a very small study.

Another study in Egypt did not find any difference.

“At this point of time the jury is out,” Dr Coleman said.

Although Bega Cheese is monitoring the international discussion and would be interested in seeing a longer, serious trial with thousands of participants, the cost would be considerable.

“As science continues to evolve we will continue to monitor it, from an academic and business point of view, “ Dr Coleman said.

He cautioned that vested interests were likely to be more positive about the prospects of lactoferrin treatment in the current climate.

A scientific paper prepared by three international academics, published last year and peerreviewed, reached the following conclusion: “Lactoferrin (and more specifically entericcoated LF because of increased bio-availability) may consequently be of preventive and therapeutic value during the present COVID-19 pandemic.”

Advertising Max Hyde 0408 558 938 max.hyde@dairynewsaustralia.com.au Editor Fiona Lloyd (03) 5820 3254 editor@dairynewsaustralia.com.au Dairy News Australia is published by Shepparton Newspapers Pty Ltd. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the staff, management or directors of Shepparton Newspapers Pty Ltd.

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Keeping an open mind

From Bega Bionutrients: “Lactoferrin acts against the spread of viruses by diverting them from the cells they are targeting. Many viruses tend to bind to the specific proteins of the cell membranes to facilitate entry into the cell. Lactoferrin binds to these proteins, preventing the attachment of the virus particles. Lactoferrin can also bind directly to viral particles, such as hepatitis.

“Research has shown promising effects of lactoferrin against a range of viruses including herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, cytomegalovirus, HIV, hepatitis C virus, hantaviruses, rotaviruses, poliovirus type 1, human respiratory syncytial virus and murine leukaemia viruses.

“Lactoferrin also reduces virus replication after the virus has penetrated into the cell through its interactions with the immune system — affecting natural killer cells, granulocytes and macrophages, which play a crucial role in the early stages of viral infections.”

One of the Bega supplements containing lactoferrin extracted at the Tatura and Koroit factories. This one claims to be formulated for children, with the nutrients zinc and lactoferrin to support the health and function of a childs immune system. The Happi line was introduced early last year and is only available online. No claims are made for COVID-19.

New Zealand’s Fonterra dairy company has made the following statement about lactoferrin after reviewing some small scale trials and research: “Despite strong public and scientific interest in the role of lactoferrin against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, there is currently no substantive clinical evidence to support claims regarding lactoferrin’s effectiveness specifically against the coronavirus.”

Publisher Shepparton Newspapers Pty Ltd Printed by Newsprinters Pty Ltd Head Office 7940 Goulburn Valley Highway Shepparton, VIC 3630

Research points to benefits

The Biology of Lactoferrin, an Iron-Binding Protein That Can Help Defend Against Viruses and Bacteria by Douglas B. Kell, Eugene L. Heyden and Etheresia Pretorius (2020) says: “Lactoferrin clearly has immunological benefits, as well as having an important antibacterial and antiviral role.

Because it is known to interfere with some of the receptors used by coronaviruses, it may contribute usefully to the prevention and treatment of coronavirus infections.”

Dairy News Australia welcomes contributions from stakeholders in the dairy industry, and particularly from organisations wishing to advance the industry.

Contributions and photos can be sent to: editor@dairynewsaustralia.com.au

Phone (03) 5831 2312

Letters to the editor on topical issues are also welcome.

Postal address PO Box 204 Shepparton, Victoria 3632 Australia

Letters should be concise and carry the name and town address of the author, as well as a contact phone number, not for publication.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

8 // NEWS

Tassie farmers feeling good CONFIDENCE IN the Tasmanian dairy indus-

try continues to be strong, according to the latest Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey.

This quarter’s survey found 40 per cent of Tasmanian dairy farmers expect conditions to improve over the year ahead.

While this was down from 82 per cent with that view last quarter, 60 per cent of dairy farmers still expected little change to current conditions (previously 18 per cent), all largely driven by commodity prices.

Of all farmers surveyed, dairy farmers were the most buoyant about their income prospects in 2021–22, with 60 per cent expecting to generate a higher gross farm income.

“Such positive farm performance projections are fuelling the ongoing investment in productivity and efficiency measures which has been ‘going gangbusters’ over the past 18 months,” Rabobank regional manager for Tasmania Stuart Whatling said.

The survey, released in September, revealed that for the second consecutive quarter, 100 per cent of the state’s farmers expect the excellent business conditions currently being experienced to either continue or improve over the year ahead, with none reporting a pessimistic view.

The quarterly survey showed little evidence of Tasmanian agricultural sentiment being negatively impacted by COVID-19 and its broader economic effects, although the

horticulture and aquaculture industries have struggled with resulting labour restrictions and freight costs.

The ongoing confidence among the state’s farmers is feeding business investment plans, with Tasmanian farmers eager to invest in new equipment and infrastructure to generate greater efficiencies and productivity.

Mr Whatling said seasonal and business conditions right across the state were “very positive” and producer confidence was incredibly strong.

“Commodity prices are still outstanding, and farmers reaped bumper rewards from strong prices, which are forecast to continue,” he said.

“July was a wetter-than-average month, and some areas seem quite soggy, however winter rainfall overall has been average, allowing late winter planting of crops to get started.

“The conditions entering spring are generally excellent.”

The survey found 39 per cent of the state’s farmers are expecting business conditions to improve over the coming 12 months.

While this was down from 45 per cent with that view in the previous quarter, Mr Whatling said, the remaining 61 per cent of Tasmanian farmers expected a continuation of current conditions.

“No surveyed farmers this quarter are of the view that conditions are likely to worsen.”

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

10 // NEWS

Milking change a ‘no-brainer’

BY RICK BAYNE

SPENCER RENDELL saw a webinar about

10-in-7 days milking and didn’t hesitate — he adopted the system the next day.

It was a “no-brainer” he says, and a month later the Tandarook farmer and his cows couldn’t be happier.

Spencer says he’s already appreciating the lifestyle benefits, production looks likely to increase and his cows are “happy as”.

“We introduced it on August 1 and for the first two weeks we dropped about 10 per cent in production but the weather wasn’t very good.

“After that it has improved; we’ve actually gone up slightly in milk. We do around 480 kg MS and I think we could pick up another 10 to 15 kilograms.

“It’s a real big lifter for us. The cows are doing 33 per cent less walking, the motorbikes are going out less, the working dogs are on holiday as well.

It has given us a better lifestyle and more money.

“As farmers we’ve got to work smarter, not harder. Doing 10-in-7 would re-energise every farmer.”

In April 2019, Spencer and his wife Rachael and children Charlie, 10, and Lawson, 8, along with his parents Geoff and Glenys, moved from northern Victoria to their new farm between Camperdown and Cobden.

Originally from New Zealand, Spencer moved

to Australia in 1999, settling in northern Victoria where he still owns a cropping farm near Echuca.

The shift south was prompted by lifestyle choices and water problems. Up north they were milking 1500 cows twice a day and struggling to find labour and struggling to cope with constant droughts.

“We came down here for the rainfall,” Spencer said.

“We were sick of Goulburn-Murray Water; we were sick of irrigating and sick of the drought and all the politics with the water.”

The move has been a positive one, with a welcoming community and successive good seasons.

“We still have a cropping farm at Echuca and we’re irrigating up there in August,” he said.

At their new south-west Victorian home, traditional twice-a-day milking was used but Spencer started to look at other options after losing a staff member and finding it hard to get a replacement.

“Mike Waite from LIC passed on a podcast about 10-in-7 milking in New Zealand. I looked at it that night and rang our milker and said don’t come to work until 9.30 in the morning.

“There’s lot of research in New Zealand so I looked at that and went straight on it. It was a no-brainer.”

Spencer said he wasn’t comfortable with dropping to once-a-day milking because of likely production cuts.

“You do get lifestyle benefits but you take a pay cut. I think once-a-day is too big a drop

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It’s nearly 11.30am and the Tuesday morning milking is just wrapping up for the day after a 9.30am start.

in production, but 10-in-7 suits our system and gives us lifestyle.

“We don’t start milking till 9.30 am on the weekend and I’m not stressing about labour so much. There’s so much flexibility.

“We would have had to sell cows if didn’t go down this line.”

The farm is making some long-term adjustments to fit the new system and will turn to seasonal supply.

“We’ll calve down in the middle of February and milk through till Christmas Day and then dry

off the cows until February 15.

“We had been milking year-round so this means we get a break for ourselves and we’ll be able to budget for it.”

The new system involves milking from 5.30 am and 2.30 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday they start at 9.30 am.

“They recommend 10.30 am but that doesn’t really suit me as I want to be out of the shed by lunch time, but we can change it to 8 am on Saturday and 10 am on Sunday if we want to go away

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

NEWS // 11 for the day and stay overnight,” Spencer said.

“I decided to make up my own rules. You can do whatever you want and play with the system to make it suit.”

Next year they will calve down in February and go on once-a-day for three weeks and then milk 10-in-7 for the rest of the season.

The farm milks a 300-head mixed herd on 240 hectares, which is also home to about 200 beef cattle.

Spencer says the cows have enjoyed the shift and he expects long-term health benefits for his herd, especially easing pressure on their feet over winter.

He will maintain current feeding routines.

“You have to be on to your pasture management, organising where the cows are going and giving them extra feed.

“You can’t starve them. You’ve still got to feed them like you’re milking twice a day but you don’t want to have to move them out of paddocks because that would defeat the purpose.”

He expects to maintain the farm’s high incalf rates of 93 per cent over a nine-week period.

Spencer believes extended milking intervals could reinvigorate interest in dairying.

“We have to do something to encourage young people. Why would a young person want to be working every day?

“We don’t want to lose our farms to the big corporates. Farming has always been a 10 or 12-hour day; we’ve got to get it back to eight hours.

“You have more chances of getting staff with more flexible times. We had a problem with labour and our long hours, so I found a solution. I thought there’s got to be an easier way of doing this job.”

In April 2019 the Rendells moved from northern Victoria to their new farm between Camperdown and Cobden.

Spencer says it’s time for farmers to be innovative and flexible to better balance lifestyle and profit.

“People can make the system suit them — don’t let the cows rule your life.

“We’ve got to be more productive; but we’re the bosses, not the cows.”

The DemoDAIRY Foundation is keen to hear farmers’ thoughts about extended milking intervals, such as 10-in-7 or 3-in-2.

While not actively promoting the system, DemoDAIRY Foundation says it would help interested farmers to find more information if there’s enough interest.

People can register interest in finding out more about extended milking intervals by contacting info@demodairy.com.au or call Ian Teese on 0427 358 987.

Spencer Rendell and Dusty: “We don’t have problems; we have solutions.”

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

12 // NEWS

Tom takes on leadership role VICTORIAN DAIRY farmer Tom Acocks has

been appointed president of Australian Dairy Conference.

The fourth-generation Rochester farmer has stepped up to the role after serving on ADC’s board since 2015 and as a member of the executive team for the past five years. Most recently he held the position of vice-president before taking over from Tasmanian dairy farmer Ben Geard.

Mr Acocks said he was looking forward to stepping up to the role and guiding ADC over the next few years.

“Obviously, with such turbulent times and the impacts of COVID on the ability to host ADC it has been a testing time as an event organiser,” he said.

“But hopefully, all according to plan, we can be back on track and bring a bigger and better ADC to our delegates.

“Our next ADC is scheduled for Hobart in 2023 and we are optimistic we can deliver this event in the future.”

Mr Acocks said in the meantime, they were always looking for ways to bring ADC to members across the country.

“I am quite proud to take on the role of president. My family has a long association with ADC and I’ve grown up always having the event as part of regular conversation and the annual calendar.

“In fact, I think Dad has attended nearly every year and has been to about 16 conferences over ADC’s 18-year history.

“So, to get the opportunity to lead ADC and be part of the journey and be part of a movement that can impact and influence the national dairy agenda is something I am quite excited about.”

Mr Acocks is no stranger to board representation. He is a Murray Dairy board director and current chair of the Rochester Dairy Business Network.

He thanked and acknowledged Mr Geard for his involvement and direction over the past five years. Mr Geard remains as a director.

“For those involved regularly with ADC I think you would have noticed a significant shift in the last five years under Ben’s tenure and he has done a fantastic job leading the organisation,” Mr Acocks said.

“Before COVID hit I think the last three conferences were fully booked, a testament to the value and demand placed on ADC by those involved in the industry.

“I think the brand and reputation of the event has never been in a better place and Ben has been instrumental in making this happen.

“The challenge of course now is to reconnect with delegates and provide even more incentive and reasons to attend and be part of ADC moving forward.”

Long-standing board member and South Australian dairy farmer Beck Middleton was the only retiring director, serving on the board for the past five years.

Rochester’s Tom Acocks as been appointed president of the Australian Dairy Conference.

Ms Middleton started her ADC journey as a delegate before becoming programming chair for ADC Adelaide 2017 in her home state, and

continued her involvement as a member of the executive and with the communications committee.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

NEWS // 13

“We used to have 5 full-time staff. Now we’re down to just 1.”

Pomborneit farmer Ben Bennett is standing for a director’s role with Australian Dairy Farmers.

Ben throws hat in ring SOUTH-WEST VICTORIAN dairy farmer

Ben Bennett will nominate for a director’s role with Australian Dairy Farmers, hoping to bring a “bottom-up” approach to advocating for farmers.

Mr Bennett farms at Pomborneit with his wife Kylee and five children, and said his main priority as a director would be to get processes and procedures in place to give farmers a voice.

“If the set-up is right, the policies will follow from the grassroots,” he said.

The current chairman of the Corangamite UDV branch, Mr Bennett said farmers need someone willing to stand up for their interests.

“We need to be acutely aware of the regulatory setting that is being imposed on us,” he said.

“We’re drowning in red tape and it’s draining.

We need advocates who can cut through this on behalf of farmers.

“Victoria produces 65 per cent of Australia’s milk and needs a strong voice.

“I’m passionate about the dairy industry, and would be a strong advocate for grassroots farmers.

“City people are somewhat disconnected to the real needs of farmers and we need a process for grassroots representation and professional advocacy to take up the challenge and give us practical and tangible changes.

“We have lots of issues — everything from labour, animal welfare, what to do with effluent, energy supply, road networks — and farmers are frustrated that they’re not being heard.

“A lot of the issues that need addressing are based around structure and we need to get that right and build it from the bottom-up.”

Mr Bennett said he would stand for the position being vacated by current chair, Victorian Terry Richardson, later this year.

The Bennetts purchased their 300 ha farm in 2005, a year after migrating from New Zealand for better opportunities to buy land.

ADF is seeking to fill two director vacancies — one following the retirement of Mr Richardson, and the other a casual vacancy currently held by Colin Thompson.

The elections will be contested at the ADF AGM, which will be held via a virtual platform on Thursday, November 25.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

14 // NEWS

Lactalis rises to the top PRIVATELY HELD Lactalis has unseated long-time industry titan

Nestlé as the world’s largest dairy company, according to Rabobank’s annual Global Dairy Top 20 report.

“Lactalis’ attention to organic growth, as well as its dedicated global merger and acquisition strategy, propelled the company from ninth place in 2000 to a dominating lead position in 2021,” Rabobank’s Mary Ledman said.

The report said the combined turnover of the top-20 industry leaders fell by just 0.1 per cent in US dollar terms, following the previous year’s 1.8 per cent gain.

Merger and acquisition activity slowed in 2020, with about 80 announced deals compared to the previous year’s 105.

Activity picked up in 2021, with more than 50 deals announced through to mid-year.

In 2020, dairy companies faced significant challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but overall the sector fared better than expected.

The pandemic also heightened consumers’ awareness of environmental challenges.

Sustainability as a growth driver “Consumer sentiments are being heard, and many companies included in the Global Dairy Top 20 have made sustainability commitments for 2030 and carbon-neutrality commitments for 2050,” Rabobank’s Richard Scheper said.

According to NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business, sustainability-marketed US milk sales grew more than 20 per cent from 2013 to 2018, compared to negative growth for the category as a whole.

Sustainability-marketed natural cheese and yoghurt sales grew

by more than 30 per cent and 20 per cent respectively, compared to near 10 per cent growth for those categories broadly during the five-year period.

Alternatives blur definition of dairy The sales growth of liquid milk and yoghurt alternatives — especially oat-based and almond-based alternatives — have not gone unnoticed.

Most significantly, Danone’s turnover in dairy alternatives, following its acquisition of WhiteWave Foods in 2017, was recorded at US$2.5 billion in 2020, a gain of 15 per cent compared to the previous year.

“The designation of dairy is also becoming more blurred as hybrid products, containing both dairy and plant-based ingredients, enter the marketplace,” Mr Scheper said.

Markets tipped to remain in balance The report said Rabobank anticipated investment activity to stay robust in the on-trend channels and categories, including specialty cheese, innovative dairy ingredients such as human milk oligosaccharides (simple sugars), dairy alternatives ranging from plants and fermentation to cell-based, and lifestyle nutrition.

At the farm level, the rising cost of production because of factors such as inflationary pressures will keep margins tight, limiting milk production growth in the ‘big seven’ exporting regions to less than 1.2 per cent.

Looking further ahead During the next decade and beyond, changing demographics will drive dairy opportunities.

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More than 35 per cent of the population growth will occur in Africa, which remains a net dairy importer — largely importing from international players in the Global Dairy Top 20.

China will continue to reign as the world’s largest dairy importer.

Rather than being dominated by the infant nutrition market of the past two decades, China’s dairy sector will find growth in the ‘active silvers’ (people aged over 50 years old) market.

Download the report from: www.rabobank.com.au

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

NEWS // 15

Tackling e-waste DAIRY PROCESSOR Lactalis Australia partnered with World Clean-up Day to support employees to do their part to combat the global waste crisis.

For its inaugural World Clean-up Day initiative, Lactalis Australia focussed on raising awareness about e-waste, which is growing at three times the rate of any other waste, with millions of electronic devices such as TVs, computers and mobile phones discarded incorrectly every year and ending up as landfill.

To help employees dispose of their e-waste safely, Lactalis Australia held a weeklong clean up from September 17 where employees recycled their old electronic devices by dropping them off at collection points at every Lactalis Australia site across the country.

As of September 24, Lactalis Australia had ■ 54 staff pledges; ■ 408 total items recycled;

most recycled item: 117 cords/cables; and second most recycled item: 112 mobiles.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with World Clean-up Day to help mobilise our staff to help combat the issue of e-waste as part of Lactalis Australia’s ongoing Sustainability and CSR program,” Lactalis Australia’s Angela Burr said.

“We know this is an area that our staff are extremely passionate about and each of our teams organised their own group activities and challenges to support the e-waste initiative.

“We hope that by helping our staff become experts in how to safely and correctly dispose of e-waste, they can then help champion this within their own friend and family networks.”

The e-waste collections will be facilitated in partnership with not-for-profits, MobileMuster and TechCollect.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

16 // NEWS

New products hit the shelves Meet The Greek Brownes Dairy has launched its first “grown-ups only” yoghurt, which is aimed at the growing market segment of health conscious consumers, looking for products that still tick the indulgence box.

“Yoghurt is unique in that it delivers on both health and taste,” Brownes’ Nicole Ohm said.

“Modern-styled Greek yoghurt has surged in popularity globally after becoming a staple in the

well-heeled trendy cafes of New York, London and Paris.

“We are bringing this trend to the cafes and kitchens of the people of Perth and Western Australia.”

The new yoghurt was developed in close consultation with West Australian adults, to meet their desire for a locally-made yoghurt that meets their health needs and indulgence expectations.

“West Australians love Brownes’ yoghurt

but The Greek is next level and the first time Brownes has crafted a new yoghurt recipe specifically for adults,” Ms Ohm said.

“This one is for the top shelf of the fridge, out of reach of little mouths and hands.”

Brownes Dairy created this indulgent new recipe of yoghurt with an especially thick and creamy texture, no added sugar and the goodness of pre- and probiotics. It can be enjoyed on its own or as a healthy snack or meal ingredient.

“We have made delicious and award-winning dairy for families for the past 135 years. This one, requested by grown-ups and for grown-ups, could well be our best yoghurt yet,” Ms Ohm said.

The Greek is crafted from premium West Australian ingredients, produced in Western Australia, using milk from south-west WA farmers.

The Greek yoghurt comes in unsweetened and honey-sweetened varieties, and will be available in Woolworths, IGAs and through Brownes’ Milko home delivery service.

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Norco, Australia’s only 100 per cent farmer-owned dairy co-operative, has announced the launch of a new cheese range — now available at Coles stores throughout Queensland and northern NSW. The new range is a welcome addition to Norco’s growing portfolio of dairy products, which includes its award-winning white milks, creams, custard, butter and Hinterland ice-cream, and will provide customers with more options to support Australian dairy farmers during their weekly shop.

The launch follows an increased demand for the cheese on social media, with fans of Norco eager to support the co-op across other dairy categories.

“Over the past year, we’ve seen more and more customers looking to buy and support local producers, and asking us when we will be extending our range to allow them to do just that,” Norco’s Michael Hampson said.

“We’re really proud to be able to meet this demand and offer more choice to local consumers, while also diversifying our product range and continuing to provide value to our farmer members with the launch of the new Tasty Cheese range.”

The packaging of Norco’s Tasty Cheese range features three farming families from the Dorrigo region in NSW, as a nod to the dedication and passion of Norco’s farmers that make up the 292strong co-operative.

Norco farmer Stuart Moore, who features on the packaging, said as a proud Norco farming family it was an honour to be featured on the new cheese range.

“At Norco, each farmer member in the co-op owns the entire supply chain,” Mr Moore said.

“So, I think it’s great that now our customers can see some of the farming families behind the products they are supporting when they choose to buy Norco.”

The newly launched Tasty Cheese range comes after Norco’s triumph as Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customer Award 2021 winner and receiving 29 awards at the 2021 Dairy Industry Association of Australia awards.

The range is available in a 500 g cheese block, 500 g shredded cheese bag and a 500 g (30-piece packet) stack of cheese slices, all retailing for between $8 and $9, with 100 per cent of profits supporting Australian farmers.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

NEWS // 17

Dairy scores a health tick NEW RESEARCH among the world’s biggest consumers of dairy foods has shown those with higher intakes of dairy fat — measured by levels of fatty acids in the blood — had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those with low intakes.

Higher intakes of dairy fat were not associated with an increased risk of death in the Swedish study.

Dairy and dairy product consumption in Sweden is among the highest worldwide.

Lead author Kathy Trieu from The George Institute for Global Health said consumption of some dairy foods, especially fermented products, have previously been associated with benefits for the heart.

“Increasing evidence suggests that the health impact of dairy foods may be more dependent on the type — such as cheese, yoghurt, milk and butter — rather than the fat content, which has raised doubts if avoidance of dairy fats overall is beneficial for cardiovascular health,” Dr Trieu said.

“Our study suggests that cutting down on dairy fat or avoiding dairy altogether might not be the best choice for heart health.

“It is important to remember that although dairy foods can be rich in saturated fat, they are also rich in many other nutrients and can be a part of a healthy diet.

“However, other fats — like those found in seafood, nuts and non-tropical vegetable oils — can have greater health benefits than dairy fats.”

Researchers combined the results of this study in just over 4000 Swedish adults with those from 17 similar studies in other countries, creating the most comprehensive evidence to date on the relationship between this more objective measure of dairy fat consumption, risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death.

Matti Marklund from The George Institute for Global Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg

Dairy consumption has benefits for heart health, according to a new Swedish study.

School of Public Health and Uppsala University said with dairy consumption on the rise worldwide, a better understanding of the health impact was needed.

“Many studies have relied on people being able to remember and record the amounts and types of dairy foods they’ve eaten, which is especially difficult given that dairy is commonly used in a variety of foods,” Dr Marklund said.

“Instead, we measured blood levels of certain fatty acids, or fat ‘building blocks’ that are found in dairy foods, which gives a more objective measure of dairy fat intake that doesn’t rely on memory or the quality of food databases.

“We found those with the highest levels actually had the lowest risk of CVD. These relationships are highly interesting, but we need further studies to better understand the full health impact of dairy fats and dairy foods.”

An international collaboration between researchers in Sweden, the United States and Australia assessed dairy fat consumption in 4150 Swedish 60-year-olds by measuring blood levels of a particular fatty acid that is mainly found in dairy foods and therefore can be used to reflect intake of dairy fat.

They were then followed up for an average of 16 years to see how many had heart attacks,

strokes and other serious circulatory events, and how many died from any cause during this time.

After statistically adjusting for other known CVD risk factors including things like age, income, lifestyle, dietary habits and other diseases, the CVD risk was lowest for those with high levels of the fatty acid (reflecting high intake of dairy fats). Those with the highest levels had no increased risk of death from all causes.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

18 // NEWS

U-turn from dairy exit plan RICK BAYNE

TWO YEARS ago, Simpson dairy farmers Craig and Sophie Bennett were making plans to leave the industry; today they have plans in place for a long-term future in dairying.

The turnaround has been inspired by Dairy Australia’s Our Farm, Our Plan program, supported by Gardiner Dairy Foundation, which led Craig and Sophie to make significant changes in their lives and business.

They now follow budgets more closely, have a new bank and accounting system, have bought additional land and secured another lease block, employed a full-time worker and have improved their equity and reduced their risks.

Coupled with successive good seasons, the future is looking bright and Craig says he has overcome his earlier negativity.

“We went into Our Farm, Our Plan about two-and-a-half years ago in a negative mindset looking to formulate a plan to exit the industry,” Craig admitted.

“But with the favourable seasons coupled with the changes we’ve made, we see a future again.

“Setting goals has given us clarity. We’re working towards having the financial freedom at 50 to have the lifestyle we want. That’s 10 years away but we just keep trying to hit our milestones along the way.”

Craig and Sophie milk 340 Holstein cows on about 300 hectares in south-west Victoria, with their four children aged between 10 and 15.

They moved from being employees to leasing to owning the farm, formerly run by Sophie’s parents, quicker than expected.

“We bought the farm before we were 30. We were under financial pressure early on but ticked off life goals like buying a farm, building a herd and starting a family,” Craig said.

But what came next?

“I’d felt for several years that we had been drifting a bit,” Craig said.

“We were going through the motions with no clear direction or strategy, certainly no goals in writing.”

They were keeping their heads above water but needed a purpose.

“We tried consultants looking for a silver bullet but that was never going to happen, but with Our Farm, Our Plan we both identified our goals and charted a course to achieve them,” Craig said.

“Once we had those goals written down, it has been a lot easier to map the road forward.”

Craig’s goals were mostly business orientated; Sophie’s were more balanced between family, lifestyle and the business.

“Our children didn’t choose to be dairy farmers and we want to make sure they don’t come second to the farm,” Sophie said.

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“They shouldn’t have to forego sport because of our choice to go into a seven-days-a-week job.”

One goal was to financially support their children’s education and to have time off-farm to share their adolescence.

“We scheduled regular time off that we hadn’t been doing and we put on a full-time employee which has taken the pressure off,” Craig said.

“We get to netball and football and do those important family things. At the end of the day, there’s nothing more important than your children.”

Craig and Sophie also set longer term goals around growing equity, consolidating debt and making a profit.

“We had some tough seasons but had been guilty of thinking we’d set a break-even budget and ride the year out. Now we have structured our business to make a clear return on assets year in-year out.”

After tough conversations with the facilitator, they set a hard budget that allowed an employee.

“We had to put on a worker to meet out lifestyle goals and we had to afford it so we had to budget — it flowed on and the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle fell into place,” Craig said.

“We knew we needed an employee but having it written in black and white, showed we could afford it.”

They are making the most of these good years to be better prepared for the bad years.

“That came out in Our Farm, Our Plan when we identified our greatest risks and put procedures in place to tackle them,” Craig said.

To address fluctuating milk prices, the Bennetts have paid off additional debt which they can recall if needed.

Uncertainty around their leased blocks was another identified risk; they have now purchased one block and entered a long-term lease agreement for the other.

They are undertaking due diligence to ensure they have the right processor to match their milk profile, and they use tools such as grain contracts to mitigate risks of larger input costs.

They have a good relationship with their new bank manager and also saved one per cent interest in the transition.

Our Farm, Our Plan also helped Craig and Sophie to focus on their communication.

“We now set time on the calendar every month to communicate, assess our goals and review the budget,” Craig said.

“That has been a great benefit and has made sure we’re on the same page.”

A written vision is printed and hangs in the office.

“When we question why we’re doing certain things, we can refer to that vision and goal and it helps with decision making,” Craig said.

“We set some bigger goals and then broke them down to bite-sized pieces we can check off.

“If we’re achieving those smaller goals, then we are getting closer to the bigger goal of getting ourselves and business into a healthier position.

“We’re both certain on where we’re going.

Good communication and planning helps to make the vision clear.”

For information on the Our Farm, Our Plan program, phone 1800 548 073.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

NEWS // 19

Keep border control

Dairy Connect chief executive officer Shaughn Morgan (left) and president Graham Forbes (right) have cautioned against a proposed permanent shut down of the 50-year-old Kirra livestock treatment facility on the Gold Coast.

TICK FEVER or ‘red water’ disease remains a

major husbandry challenge for dairy and beef cattle and other livestock producers operating between NSW and Queensland.

Advocacy group Dairy Connect has cautioned against a proposed permanent shut down of the 50-year-old Kirra livestock treatment facility on the Gold Coast, leased and operated by the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

The spray treatment facility is on the front line of the ongoing war against tick-infested cattle and other livestock being moved — legally and illegally — across state borders, Dairy Connect Farmers Group president Graham Forbes said.

Dairy Connect is calling on NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall to urgently convene a roundtable of affected industry groups and farmers so the issues surrounding the possible closure can be addressed immediately.

“The (NSW) Government has had months to consider the impact that such a decision could have upon the cattle industry and they have failed to consult with those bodies and farmers directly affected,” Mr Forbes said.

“It is vital that whatever the reasons for the government’s decision, they must be based upon the welfare of the animals and the sustainability of the industries that underpin it and consultation is the key to reaching a considered position.”

Dairy Connect chief executive officer Shaughn Morgan said Dairy Connect was concerned the spray complex might not be replaced over the border in NSW. “The Kirra facility treated any animal capable of transporting external parasites from tick-infested areas of Queensland,” Mr Morgan said.

“Permanent closure of the unit is an extreme measure given the animal health implications for livestock producers and managers in that part of the world.

“This is a contentious animal welfare issue and while the optimal outcome may be for a new lower-cost facility to be installed and operated in NSW, the state government needs to consult seriously and widely with all industry stakeholders likely to be impacted.”

Dairy Connect was supporting calls from Casino NSW dairy producer and Dairy Connect director Terry Toohey that a full cost-benefit analysis was necessary before any permanent decision.

Mr Toohey said due diligence should include looking at costs and operating hours to deliver best value and greatest effectiveness for livestock owners and managers and to the NSW DPI.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

20 // NEWS

Do you need a dairy barn?

IT’S BEEN a wet winter and paddocks are

pugged. Supplementary fodder has been wasted — trampled into the ground. And the mess — let’s just not go there.

If only you had a way to remove your herd from paddocks. It would allow the feed to grow — perhaps get a wedge of feed before calving? It would also reduce the need for resowing.

Alternatively, the memory of high irrigation water prices and expensive bought-in feed still haunts you. What if you could make more yourself?

Sure, the cost of irrigating crops and pasture has come down in recent years, but at the back of your mind there’s constant niggling about what could come.

Water politics hasn’t disappeared and, as a business operator, you prefer to have control over your largest cost — feed.

What about shade and shelter? Sometimes weather conditions are so harsh that trees just don’t cut it when it comes to protection.

Especially for high-production cows and those which have the genetic potential to make more milk; or those which calve year-round.

All these reasons are valid motivations for considering a dairy barn.

But this isn’t always enough to justify the investment, according to some of the industry experts.

Agriculture Victoria’s Scott McDonald said building a barn wouldn’t necessarily be a solution for all dairy farmers and all on-farm issues.

“If you are worried about feed wastage, consider a feedpad or some feed troughs — that’s not a trigger to build housing,” he said.

“If you are worried about how to manage the herd, it’s important that you consider a range of potential options.

“It is about understanding all the farm needs into the future and matching them with appropriate infrastructure.”

Mr McDonald has become a specialist in intensive dairy farming operations. He has co-authored Victoria’s effluent management guidelines and various dairy feedpad publications, and is currently co-authoring Australia’s first national dairy feedpad and contained housing guidelines with Australian and American experts.

These guidelines, in partnership with Dairy Australia, will be released later this year.

In recent years, Mr McDonald has worked with individual dairy farmers to assist them with their transitions to intensive farm businesses, developing free-stalls, bedding pack barns and dry lots, making sure they have the finer planning and regulation details correct.

American barn design and master planning consultant Jake Martin told a recent barn webi-

The first national Dairy Feedpads and Contained Housing Guidelines have been developed by Agriculture Victoria and Dairy Australia.

nar — hosted by animal housing, feeding and management business Eagle Direct — that success in any dairy farming system was determined by management.

“You can spend as much money as you want on a farm, but if you can’t manage it properly it’s going to fail,” he said.

“Barns will solve some of these problems (hot weather, rough winter) but it will create others.

The net positive? Only you can figure that out.”

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Mr Martin, who’s worked with numerous Australian dairy farmers to convert their operations across to total mixed ration (TMR) housed farming systems, also said farmers who invest in barns must be willing to adopt a different farming philosophy.

He told the webinar farmers must consider if they had a problem a barn can handle.

“The first step of problem solving is problem definition,” he said.

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NEWS // 21 What should I expect from a barn?

“Upgrading cow housing, you are going from a sleeping bag in the middle of nowhere to the Hyatt Regency at a significant cost per cow,” Mr Martin said.

“She (the cow) better have a damn good way of paying her own freight.”

This was his way of telling farmers that once cows are moved into a housed system, they must deliver to assist the return on investment through increased milk production, higher fertility rates or feed efficiency.

Mr Martin stressed no-one could promise 40 per cent more milk production from housing cows.

Those changing to housing cows should expect to concentrate on getting the most out of their dairy barn investment — and that means maximising the time the cows are inside.

Mr Martin said the traditional Australian and New Zealand practice of milking an entire herd at once, with some cows waiting in the dairy yard for hours, had to go.

“You want to maximise milk production, you’ve spent a lot of money on the barn, they need to be in there as long as possible,” he said.

“Match the (dairy) milking (speed) to the group size that you bring in for milking. If you are milking 300 cows an hour, your groups need to be 300 cows.”

A housed-cow, TMR system also requires increased mechanisation. From a machine to push feed up for the cows, to a mixer wagon or equipment to refill free-stall beds or prepare the floor in a compost or bedded pack barn.

Some of these machines tie-up a tractor too, Mr Martin advised.

Housing cows also means dealing with more manure.

Mr Martin said only 10 to 12 per cent of the manure from a grazing herd, without access to a feedpad, was collected.

One hundred per cent of manure is collected when the operation moves to a free-stall barn. In addition, the manure amount generally increases as a reflection of the herd’s increased feed intake.

Manure can be dried-out and used as bedding, an alternative to sand. Mr Martin said all dairy farms moving to house cows must be prepared for a huge bedding requirement.

For example, he said an empty 600-cow freestall barn would initially require 800 tonnes of sand and then another 200 tonnes per side (per 300 cows) of recycled sand each month for bedding maintenance.

What must I consider?

The position of the barn, effluent capture and disposal, cow bedding, electricity, ventilation,

possible expansion, the type of barn that suits your operation, truss heights, the machinery needed to make it run efficiently and environmental approvals.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

A lot of work goes into researching, selecting a barn site and building the structure and associated infrastructure.

When it comes to selecting a site, Mr Martin said climate needed to be a top consideration and working with the site — the slopes, wind direction, proximity to feed — was crucial.

A lot of this planning comes back to the quality of the research, before there’s been any official movements towards building a barn.

Mr Martin also suggested to ‘future proof ’ the plan.

“There are three sure things — death, taxes and dairies expand,” he said.

“Dairies always expand, no matter how big they are.”

‘Future proofing’ includes having the ability to expand the manure capture and storage facilities as well as building additional barns, if required.

Mr Martin said some people also had challenges with neighbours and environmental regulations, referring to the “negative connotation” of cows in barns.

This was something that needed addressing at the beginning and he recommended seeking professional advice.

Agriculture Victoria’s Mr McDonald helps farmers through the early stages of intensive dairy farm development by providing up-front technical support and assistance to navigate the planning process.

“Five years ago, if you had rung-up and said you’d wanted a dairy barn we’d have said, ‘it could take two years’ because they were virtually unheard of,” he said.

“Now there are a lot more and we know farmers can do it in six-to-12 months depending on complexities of the farm and development site.”

What industry help is out there?

Agriculture Victoria has recently launched an interactive digital planning platform called Navigating Farm Developments (NFD) to assist farmers to better understand their property from a planning perspective, by identifying the relevant property overlays that may trigger permits.

In 2019, Dairy Australia developed a three-year program called Adapting Dairy Farm Systems — it was designed to support the growing Australian dairy barn and housed-cow movement.

Previously, most farmers turned to the United States for guidance — especially when it came to building a barn.

Dairy Australia’s Karen Romano said the Adapting Dairy Farm Systems program aimed to provide dairy farmers with information and resources to support them to make informed decisions when considering new feeding and housing systems.

The program will deliver new economic and risk analysis of both partial and TMR feeding systems using on-farm data, and an in-depth risk assessment using a case study farm.

The Victorian component of the project was co-funded by Dairy Australia and Agriculture Victoria, with the NSW component part of Dairy Unlocking Potential (UP) — a large collaborative NSW-based dairy research, development and extension program led by Sydney University’s Dairy Research Foundation.

The economic and risk analysis project findings are expected to be released later this year.

What’s the current situation in Australia?

This isn’t clear-cut.

Industry statistics don’t necessarily sperate TMR operations from housed-cow farms and it’s an area of the industry constantly evolving.

Entegra Signature Structures is based in Swan Hill, Victoria, and has been at the forefront of the growing popularity of dairy barns in Australia.

Entegra design consultant Charles McCalman said there was a sharp spike in interest in dairy barns following the highly publicised opening of the first ‘Ridgeback’ design barn in south-west Victoria, and other barns in northern Victoria.

This ‘spike’ has become a stream of dairy projects spanning many Australian states.

“Each of the past three years there has been more dairy barns installed,” Mr McCalman said.

“If we look at our pipeline of projects for the remainder of this financial year, we can expect that we will install at least three times as many as last year — which was already a record year.”

Agriculture Victoria’s Mr McDonald believes there are at least 120 housed-cow facilities in Australia.

These are the ones he has worked with and knows of, with the bulk in northern Victoria and the southern Riverina in NSW. Of all the farms he’s assisted with, Mr McDonald said 60 per cent chose to build barns where cows can loaf, 27 per cent opted for a free-stall configuration and 13 per cent chose dairy dry lots with cattle shelters.

“It is very much an individual business decision choosing the infrastructure best suited to their situation,” he said.

The Ridgeback dairy barn in Simpson, Victoria, features a concave roof that increases air exchange by at least 20 per cent an hour.

Of those who invested in a free-stall system, most milked 1000 to 1999 cows. The second largest group of farmers who invested in a free-stall system milked 2000 to 4000 cows, according to Agriculture Victoria statistics.

Those choosing a barn where cows can loaf were typically housing between 250 and 800 cows.

How do I keep my options open?

Barn expert Mr Martin pushed the importance of research during the recent webinar.

“Visit as many successful dairy farms as you can,” he said.

Gathering information and understanding the system, process and management changes required to convert to a housed-cow dairy operation is the best way for farmers to decide if a barn is the correct infrastructure choice for their business.

For those looking to install a feedpad, Mr Martin said to build east to west, not north to south.

The reason? For a dairy barn to be successful, a lot of it comes down to its orientation. They must be east to west for ventilation and natural light, just to name a few drivers.

If you want to put a free-stall barn on top of a feedpad, build the feedpad with the shed in mind, Mr Martin said.

Like all farming though, each business is different.

The key to deciding if permanent dairy housing is the ideal investment for a business comes back to understanding the current farming system, its limitations, opportunities and the farm’s financial position.

“Everyone has their own numbers,” Mr Martin said.

“Work with your bankers and be comfortable with what barns can do for you.”

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

22 // MARKETS

Global markets holding up FARM GATE milk prices remain on the “high

side” across much of the world, and at nearrecord levels in Australia, as dairy demand proves resilient in the face of the pandemic, according to the latest Rabobank Global Dairy Quarterly report.

The report says while some regional disruptions will continue to occur as a result of COVID19 and uncertainty remains, the potential for major global demand shocks is limited, with downside risk to the global dairy market more likely to stem from the anticipated s­ lowdown in Chinese import demand.

With supply expected to outpace demand in China, as domestic production and inventories increase, the country’s imports are expected to start to decline in the second half of this year.

“Global markets may be able to absorb lost sales through 2021, but pressure will be felt in 2022, initially in Oceania, but eventually rippling through global dairy markets,” the report said.

And with prices heavily dependent on import demand, the “near-term peak in global dairy commodity prices is likely behind us”.

Meanwhile, the report said global milk supply had been on an “extended run of interrupted growth” which is set to continue, albeit at a slower pace.

“The growth rate has been sustainable without becoming overly burdensome on markets so far, but any slowdown in global demand would quickly lead to inventory build.”

Pressure on farm margins The report cautions while milk prices are mostly higher around the world, farm margins are mixed.

“High feed prices and general input cost ­inflation are a common thread, but the ability to withstand the cost pressures depends on the milk price,” it said.

While “much of the world”, including A ­ ustralia, is “experiencing high enough milk prices to offset higher costs”, margin pressure is creating ­headwinds in the United States and European Union.

“Persistent margin pressure has disrupted a year-long streak of increasing cow numbers” in the US while in the EU “milk prices are barely keeping up with the rising input costs”.

And there is little relief on the horizon for feed costs, the report said, with poor US corn crops and the failure of Brazil’s Safrinha corn crop.

Good news at home For Australian dairy farmers, farm margins are positive with “most experiencing healthy on-farm profitability,” according to Rabobank’s senior dairy analyst Michael Harvey.

“Near-record milk prices, affordable purchased feed prices and supportive seasonal conditions have set many up for positive trading conditions ahead,” he said.

While the cost of fertiliser had jumped, Mr Harvey said it had only had a “slight ­negative hit on farm gate margins”, with the majority of

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Australian dairy farmers locking in near-record milk pricing for the current season.

“We have revised up Rabobank’s farm gate milk price to $7.05/kg MS for 2021-22,” he said.

“While this is broadly in line with the o ­ fficial farm gate milk prices range, it also takes into account the limited upside in global dairy ­markets for the remainder of this season.”

Mr Harvey said Australian dairy farmers were also heading towards a “favourable spring peak” with the bank forecasting milk production growth to be up 1.5 per cent in 2021-22, to 8.9 billion litres - a level not reached since 2017-18.

“With the spring peak just around the corner, conditions on the farm remain very favourable with the latest seasonal outlooks pointing to average winter-spring rainfall in key production regions.”

This is also boding well for irrigators, he said, with lower water prices and increased allocations as demand from competing crops has subsided.

Mr Harvey said dairy export volumes were also up, with liquid milk and milk powders leading the way.

“Export activity remained upbeat throughout the first half of the year and as at mid-2021, dairy export volumes across most of the dairy commodities were higher than year ago levels.”

In the domestic market, Mr Harvey said ­current lockdowns were leading to “ongoing channel distortion in dairy markets”.

“With a large proportion of consumers in lockdown due to the Delta variant, the Australian consumer market is on a rollercoaster.

Rabobank’s senior dairy analyst Michael Harvey says farm margins are positive for Australian producers.

“That said, pantry-loading seems to be less pronounced this time round and dairy consumption seems to be holding firm in the face of all this uncertainty.”

Key factors to watch The report said while “all eyes” would be on China as the global dairy market remained heavily dependent on import demand, there were other factors to watch.

These include ongoing logistic disruptions, inflationary pressures not only at the farm gate but along the supply chain, and the impact of the Delta variant - and new COVID-19 variants - on global economic growth.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

NEWS // 23

Call to improve code A DAIRY industry lobby group wants to see

changes to the two-year-old dairy code governing the relationship between suppliers and processors.

Dairy Connect would like to see processors required to engage with collective bargaining groups, a better price setting arrangements, binding decisions created by arbitration and the extension of a code to processors and supermarkets.

The lobby group has made a submission to the Federal Department of Agriculture, which is conducting a review of the Dairy Industry Code.

Dairy Connect chief executive officer Shaughn Morgan said there were a number of areas where the dairy code could be improved, especially with regards to collective bargaining and enhancing the dispute resolution process.

The submission noted the code came about partly due to the market failure experienced by the dairy industry brought about by unequal relationships.

The current dairy code has no requirement for processors to engage with collective bargaining groups.

“Without there being an obligation to negotiate with a dairy collective bargaining group, the power imbalance remains in favour of the processor until such an obligation is imposed,” Mr Morgan said in the submission.

Dairy Connect CEO Shaughn Morgan.

On disputes, Dairy Connect would like to see a situation similar to the sugar industry where the code provides for arbitration.

Dairy Connect raised the process of price setting.

Under the code processors must release a minimum price prior to 2 pm on June 1 each year.

“Processors continue to release a minimum price only by the specified deadline of June 1,” Mr Morgan said.

“They then lift their prices as they observe prices that are announced by their competitors, for instance, in mid-June.”

The industry saw a flurry of price changes

by some processors in the weeks following the deadline.

It is a legal requirement that the federal agriculture minister review the Dairy Industry Code.

The review is being run by the department with the support of the Dairy Code Review Reference Group. The group represents the eight dairy regions and key processor representatives.

The public submission period for the review of the code ran from July to August.

The department will prepare a review report to the federal treasurer by December 31.

WARRAMONT SALE TOPS $4750 The Warramont stud achieved a top price of $4750 at its dispersal sale at Mortlake Selling Centre on August 13.

Master breeders David and Trudy Fiebig, of Mt Gambier, held their second stage complete dispersal sale with a gross return of $324,770 and an average of $3100.

The top price was paid for Warramont Kingboy Daybreak 13 VG 86. This 12th generation EX and VG six-year-old was purchased by return buyer Peter Fullerton of Nirranda South.

The same buyer also selected Warramont Fedora Deluxe, a heifer due to River from a 13th generation EX and VG dam, at $4200.

Second top price of $4700 was Warramont Pharo Faye, from a VG 87 dam, selling to S. and T. Gledhill of Tongala.

Jancourt East buyer N. Niewenhuizen selected several top lots including: Warramont Malonred Emblem at $4600; Warramont Pharo Jessica, a heifer from a VG 87 10,000-litre dam, at $4600; and Warramont Rager Flirt, a red heifer bred down from the royal champion Warramont Winluke Frosti EX 91, at $4300.

Other noted sales included Warramont Meridian Frappe VG 86 at $4500 to Leslie Manor Farm; Warramont Solomon Major, a heifer backed by eight generations of VG dams, at $4200 to R. and R. McLean of Bamawm; and Warramont Bardo Fleece at $4000 to N. Stevens of Simpson.

Selling agents were Dairy Livestock Services and Elite Livestock Auctions.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

24 // NEWS

Dispersal sales hit the mark A VALENTINO heifer topped the dispersal sale of Yalcara Jerseys at a northern Victorian auction on September 2.

The two-year-old heifer, presented as lot one in the auction, reached $9000 after spirited bidding and sold to John Brian of Tongala.

The spring in-calf heifer was out of Glenarron Silver 87 EX90 and by All Lynns Louie Valentino.

The sale was part of a successful second stage dispersal for Peter and Lyn Sprunt, formerly of Katunga, held on the Frostick property at Nathalia.

The Yalcara stud was established in 1987.

A David heifer sold for $5250, the daughter of a cow which sold for $9000 at the first dispersal sale.

Another two-year-old, well-pedigreed heifer

by Vanahlem sold for $4250 to Pat Nicholson at Girgarre.

Although only 20 buyers registered in person, a total of 50 people were registered online and buyers were from Queensland, NSW and other parts of Victoria.

Auctioneer Brian Leslie from Dairy Livestock Services said it was a strong result, indicating interest in quality breeding, and the top-selling lot was no surprise.

“I wasn't shocked at all; there were some outstanding cattle,” he said.

Mr Leslie said this was the second stage dispersal and a number of buyers from last year's sale, evidently pleased with what they had bought, had returned for more.

Dairy Livestock Services manager Scott Lord said the demand was being driven by improved milk prices and seasonal conditions including better water availability.

“People are wanting to put more milk in the vat. We're also seeing some who had de-stocked coming back into the market,” Mr Lord said.

Mr Sprunt said he was pleased with the results and also happy to see the cattle go to good homes.

The Sprunts' Katunga farm was sold last year and this sale saw the herd dispersal virtually completed, with only a few yearlings left.

Numurkah stud Dryfield Holsteins, established

by Colin Steel, held its dispersal sale on the same day on the Frostick farm in Leaf Rd, Nathalia.

The top lot sold for $7000 and the sale averaged $3400 for in-calf heifers and $2800 for all lots.

Auctioneer Brian Leslie selling at the Yalcara Jerseys and Dryfield Holsteins dispersal sales at Nathalia.

Lot one at the Yalcara stud sale sold for $9000.

The Jersey heifer was Yalcara Valentino Silver.

Checking over the offering at the Yalcara stud sale.

Yalcara Ahlem Vanilla, a Jersey heifer, sold for $4250 at the Yalcara dispersal sale.

Yalcara Valentino Althea 2 sold for $4750 at the Yalcara stud sale.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

26 // NEWS

New visa a 'positive' A NEW dedicated agricultural visa announced by the Federal Government has been welcomed

by Australian Dairy Farmers.

“The visa will help resolve workforce shortage issues in agriculture. It will enable industry to better match workforce needs to foreign worker recruitment and reduce visa processing times,” ADF president Terry Richardson said.

An agriculture visa was part of ADF’s submission to the National Agriculture Workforce Strategy. ADF has been working with the government through the National Farmers Federation to develop the visa.

“The workforce shortage is a critical issue for dairy farmers,” Mr Richardson said.

“The ADF’s position has been that the dairy industry should be able to tap into migrants to fill specific job roles in the short term.”

Mr Richardson said the government’s decision to initially limit the visa to people from ASEAN countries was a good first step, but ultimately the visa needed to be offered to all people across the world.

“We will continue to work with the government on the specific design elements of the visa.

This includes responsibilities of organisations

DAIRY SUPPLIER MAKING MOOVES Brisbane-based dairy supplier Maxum Foods has bought its first permanent office in Milton, Queensland.

The four-level property is the new headquarters for about 30 staff across Maxum’s sales, quality assurance, finance, customer service and marketing divisions.

The company is a supplier of quality dairy ingredients such as milk powders, cheese and butter to the food, health and animal nutrition industries in Australia and New Zealand.

Maxum Foods director David Russell said the new office purchase put the company in a prime position for its future expansion plans.

“We are really proud of the business we have built over the past 18 years,” Mr Russell said.

“Our focus is to continue to grow our dairy ingredient business across Australia and New Zealand delivering quality products to customers. As we grow, we have the opportunity to expand in this new space.

“Purchasing our new office is very much an investment in our business and our people.”

He said a primary focus area would be the growing food service business and the infant animal nutrition offering, under the MaxCare banner.

“There’s new product development underway and we’re excited to expand the MaxCare range in the near future,” Mr Russell said.

Terry Richardson.

such as ADF for efficient and effective delivery,” he said.

“Ideally, this visa program will source workers to replace the backpacker market — a longstanding source of casual labour on Australian farms that has been disrupted by travel restrictions caused by COVID-19.”

David Russell and Ben Woodhouse outside Maxum Foods’ new office.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

ANIMAL HEALTH // 27

So, your calves have crypto LUCY COLLINS

THIS MONTH, I just thought I’d share a bit

of information on Cryptosporidium parvum, as I know it can be a confusing bug to get your head around and incredibly difficult to manage once it’s on your property.

Cryptosporidium parvum (often referred to as ‘crypto’) is a protozoan parasite, rather than a bacterium (like e.coli or salmonella), meaning it is not readily treated by antibiotics.

Crypto is a common cause of scours in calves aged between four days and one month.

It is shed in the manure of adult cows who don’t show any symptoms of infection themselves. Calves usually become infected when they inadvertently ingest adult cow manure, often during the first 24 hours of life while still on their dam or in the calving paddock.

Once ingested, the protozoa invade the calf’s intestine and multiply, destroying the lining cells of the intestine, preventing nutrient absorption, and causing liquid diarrhoea that can last up to three weeks.

Huge numbers of infective crypto oocysts (eggs) are shed through the faeces of affected calves. To give this context, for each millilitre of manure from an infected animal, there are anywhere between one million to 100 million oocysts.

Immunity to crypto is slow to develop and these oocysts can re-infect that same calf as well as any pen-mates that come into contact with the infected scour.

Oocysts are very hardy in the environment and persist for long periods of time, commonly resulting in infection of the next group of calves entering the shed.

Sheds and pens should be thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned between groups to minimise faecal contamination, but it’s virtually impossible to eradicate crypto completely.

Crypto oocysts thrive in damp and dark environments and exposure to sunlight and drying can reduce infectivity in calf faeces after one to four days.

As calves age, they become less susceptible to infection and disease is less severe if/when they are affected.

Sickness due to Cryptosporidium in calves can be very high — affecting the majority of calves in the group, but death rates are usually low with

Where uncomplicated crypto infection occurs, the greatest losses generally aren’t usually from dying calves, but rather from losses associated with poor growth rates.

good nursing (unless super-infection occurs due to repeated re-infection in the same animal or other pathogens are involved at the same time).

Where uncomplicated crypto infection occurs, the greatest losses generally aren’t usually from dying calves, but rather from losses associated with poor growth rates as the intestines take some weeks to repair.

The ongoing scour can result in dehydration, which if not addressed, can prove fatal. However, most calves with crypto as the only pathogen can be maintained with oral electrolytes during recovery.

Crypto is readily diagnosed using a faecal sample and a rapid test-kit in the field. Postmortem samples and faecal floats can also be used if required.

Management of affected animals is mostly focused on fluid therapy and nutritional support — oral electrolytes or intravenous fluids in extreme cases, and milk feeds.

Antibiotics may be helpful if facing concurrent or secondary bacterial infections but are not considered the mainstay of treatment for straightforward crypto cases. There is no vaccine for crypto.

With crypto, it’s all about prevention and management.

Halocur can help prevent outbreaks by reducing replication of the parasite, thereby reducing the amount of oocysts shed into the environment. Halocur can help reduce the severity of

diarrhoea in already-infected calves, however it should be used in consultation with your vet as it can be detrimental in dehydrated animals.

At the same time, the calf will be developing its own immune response to the parasite, so reinfection should be less of a problem after the Halocur course has finished.

Halocur administration is oral via a special applicator or syringe for accurate dosing, and usually starts on the first day of life (or as soon as the calves enter your property) and continues for seven days.

It’s important to remember that Halocur is far more effective as a preventative in newborn calves.

Aside from prevention and good nursing, management changes when faced with a crypto outbreak on your farm can include: • All in/all out calf rearing. Avoiding mixed age groups and avoiding overstocking pens.

• Daily cleaning of calf tubers and calf feeders, or having dedicated feeders for each calf pen.

• Clean, ad lib fresh water (crypto loves water!).

• Cleaning and disinfecting calf pens between groups with an ammonium-based formula, ensuring all faecal material in pens is scrubbed clean.

• Increasing frequency of pick-ups from the calving paddock, or rotating calving paddocks.

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Lucy Collins

• Fencing off crypto ‘breeding sites’ such as dark, damp areas under trees.

• Daily cleaning of calf trailers.

• Isolation of sick animals in a ‘hospital pen’ that is completely separate or walled-off from contact with other unaffected calves.

• Ensuring good colostrum management.

• Strategic use of the preventative Halocur.

Importantly, crypto is transferrable from cattle to humans.

I can personally vouch for its unpleasantness, and would recommend anyone working with sick calves practise strict personal hygiene.

Children, pregnant women and the sick or elderly should take extra care.

The author has no affiliations (financial or otherwise) with MSD Animal Health.

Lucy Collins is completing her Dairy Residency with The University of Melbourne. She works as an on-farm veterinarian for Apiam Animal Health, and alongside her partner on his family’s dairy farm in south-west Victoria. She is a 2021 Nuffield Scholar supported by Gardiner Dairy Foundation.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

28 // ANIMAL HEALTH

Keep cows' energy up IN THE first phase of lactation (from calving

until about 100 days later), cows are highly vulnerable to energy deficits.

Imagine a 650 kg live weight cow, producing about 35 kg of milk a day with 3.7 per cent fat and 3.2 per cent protein.

This animal needs a daily feed intake of 22 kg of dry matter or 36,000Kcal of net energy available for milk production and maintenance.

To obtain an energy supply of this magnitude, nutritionists need to provide rations that are low in fiber but high in starch. Unfortunately, while maximizing milk supply, this type of diet increases the risk of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA), which is associated with organ and tissue inflammation.

SARA occurs when the production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) by the rumen bacteria exceeds the ability of the rumen to absorb and neutralize them.

High-starch diets foster amylolytic and ­saccharolytic bacteria that produces VFA and, consequently, lower the rumen pH level.

A lower rumen pH leads to higher mortality and lysis of gram-negative bacteria, which release considerable quantities of endotoxins or lipopolysaccharides (LPS).

LPS cross the ruminal wall and intestine and pass into the bloodstream, putting the animal at risk of endotoxemia.

Any LPS that the liver and other organs cannot detoxify can affect the animal’s homeostasis and trigger a cascade of inflammatory processes, compromising fertility and productivity.

Additionally, bacterial endotoxins can cause uterine infection, clinical endometritis, and, by stimulating prostaglandins, fever and ruminal stasis.

What to do? Dairy producers need to strike a fine balance between ensuring that lactating cows receive enough energy through their rations while avoiding a rapid increase of gram-negative bacteria in the rumen.

Diets for optimal rumen balance and e­ fficient production should include ingredients that ­modulate the microbiota positively and reduce the negative impact of stress on digestion.

Phytogenic products for gut health and toxinmitigating solutions complement targeted diets and are recommended for the first phase of ­lactation, starting 15 days before birth.

Producers need to strike a balance between ensuring lactating cows receive enough energy through their rations while avoiding a rapid increase of gram-negative bacteria in the rumen.

PROBIOTICS 'THE WAY FORWARD'

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Ash Spence joins Australian Probiotic Solutions with a strong practical knowledge of farming, nutrition, and the inner workings of stockfeed companies.

Ash, 31, grew up on his family’s dairy, completing his schooling in Camperdown, before returning to work on their 200-cow operation for six years.

In 2013 his desire to blend agriculture with his natural interpersonal skills led him to the Five Star Stock Feeds team.

While there, he completed multiple pasture management courses, and a West Vic Dairy Advanced Dairy Nutrition course (2018) within his sales management role.

“I’ve been very lucky that a lot of great people have given me great support through my career so far,” Ash said.

“I have always enjoyed people and once I got the opportunity to develop my nutritional knowledge at Five Star I thought I could really start to bring something to the table.”

He said APS was a natural progression for him, and that he believed probiotics were the way forward for farming.

“I always prioritise animal health and the longevity of the cows, and increasingly our industry is moving away from antibiotic buffers,” Ash said.

“For me, the role of premium probiotics and enzymes are so important in dairy operations today and there has been a clear shift in that direction.

“One of the most game-changing points I saw while considering this role was seeing the state of the rumens and GI tracts in the autopsies of high grain-fed cows which APS have completed over

the years. All these things are significant game changers because the physical state of the rumen and GI tract is so important for many parameters.

“APS’ vet Robyn Plunkett (who was also a well-known dairy farmer) confirmed that she felt the same way when she got involved with the company nearly 10 years ago.”

Ash was also impressed that APS’ formulations have been refined for more than 20 years in conjunction with leading US microbiologists; that they include premium ingredients sourced from Europe, Japan and the US; and that their shelf life is two years after the “use-by” date.

“Having a natural product at these strengths with this much stability gives me complete confidence advising my customers. It’s why our farmers are seeing ongoing positive results in their herd health, production, fertility and somatic cell counts.

“No two farms are the same, and my skillset is that I enjoy people, I love farming and I just want to help. That’s why I do this.”

APS’ Sam Vale said they were excited about what Ash’s experience and knowledge offered their clients.

“Ash is just a terrific person, and we are extremely excited about him joining our organisation,” Sam said.

“Our key focus as a business is to help farmers create more efficient animals and improve animal health, which all directly impact their profitability, so to add the experience and knowledge that Ash offers will be a huge benefit to our client base.”

He said APS was finalising the development of a new product, which was a combination of yeast and multistrain protected bacteria with a core focus on rumen stabilisation, udder health, and immune function.

“Ash’s involvement to show farmers how to maximise profits through these innovations will be exciting to see in the coming months and years,” Sam said.

Ash is based out of Warrnambool, predominately servicing south-west Victoria.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

ANIMAL HEALTH // 29

To optimise the rumen function and reduce methane output, agolin has been added to OrganiPro® as a key ingredient.

Balance is the key TO CELEBRATE Australian Organic Awareness

Month Performance Feeds launched a new organic mineral supplement last month.

Certified by Australian Organic, OrganiPro® is an organic mineral supplement that contains agolin to help reduce methane in grazing cattle.

Performance Feeds national sales manager Peter Cush said he was excited to launch OrganiPro® onto the market.

“Organic producers should have access to an organic nutritional supplement that will boost profitability and production in their livestock and OrganiPro® is that supplement,” he said.

He said the loose-lick nutritional supplement was formulated to boost livestock production systems and contained key ingredients to achieve this.

“To promote frame growth in cattle, it is important to maintain their intake of phosphorous for energy metabolism,” he said.

OrganiPro® contains phosphorous, calcium and magnesium, critical macro minerals that will promote frame and bone growth.

Supporting the macro minerals are trace vitamins and minerals that will boost productivity and reproduction.

Keeping these vitamins and minerals in balance year-round will assist producers to achieve high results and a consistent line of breeding stock.

“Performance Feeds works to develop and implement nutritional products for producers that will increase their production and profitability,” Mr Cush said.

“OrganiPro ® is another example of this.

Tailored to organic producers, organic cattle can now benefit from a nutritional supplement that won’t compromise their organic status and will increase profitability for the producers.”

Performance Feeds' Peter Cush.

To optimise the rumen function and reduce methane output, agolin has been added to OrganiPro® as a key ingredient. Agolin will also improve feed efficiency and weight gain when supplemented to cattle.

OrganiPro® has been certified as a Certified Allowed Input by Australian Organic and can be used on properties certified to the National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce standards.

Allowed inputs can be used by organic cattle producers as a supplementary tool to ensure producers are operating a balanced farm program.

Australian Organic Awareness Month is an opportunity to celebrate Australia’s organic producers and the technological developments that are allowing producers to achieve competitive results that will boost their profitability.

To find out more about OrganiPro® and how it can be used to achieve a balanced farm program, contact your local territory manager or www.performancefeeds.com.au

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

30 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Boom times for tractor sales AUGUST WAS another outstanding month for

tractor sales across the nation with a rise of 40 per cent on the same month last year, according to a recent Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia update.

This saw the year-to-date figure 30 per cent above last year with a running rate well in excess of 16,000 tractors a year, TMAA executive director Gary Northover said in the update.

“While there remains considerable supply challenges and long lead times, the current demand is being fed by aggressive ordering by dealers back in 2020 in anticipation of strong ongoing activity,” Mr Northover said.

“Sales have been strong in all states fuelled by the expectations of a bumper season coming up, supported by various company tax incentive programs.”

NSW, which has been on a positive run for nearly 18 months, was up 44 per cent for the month and is now 52 per cent ahead YTD. Queensland was again strong, up 38 per cent and up 26 per cent YTD, while Victoria was up 18 per cent and is 17 per cent up YTD. The update said sales in Western Australia recorded a 64 per cent lift for the month in preparation for what promises to be a bumper harvest season and is now 34 per cent ahead for the year.

South Australia was likewise extremely busy, up 83 per cent for the month, and Tasmania fin-

ished 60 per cent ahead. Sales into the Northern Territory enjoyed a 125 per cent increase.

All performance reporting categories enjoyed strong rises for the year, however the under 40 hp (30 kW) range was up just six per cent in August due to ongoing supply challenges, but remains 18 per cent ahead of last year.

The 40 to 100 hp (30–75 kW) range was again up strongly 23 per cent in the month, now 31 per cent up YTD; the 100 to 200 hp (75– 150 kW) category was up 72 per cent to be 26 per cent ahead YTD; and the large 200 hp (150 kW) and above range had another strong rise of 144 per cent and now sits 67 per cent ahead of last year.

Baler sales were down in August and remain 13 per cent behind last year’s outstanding season.

And sales of out-front mowers are up 11 per cent YTD. “As we have been highlighting for some months now, the industry is coping with a range of extremes on the supply side at present,” Mr Northover said.

“Machine deliveries continue to be pushed out, particularly in the smaller ranges and price rises for raw materials are beginning to impact the finished product.

“New challenges continue to emerge, with items ranging from computer chips to tyres now having an impact.”

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 31

Distribute fodder with ease WHETHER IT’S ration feeding (using the mixing hopper) or distributing straw bedding, the distribution of long-fibre fodder is no longer a chore with the Primor 5570 M. This well-built machine is the perfect addition for any livestock producer looking to optimise their production.

The versatility of the Primor 5570 M is what makes it an attractive investment for livestock producers. Its consistent distribution concept

gives it the ability to spread even quantities of straw, ideal for feed rationing or bedding.

With a hydraulic tailgate and conveyor controls, the Primor 5570 M allows operators to load round bales with the greatest of ease — the tailgate sits flush to the conveyor facilitating the loading of bales with no need for an external loader.

All operations can be conducted from the comfort of the tractor cab with an electronic

Its consistent distribution concept gives the Primor 5570 M the ability to distribute even quantities of straw, ideal for feed rationing or bedding distribution.

control panel that has the ability to change the direction of the chute and adjust the chute cap.

The Primor 5570 M can carry three roundbales or one large square bale at one time. The 1.5 m round bale can be distributed in less than three minutes increasing efficiency.

To ensure longevity of the machine, the Primor 5570 M has been designed for simple maintenance. To keep the conveyor belt clean,

the belt is fitted with an integrated evacuation hatch, making sure there is no more build-up of straw at the bottom on the belt.

The Primor 5570 M’s advanced technology will increase the efficiency for any livestock producer looking to optimise their operation.

Find out more about the Primor 5570 M at: www.kuhn.com.au/livestock/silage-cuttersstraw-blowers-feeders/primor-5570-m

The Primor 5570 M can carry three round-bales or one large square bale at one time.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

32 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Dam good news after earthquake GOULBURN-MURRAY WATER says its

water storages, including Eildon (pictured), are designed to withstand the level of earthquake experienced last week.

Surveys of the Victoria's dams show there was no damage after last month's earthquake.

The magnitude 5.9 quake hit about 9.15 am on September 22, with the epicentre between Mansfield and Rawson, which is south of the Thomson Dam in Gippsland, Victoria.

Goulburn-Murray Water is responsible for water storages including Eildon and Dartmouth, which it manages on behalf of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

G-MW water storages services general manager Martina Cusack said the dams were designed to withstand these levels of earthquakes.

“We are doing additional surveillance as a precautionary measure and we are continuing to monitor events,” she said.

WaterNSW said it had completed precautionary dam safety inspections at Hume, Blowering, Burrinjuck and Brogo dams, and Lake Cargelligo.

“No issues or concerns had been identified,” WaterNSW said.

“WaterNSW will continue to monitor and review the situation over coming days.”

Melbourne Water, which is responsible for Thomson Dam, said it had not found any

damage or community risk.

There were no reports of major issues with other important infrastructure such as key rail lines and roads.

Some building damage has emerged in metropolitan Melbourne and areas near Mansfield in Victoria's north-east.

Lynne Myers of High County Apparel in Mansfield said it was a frightening few minutes but there was no damage.

“Everything shook, the roof shook, boots fell off the shelf and I just ran outside,” she said.

Craig Luelf from the All Seasons Mansfield resort said he was outside the town hospital when he felt “waves of the ground moving”.

“At first, I thought the car was having a few issues and then realised all of a sudden that everything was moving,” he said.

“My father's neighbour is at the top of a hill and he could see the waves of the ground moving up the hill.”

In other north east Victorian towns, Beechworth Hospital lost power and the cross at St Patrick's Church in Wangaratta fell down.

The 10 km deep earthquake — the biggest in the state since records began — was felt across Melbourne as well as Canberra, Sydney and Adelaide.

Goulburn-Murray Water says its water storages, including Eildon (pictured), are designed to withstand the level of earthquake experienced on September 22.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 33

Handy hay hints A NEW publication is a useful guide to help Australian producers enjoy a bountiful hay season.

Feed Central’s Tips for a Profitable Hay Season 2021-22 booklet looks at the supply and demand forecast for 2021-22.

The free 32-page publication also covers the benefits of making hay, what types of hay to make, the hay price outlook, what hay buyers really want, what prevents hay from selling, hints and tips for producing quality hay, preparations, the pros and cons of hay versus silage, storage, tips for handling mice and how to interpret feed tests.

This is the seventh year the booklet has been published.

Feed Central general manager Cieran Maxwell said no matter what nature and the markets do, good hay making practices would be crucial, and quality should be the focus of any production management plan.

“There will be a market for quality hay,” he said.

“Storage will be key and producing hay or straw with no shed storage plan risks significant negative financial impacts.

“The standard requirements apply — high density bale weights, consistency in bale shape and size, visual appearance and feed test result.”

Threats for the season include unfavourable curing and baling conditions, lack of shed storage leading to damaged product, mice damage, over-supply of lower quality product to market requirements, large amount of feed on the ground and end user's own production.

There is also uncertainty about COVID-19's disruptive effect on connected markets.

Every year about 10 million tonnes of hay, straw and silage is produced in Australia, with total value about $2 billion. About half is traded, and half retained for on-farm use.

The booklet is available from: www.feedcentral.com.au/tips-for-a-profitable-hay-season/

OPTIONS OPEN FOR HENTY Henty Machinery Field Days has confirmed

booked for the 2021 field days, it was

the annual field days will be held only once

clear a replication of the field days in

in 2022 but the option of an alternative

March followed by our annual event in

event next March remains viable.

September was not the way forward,”

HMFD chief executive officer Belinda Anderson said the field days would run

Mrs Anderson said.

“There were still many exhibitors

on September 20–22 2022 and the HMFD

keen on an event but the nature of their

board was evaluating options for an event

business has the HMFD management

on March 12–13 2022.

looking at a different style of event on

“After surveying the exhibitors

March 12–13 2022."

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The latest edition of Tips for a Profitable Hay Season is out now.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2021

34 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Dealers bulk up parts capacity DEALERS ARE bulking up their spare parts supply as the season shapes up to be a bumper one.

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences has forecast a winter crop of 46.8 million tonnes, to be 13 per cent above the 10-year average to 2020–21 in most cropping regions of the eastern states and South Australia.

John Deere says it has taken steps to more than double its weekly in-flow of spare parts, in addition to taking collection of 110 tonnes of goods that arrived in Melbourne recently on a dedicated Qantas flight, in preparation for a predicted bumper harvest.

John Deere Australia/New Zealand's Luke Chandler said John Deere had secured an ongoing 10 tonnes of cargo capacity a week over recent months that would continue in the lead-up to harvest.

“We know harvest is often the single biggest and most important event on the calendar for broadacre enterprises, and that it is not only critical to the bottom line of farm businesses but also to the consistent and secure flow of highquality food to the world,” Mr Chandler said.

“This is why we have worked to prioritise securing this additional capacity to boost our inflow of stock — to place us on the front foot in resourcing what is on course to, for a number of key growing areas, be another outstanding crop.

“We strive to work collaboratively with industry to lead an efficient, sustainable and profitable farm sector and these types of practical, on-theground initiatives, along with the support provided by our technicians and technologies, are at the very foundation of our commitment to this overarching mission.”

The CNH Industrial team said it had been preparing “for months” for the bumper harvest season, with parts supply in-flow for its Case IH and New Holland machinery maintaining strong levels since February, and providing 17.5 per cent more inventory than at the same time last year.

“Very early in the year, we could see the season was going to be one of the biggest in many years,” CNH Industrial's Yavuz Sikca said.

“Machine up-time is a key focus for us and with concerns surrounding limited supply and shipping delays due to the ongoing pandemic, it was critical for us to get in front of the game.”

Mr Sikca said CNH Industrial began increasing the local parts supply in February and since then the Western Sydney-based depot had increased stock levels by almost 13 per cent since the beginning of 2021, focusing on combine and high horsepower tractor parts.

“Speed to farm is critical during harvest and this will be the second year operating our dealer hub program,” he said.

“Building the stock inventory in the master depot was the first step.

Dealers are bulking up their spare parts supply.

“Over the past few weeks, we have shipped more than $4 million worth of critical harvest parts to 24 strategic dealer locations across the country. Parts can be delivered to farms in hours and machinery up-time maximised.”

Mr Sikca said to ensure coverage was maintained, more than 100 cubic metres of parts on average was being air-freighted each week, and additional charter flights were being co‑ordinated for a final top-up of parts in preparation for the

harvest season.

The 2020 harvest was the first year CNH Industrial operated the dealer hub, a program that moves parts from the national distribution centre to strategic dealer locations to increase support during harvest.

For farmers it means that if they need a part urgently, surrounding dealers can draw on this centralised supply to ensure the fastest possible response.

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