Missing Opportunities

WORDS // RICK BAYNE

JERSEY farmers not seriously looking at the beef-on-dairy market risk being left behind, according to a leading player in the supply chain.

However, Cameron Renshaw from Calf Link says farmers need to do it right to make sure they don’t encounter the same problems that have beset overseas markets.

Cameron says the economics, demand from consumers and animal welfare issues will force dairy farmers to look at beef options.

“I’m confident that the product can find a market if done correctly,” he said. “Anybody running a dairy operation that hasn’t had a mature conversation around a beef-on-dairy program has fallen behind.”

Calf Link is working in the supply chain of product development for beefon-dairy programs. “We see that a bottle-neck for the industry to address terminal-cross calves on any scale is the ability to rear the calf from a week of age to the point that it is suitable for backgrounders and feed-lotters,” Cameron said.

The commercial calf rearing service is offered in NSW, Victoria and South Australia from a base at Elmore in central Victoria that can handle up to 5500 head each year, with potential to add new sites as the industry grows.

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It developed out of Heifer Link, a heifer agistment operation.

“We were seeing there was a lot of wastage for our clients with nonreplacement animals and in around 2016 we started the change to just using angus mop-up bulls,” Cameron said.

With two investors, Cameron put together the Calf Link model.

“We felt there needed to be a commercial solution to calf rearing. We hadn’t really seen that successfully done in Australia on a large scale.”

Cameron has little doubt that beefon-dairy will grow.

“The economics behind it will force the industry to make these decisions,” he said.

“If the economics don’t force the industry to make the decision, consumers will.

What we’ve seen globally, just about every major western market has a very active and strong beef-on-dairy program to address consumer sentiment and the economics and profitability of dairy operations, particularly with how much heifer inventory you carry at any one time.

“There’s revenue there but also reproduction benefits in reducing days open, getting problem cows in calf and not continuing poor quality family traits into the next generation.”

Cameron says Australia has yet to fully see the impact of changing consumer sentiment.

“When it gets to animal welfare, people in the industry know there’s a major problem with how bobby calves are handled, and consumer sentiment will continue to push for something to be done about that.”

Cameron adds that Jersey farmers have additional challenges because of the size of the cows.

“Because she’s a smaller framed animal, she produces a smaller framed carcass.

When that beef cross animal gets to the end of the beef supply chain, it’s not economically viable to have a small carcass yield so there are economic limitations around Jerseys.

“The Jersey industry needs to be very careful which sires it is putting into the herd for the beef supply chain to make sure it’s sustainable, but I still see an opportunity for Jersey farmers if they use the right genetics, feeding program and management.

“It has been done successfully in other markets around the world. It can be done here but it has to be within a tight set of parameters.”

Cameron says this year’s favourable conditions and push to re-stock herds shouldn’t hinder future plans to consider beef options.

“The long-term sustainability of the industry is not going to be providing animals into the re-stocker market, it is very much going to a terminal-cross animal into the beef supply chain,” he said.

“We see a variety of opportunities in farmers value adding to their bottomend calves, to their reproduction management and to how they are perceived in the industry; there’s a huge opportunity to add to animal welfare practices.”

There’s a reluctance among some farmers to consider the change, but Cameron says every farmer should educate themselves on where the industry is moving and what has to happen to make this sustainable.

“You need to be mindful of the next person in the supply chain and all the way up to the consumer. We have Jersey herds supplying calves with selected semen and they’re a good quality animal with good growth rates.

“What I’m concerned about is that putting incorrect semen into the Jersey herd will produce a poorer quality animal.

“When the season changes and beef prices come off, trying to place that animal anywhere is going to be challenging and it will mean we haven’t fixed the bobby calf problem; we’ve just changed the breed.”

Cameron says Australia can learn from overseas markets. “In the US and UK, the start of adopting beef-on-dairy meant everybody selling semen was scurrying to sell whatever semen they could without actually knowing about the calf’s outcome.

“When the calves hit the ground, it was hard for some farmers to find a market for that calf. I can already see the Jersey sector making the mistake of putting incorrect genetics into their beef programs.

“They need to talk to people in this space and align their breeding with a long-term sustainable market.

“Today in Australia we’re not too far in to a beef-on-dairy program, we have the luxury of learning from the mistakes they made.”

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Leongatha Show 1954

International Dairy Week 2007

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CENTRAL GIPPSLAND 59th Jersey Fair

On Tuesday 30th of March, a beautiful Autumn day greeted a big crowd of onlookers in attendance to watch the 59th Annual Central Gippsland Jersey Fair unfold.

Over 100 entries were received for the show from exhibitors coming from all corners of Victoria to attend. These numbers exceeded levels we have had at the show for some 25 years with the quality of cattle exhibited exceeded any show we have held before. As a club, we could not be happier with the result.

Our Judge for the day Pat Nicholson of Jugiong Jerseys, Girgarre showed why he is regarded as one of the very best judges in the country.

A big thank you must go to our organising committee on another job well done and to our valuable sponsors who continue to support our show year after year.

WINDY WAYS GALAXIES DAWN 7 1ST 5YR OLD, BEST UDDER OF SHOW, SENIOR & SUPREME CHAMPION Owned by Frank Walsh & Cherrylock Cattle Co

BROOKBORA VALENTINO SWEETELFA 1ST JNR 3YR OLD, CHAMPION TYPE & PRODUCTION COW AND INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION Owned by Robert & Sandra Bacon

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~ VALE ~ Carole Swindlehurst

Carole was like a breath of fresh air to have around our club and we will miss the smile she would greet us with at our CGJBC outings. Carole’s whole life revolved around the Jersey cow and her Speedwell Jersey cattle. It was great to see her cow Jimann Valentino Maisy shown at our Jersey Fair in her honour placing 2nd Snr 3yo and Hon Mention Intermediate Champion. Rest In Peace Carole.

USDA Genomic Type Linear 04/21

JPI: 68 PTAT: 1.2 JUI: 7.3 No. Dtrs: G No. Herds: G Rel% 76

Linear Stature Strength Dairy Form Thurl Width Rear Legs-Side Foot Angle Fore Udder Att. Rear Udder Att. H Rear Udder Att. W Udder Cleft Udder Depth Front Teat Place. Rear Teat Place. Teat Length

-2 0 2

1.6 0.4 1.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.1 1.1 -0.1 0.4 0.8 1.2 -0.1 0

US GENOMIC APRIL 2021

Milk Prot Fat Type Udder Prod Life +182 lbs 20 lbs

0.06% 29 lbs 0.09%

+1.20 +7.3 +3.8

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