Dairy Direct June 2014

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Country News PUBLICATION

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Issue 12, June 2014

Getting value out of nitrogen use

» page 33

Dookie dairy goes robotic

» page 12

MILY FARM FA

Dry cow treatment warning

» page 8

Gearing up for higher production » page 22

RTANT

WHAT IS MORE IMPO

UOTES CHEAP OQ R

Cover: Mark Barker and Sopie Hutchins Picture: Geoff Adams

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Writers Cathy Walker Laura Griffin Sophie Bruns

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JUNE 2014

Photographers Ray Sizer Simon Bingham Julie Mercer Bianca Mibus Graphic designers Teresa Lagozzino Brendan Cain Riverine Herald production team

Sales manager Jamie Gilbert jamie.gilbert@countrynews. com.au Published by Country News PO Box 204, Shepparton, Victoria 3632 (03) 5831 2312 www.countrynews.com.au A Country News publication

Country News Reaching Australia’s richest agricultural region

P TY L T

Good Honest Service

2

Editor Geoff Adams editor@countrynews.com.au

Supported by:

Dairy Direct Is it me or does there seem to be a few more dollars being spent by some of our milk processors lately?

Bega is dropping $25 million into the supply pot with a couple of incentive programs designed to get more milk and Murray Goulburn is investing heavily in its Cobram factory with an eye on the Asian market.

It may be a moot point as to exactly which internal basket the money has come from, so it may be only co-incidence that both were unsuccessful suitors for Warrnambool Cheese and Butter and were left with highly valued shares to sell at the end of the bidding war.

Wherever the money came from, and whether it was earmarked earlier, it’s doing us in the north no harm, so all we can say is keep the flow coming and don’t forget the milk price.

Meanwhile, this month’s Dairy Direct carries a story about the new Pactum Dairy Group factory in Shepparton and how this might impact milk producers.

Geoff Adams Country News editor

contents

Invest or risk falling behind What an amazing start to the season.

During the 30 years I have been in the region, this would be only about the third effective autumn break — the last one going back into the mid-nineties.

Let’s hope weather forecasters have it wrong again and the good start continues on through winter and into spring.

With the Menindee Lakes unlikely to contribute water supply to South Australia, South Australian water will need to come from Hume and Dartmouth. Having Hume refill will be critical to seeing good volumes of water available for the 2014-15 season and may see the Barmah choke trade restrictions reintroduced.

The recent Murray Goulburn $127 million announcement brings more than $74 million to the Cobram factory, and Bega has also announced $25 million to support sustainability and milk growth programs for suppliers.

These announcements come as Fonterra is nearing completion of its $6 million Stanhope investment with commercial production of ricotta cheese only weeks away.

At the opening of the new $40 million Pactum Dairy Factory in Shepparton, Deputy Premier Peter Ryan acknowledged the competitive strengths of the region for dairy farming.

Ongoing investment, whether it is on-farm or in the processing and service sector, adds to the underlying value of dairy in the region. If you are not investing and keeping up-to-date, you are falling behind.

Farmers will want to see companies being stronger and more viable and also returns coming back into farmers’ pockets, particularly as Murray Goulburn is a co-operative.

It’s pleasing to see the reopening of the Dookie dairy. Murray Dairy is keen to

Doing Dairy

4

Dairy news

4–6

Animal health vet column

8

support the new facility with the robotic dairy and automated irrigation system because the complex will give the industry an insight into what’s possible with these technologies.

While days are getting shorter and cooler this shouldn’t be a time to hibernate.

There are a number of opportunities for farmers across the region to take part in dairy industry events and workshops.

As the Katandra West Focus Farm draws to a close, three new Focus Farms have recently begun with a fourth in the Riverina to begin next month.

The Focus Farms project helps farmers better understand their farm business systems and analyse the impact of on-farm development and decisionmaking options, including risk management on-farm.

Murray Dairy recently began bi-monthly lunchtime sessions, giving farmers the opportunity to hear about research and innovation first-hand. Held in Tatura on the second Tuesday of alternate months, the next in the series will be on Tuesday, July 8.

It has been great to see the Young Dairy Network take off with many future leaders getting involved and driving their peers. The network will be hosting a study tour in mid-July across the northern irrigation region with expressions of interest being sought by the end of June.

The focus on extension remains strong and farmers can use the Regional Network Groups to have a say and to keep up-to-date with what is happening in the region.

See the difference with dairy

10

Automatic but not instantaneous

12

Pasture allocation could be the key to milking more cows with robots

13

Less watts makes cents

16

High-tech help

47

Malcolm Holm Murray Dairy chairman

Calendar of events

47

Black, white and red this winter in Bendigo 18 Individual calf-rearing proves worth the effort 20 No time like the present

22

Breed change fits management style

24

Summit identifies priorities for long-term profitability 26 Production gains to be rewarded

28

New dairy management tool

29

Looking beyond the farm gate

30

Getting the balance right

32

Questioning the value of nitrogen use

33

Discovering the benefits of automation

34

Don’t be in shade about the benefits of trees 35 Sights on China

36

Delivering clean colostrum

38

Plan now to fill feed gaps

40

Weather warning

42

Opportunity to gain a global perspective

44

Training relief milkers

45

Profit-focused approach to farm consulting 45

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3

Doing Dairy

Sophie Bruns is a dairy farmer from Gunbower with a husband, two daughters and a mortgage.

with SOPHIE BRUNS

Always running around Chasing calves, training for a run, playing footy. This family passes the active test with flying colours, but the dog isn’t pulling his weight with the chores Autumn is always a busy time for us.

Calving cows, seed to sow and let’s not forget the football season that is consuming my youngest daughter and my husband, who has taken on the role of selector this year.

We have had a few hairy moments pulling calves (of course) just before we dash off to the early morning netball games but it is amazing how fast you can move when you are under pressure. It seems from the moment the alarm goes off on a Saturday morning we hit the ground running and by the time Saturday night rolls around exhaustion has set in and the couch is calling. Thank goodness for the Sunday sleep-in and a chance to recharge the weary body.

I have set myself a bit of a personal goal this year to take part in a 10 km run in July (which has significantly contributed to my weary body state) and if this goes well

I might tackle something a bit further. It is pretty hard to fit in training sometimes but I guess you can always improvise by chasing that elusive cow and calf around the paddock when they fail to work out that the gate that is wide open in front of them is actually for them to walk through.

Some things never change or get any less frustrating, that’s for sure.

Our calving has been pretty good this year, although the same can’t be said for our heifer ratio. This year would have to be one of the worst we have ever experienced in our 20-year history: we just had bull after bull and I reckon at one stage we had 15 bull calves in a row. A lot of wasted money and genetics down the drain this season; hopefully we can make up for it in spring and the way this year is motoring past that will be here before we know it too.

This past week our cows have been dining out on lush green sub on the block we

started leasing this year, and what a relief that has been. It is so much easier to let them into the paddock and shut the gate although the same can’t be said for getting them up at night. The fencing is a tad dodgy and they have found their way into the wrong paddock quite a few times already.

Toby the wonder dog is no wonder at all (or help, really) and I kick myself every time I go over there that I haven’t put him on the chain. I usually end up with a headache and a hoarse throat from chasing the dog instead of the cows.

As I write this we have been experiencing rather balmy 25º C days that pose the next inevitable question: should we irrigate or not? The weather channel runs 24 hours a day as we hope and pray for just the right amount of rain on the horizon to take some of the worry away and keep us smiling as we head into winter.

dairy news

Dairy opportunities lost Japanese FTA disappoints industry The Japanese Free Trade agreement has been universally panned by dairy industry leaders, leaving the Federal Government ministers to defend it as an improvement on the past.

UDV president Tyran Jones said the Victorian industry had been ignored by the Federal Government in negotiating a free trade agreement with Japan.

He said the UDV was extremely disappointed at the lost opportunity to secure a better trade deal with Japan.

Federal Member for Murray Sharman Stone also expressed disappointment with the outcome for dairy farmers.

Mr Jones said he understood that all farmers would get out of this FTA was a few million dollars of tariff relief at best. ‘‘Japan is a huge market for us, with 130 000 tonnes of Australian dairy produce hitting 4

JUNE 2014

their shores each year. We deserve a better deal. ‘‘The FTA has cut tariffs on Japanese car imports, which will save Australian buyers about $1500 on a new Japanese car. But what have we got in return for dairy? ‘‘The US and European Union are set to swamp the global marketplace with subsidised dairy products, making it even harder for Australia to compete on a level playing field.’’

The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has expressed its extreme disappointment about the outcome.

Japan is the single most important market for the Australian dairy industry, with $511 million in exports in 2012-13.

“Under the terms of the agreement, the Australian dairy industry will save

just $4.7 million in the first year of its implementation, rising to an estimated $11.6 million by 2031, out of a total export market of $511 million,’’ ADIC deputy chair Robert Poole said.

“We were hopeful government had heeded the industry’s message in regards to freeing up market access in Japan, however it now appears our words fell upon deaf ears.’’

The Victorian Government said it would have liked to have seen greater reductions on tariffs for some dairy products, including cheese, but it acknowledged the increase of the duty-free cheese quota from 27 000 tonnes to 47 000 tonnes as well as immediate duty-free access for milk products such as protein concentrates and casein.

dairy news Graeme Gillan to head Holstein Australia

Graeme Gillan

Your grass production and stockfeed optimisation specialists

Industry knowledge a good fit for new position Graeme Gillan has been appointed chief executive officer of Holstein Australia.

Holstein Australia president Ron Chittick said Mr Gillan brought a vast knowledge of the Australian dairy industry to the association, from a career of direct involvement at executive management level within the herd improvement industry.

“Graeme is the ideal fit for Holstein Australia. He has the skills and experience to help us address the rapidly changing

dairy herd improvement landscape and to take up new opportunities that can be a significant benefit to our members’ dairy businesses,” Mr Chittick said.

“Graeme is well known at all levels of the Australian dairy industry and will be known to many of our members. We look forward to him joining the team.”

Mr Gillan said he was excited to join the team which serviced the largest breed association in Australia.

Farmgate price step-up Murray Goulburn Co-operative has announced a fifth step-up in the farmgate price for the 201314 season of $0.09/kg butterfat and $0.19/kg protein.

The April step-up takes MG’s weighted average available price to $6.66/kg milk solids.

MG has also revised upward the forecast for the full year from its current price of $6.66 up to $6.85/kg milk solids.

Managing director Gary Helou said external factors including fluctuating international commodity prices and currency movements may result in a final price that was higher or lower than this forecast.

He said this was the fifth step-up this financial year and would

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deliver an extra $31million to MG dairy farmers to support business cashflow. ‘‘Global prices for dairy ingredients have decreased from their record highs in the past two months,’’ Mr Helou told suppliers.

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‘‘The Australian dollar has also seen some recent strength but remains lower than the same time last year when it was well above parity with the US dollar. ‘‘As we look towards the 2014-15 season, these market movements will influence our farmgate price.’’

However, as the current year’s production was now largely sold, their impact on the current season price was limited, he said.

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JUNE 2014

5

dairy news

Cheese facility to grow at Cobram

Murray Goulburn will spend $74 million to expand the Cobram factory’s cheese cut and wrap facility.

The announcement was part of a $127 million investment at three of the co-operative’s sites.

Managing director Gary Helou said the projects included: • A $90 million investment at Cobram to serve Australian and Asian consumer and food service markets.and to increase production of nutritionals for infants.

• A $14 million investment at Edith Creek to install and commission a flexible small format cup and bottle filling line to commercialise a range of dairy beverage products for consumer markets in Australia and Asia.

The Cobram upgrade will replace the current cut and wrap line and create larger capacity.

Improved energy infrastructure would be required at Cobram but the company hoped work would begin in the coming months.

Murray Goulburn would rely on existing milk supply for Cobram, but the company said its objective was to increase the farmgate milk price and grow the Australian dairy industry.

Murray Dairy chairman Malcolm Holm said it was good to see a whole range of processors investing in plant and technology, with the Murray Goulburn announcement and the official opening of the new Pactum Dairy Factory last week. ‘‘The investment in Cobram adds to that underlying value of dairy in the region,’’ Mr Holm said. ‘‘You can see that, whether onfarm investment or processing and service sector. ‘‘I think farmers will be wanting to see the companies being stronger and viable and also importantly the returns coming back into farmers’ pockets, particularly as Murray Goulburn is a co-operative.”

ADF calls for supermarket ombudsman The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has instituted proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia against Coles Supermarkets alleging Coles engaged in ‘‘unconscionable conduct’’ against some suppliers.

The ACCC alleges that in 2011, Coles developed a strategy to improve its earnings by obtaining better trading terms from its suppliers. ‘‘It is alleged that one of the ways Coles sought to improve its earnings was through the introduction of ongoing rebates to be paid by its suppliers in connection with the Coles ARC program, based on purported benefits to large and small suppliers that Coles asserted had resulted from changes Coles had made to its supply chain,’’ the ACCC claimed.

The commissioned alleged Coles’ target was to obtain $16 million in ARC rebates from smaller suppliers.

Coles has replied that the ACCC legal action concerned a detailed supply chain program implemented by the supermarket giant more than two years ago as a part of its strategy to develop a more efficient and internationally competitive supply chain.

In a statement Coles said: ‘‘The project involved improvements to both supply chain collaboration and efficiencies in logistics.

“It was designed to deliver benefits to Coles, suppliers and customers

through lowering costs and improving availability of stock in our stores. ‘‘Coles will vigorously defend the allegations made against it by the ACCC.’’ Australian Dairy Farmers president Noel Campbell said the ACCC would allege Coles had engaged in unconscionable conduct towards 200 of its smaller suppliers in breach of the Australian Consumer Law. ‘‘ADF welcomes the ACCC’s decision to take Coles to the Federal Court of Australia for using undue pressure and unfair tactics in negotiating with suppliers,’’ Mr Campbell said. ‘‘Coles’ alleged behaviour towards suppliers includes providing misleading information and taking advantage of its superior bargaining position. ‘‘We very much look forward to the result of the court case, given ADF’s strong track record of advocacy to the ACCC since the introduction of the $1 per litre retail milk price,” Mr Campbell said. ‘‘This latest action by the ACCC once again highlights the need for a mandatory code of conduct, including the establishment of an independent supermarket ombudsman with penalties to balance the excessive power of the major retailers.’’

Milk pricing structure to be overhauled Fonterra Australia has announced a move towards a simpler milk pricing structure.

Multiple seasonal tables will be reduced to one, the growth incentive will disappear and the money moved into the base price, and the seasonal ratio payment will be removed.

The SRP was originally introduced in 2008 to reward farmers who supplied milk outside the spring peak.

Fonterra Australia managing director Judith Swales said they were responding to calls from farmers and the industry for a simpler milk price system for farm profitability and easier decision-making on-farm. ‘‘We listened to that feedback and agreed we 6

JUNE 2014

needed to actually do something to lead the industry forward,’’ Ms Swales said. ‘‘The new system is simpler, fairer, equitable, and more transparent. It will reduce the range of prices paid to farmers against the average and will help them understand the impact milk price and incentives have on their farm businesses so they can make more informed decisions on-farm.’’

Production payments will remain according to their current terms and the overall milk pool will stay the same, with additional investment being made into growth and cash flow.

Bonlac Supply Company chairman Tony

Marwood said the new system would make it easier for farmers to understand their milk price and would assist them in making informed decisions.

The company used independent farm consultant John Mulvany to develop the new approach. ‘‘My research confirmed that complexity in milk pricing doesn’t support good, profitable decision-making on-farm,’’ Mr Mulvaney said. ‘‘Some farmers confuse a high cost of production with out-of-season milk, but some farmers simply produce milk at much lower costs than others.’’

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animal health

A regular column from Rochester Vet Practice

Dry cow treatment

— Don’t risk further infection

Most farms must deal with higher numbers of mastitis cases, most likely due to environmental bacteria, as a result of higher stocking rates, use of feed pads and congregation under shade trees Teats must be clean and sterilised when starting with dry cow treatment.

Contagious mastitis can still be an issue in any shed no matter how new or old it is. Any mastitis control program should involve a dry-cow strategy. Drying-off cows is probably high on everybody’s list of least favourite jobs on the dairy farm, so why does it need to be done at all and what is the best way to get the most benefit from the procedure? To answer the question we must consider what actually happens to the mammary gland during the dry period.

Remove and regenerate Once a cow stops milking, the udder is first sealed by the development of a keratin plug in the teat canal, then the body actually removes all the milk-producing tissue. After it has all been resorbed new secretory tissue is laid down for the next lactation, so effectively 8

JUNE 2014

the cow has regenerated all the glandular tissue. This process takes about eight weeks; therefore this should be the minimum dry period.

This is the body’s way of eliminating existing infections and is the best opportunity to remove chronic, deep-seated infections such as Staph. aureus. To improve the natural cure rate, we can apply a dose of long-acting antibiotic into each quarter after the last milking.

What does dry cow treatment achieve?

Dry cow treatment (DCT) achieves a number of goals. Firstly, DCT promotes early formation of the keratin plug, which seals off the teat canal. Secondly, the antibiotic is present in sufficient quantity and for a long enough time to have maximum effect on existing infections and help to prevent

infections occurring early in the dry period.

And thirdly, depending on the duration of activity of the product being used, it can help to reduce the chance of new infections around calving time.

Which product?

The choice of product to use will depend on a number of factors: • type of antibiotic; • antibiotic or non-antibiotic; • duration of activity; • farm history of bacteria (from cultures); • expected cure rates; • withholding periods; and • cost.

Discuss the available options with a vet to help choose the right product for your situation.

How to apply The importance of applying DCT correctly

cannot be overstressed. If not done correctly, there is the potential of actually introducing infection at the time of dryingoff. Unfortunately the bugs that may be introduced are often not susceptible to the antibiotics in dry cow intramammaries and so can cause life-threatening mastitis. It is therefore imperative to use sterile techniques for administering DCT to prevent infection.

This means teats must be cleaned of visible dirt and sterilised using 70 per cent alcohol swabs or prepared teat wipes. Front teats should be cleaned before back ones to reduce the risk of contaminating the back teats with your arms. The intrammary preparation should then be applied to the back quarters followed by the front.

At no time should the nozzle of the intramammary touch any surface other than the teat canal and if a tube is dropped it should be discarded.

Once the antibiotic has been applied the teat should be thoroughly sprayed, or preferably dipped, with freshly mixed teat disinfectant.

The cow’s identity should be noted, the cow marked clearly and all treatment details

recorded including minimum dry period.

When using the non-antibiotic preparations Teatseal or Sureseal, use strict hygiene because any infection introduced will be trapped in the udder without any antibiotic present.

Recent studies have demonstrated a cost benefit to using antibiotic dry cow treatment in combination with a teat sealant. Not only is the existing infection treated but the udder is also protected from bacteria entering the teat during the dry period and the risk of cows dripping milk prior to calving is reduced.

However this procedure means inserting a nozzle into each teat twice so there is an increased chance of introduced infection.

Therefore, sterilising the teats between the use of each product is advised. Once teat seal is applied, do not massage the teat because the product is designed to stay in the teat canal and sinus.

To maximise hygiene, gloves should be worn and having an assistant apply a tail jack on the cow being treated is essential. If the job is done properly one person should

be able to treat no more than 20 cows an hour, therefore extra help is vital where large numbers are being treated.

For DCT to be most effective, the cow should be giving no more than 12 litres/day at drying-off. Plan ahead to get high-yielding cows down by reducing their feed intake, cutting out concentrates and changing routines over a 10 to 14-day period. At no time should water be withheld because this causes enormous stress to the animal and can lead to serious disease problems.

A detailed summary on the correct way to give intramammary treatments is in the Countdown Downunder Farm Guidelines Appendix B (or Fact Sheet B if you have the new revised guidelines).

When done properly, dry cow therapy is a cost-effective tool to help keep BMCC down and with milk prices being high there is added incentive to maximise each cow’s lactation and minimise the chance of costly cases of mastitis.

— Keith Fletcher

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9

See the difference

with dairy A study shows people who eat more dairy maintain better eye health in older age

Dairy products can help prevent muscular degeneration of the eye.

Centre for Vision Research longitudinal building bone density, various studies over three-quarter serves of dairy a day,” research lead Bamini Gopinath said. study shows milk, cheese and yogurt are the past decade have revealed its benefits to linked to prevention of age-related macular overall health.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is degeneration. a progressive, chronic disease of the central “The Australian Government’s National retina and is the leading cause of vision loss Dairy foods may prevent a common eye Health and Medical Research Council in older people worldwide. disease that causes blindness, new Australian recognises that milk, cheese and yogurt can research to be published in the May edition help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, AMD can be “early’’ and “dry’’, when it thins of the British Journal of Nutrition shows. and dries the macula, or “late’’ and “wet’’, when high blood pressure and some cancers, and may reduce our risk of Type 2 diabetes,” said it leaks fluid and blood into the eye.

The Blue Mountains Eye Study by the Dairy Australia dietitian Amber Beaumont.

University of Sydney’s and Westmead Late AMD can lead to sudden and Millennium Institute’s Centre for Vision The NHMRC Australian Dietary Guidelines significant changes in vision.

Research monitored the eye health and recommend two-and-a-half serves a day It is unclear which of the 10 essential nutrition of more than 3500 Australians over nutrients found in dairy is responsible for from the dairy food group for most adults. a 15-year period.

This increases to four serves for women over the protection against late AMD. 50 and to three-and-a-half for men over 70 The study assessed the relationship between “Dairy foods contain a host of essential years of age. consumption of regular and reduced fat milk, nutrients including calcium, magnesium, cheese and yogurt and age-related macular Around eight in 10 Australian adults are vitamin B12, vitamin D and proteins. Plus, degeneration (AMD). missing out on these health benefits as they have a range of healthy fatty acids, and they’re not meeting the recommended intake anti-inflammatory properties as well.

It “We found that over a 15-year period people for the dairy food group. could be any one of these components or who consumed less than one serve of dairy a a combination of many that helps protect day had a higher risk of developing late ageOne serve of dairy is: 1 glass (250 ml) of against late AMD,” Dr Gopinath said. related macular degeneration compared to milk or 3/4 cup (200 g) of yogurt or two While dairy foods have long been known for people who consumed more than two-andslices (40 g) of cheese.

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Automatic but not instantaneous Cows take their time to become accustomed to new robotic dairy Cows are lined up ready to ‘‘volunteer’’ their milk.

Cows entering and exiting the dairy use the same laneway with an electronic drafter to open the ‘‘in’’ or ‘‘out’’ gates.

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“

“

The computer screen is a goldmine of real-time information.

University of Melbourne’s state- The facility also generates energy from a 30 kW solar panel system. of-the-art dairy at its Dookie Campus officially opened on ‘‘Everyone is very excited to see the facility operating,’’ Mr May 23.

O’Connor said.

Facility manager Bill O’Connor said the robotic dairy had been in Lecturer and researcher in grazing systems Brendan Cullen use for several weeks beforehand said: ‘‘The dairy will be used in while cows in the university teaching and research focusing herd gradually learned their way on integration of robotic milking around the system. into farm systems of northern As Mr O’Connor explained, Victoria and southern NSW.’’ opening the dairy was not as simple as turning on the power.

Because the milking in the Lely robotic system is ‘‘voluntary’’, cows must become accustomed The dairy will be to walking up to be milked as opposed to being brought up used in teaching and twice a day by the dairy staff. research focusing ‘‘The system records everything: right down to the shape of on integration of the cow’s udder to make sure robotic milking into the cups fit her correctly,’’ Mr O’Connor said. farm systems ...

The new robotic dairy features Brendan Cullen a state-of-the-art cow health monitoring system and In April, agricultural science at sophisticated measurement of Dookie was moved into a new milk parameters.

Words: Cathy Walker Pictures: Bianca Mibus

The computerised system recognises each cow by the electronic tag in the neck collar.

The computer also monitors the individual cow’s ration when she eats in the bail.

Prof Hinchcliff said the Dookie robotic dairy heralded a new era of local collaborations with the dairy industry. ‘‘It offers important advances in our teaching of agriculture and veterinary science students, and welcome opportunities in research and research training to benefit the dairy industry.’’

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Geoff Wilhelms checks the computer in the new University of Melbourne’s dairy at its Dookie campus.

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The third year of the University of Melbourne’s Bachelor of Agriculture continues to be taught at Dookie and the university has applied to the Federal Government to double its student intake to 200 a year.

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Pasture allocation

could be the key to milking more cows with robots Clever pasture allocation strategies could increase the capacity of milking robots in Australia’s grazing-based systems, recent research conducted by FutureDairy postgraduate student Alex John suggested.

His findings suggest some farmers may be able to milk an extra 10 cows per robot by changing the amount of feed offered in the early evening.

In Australia’s grazing-based systems, the capacity of milking robots depends largely on milk production levels and the number of times cows are milked each day.

FutureDairy project leader Associate Professor Kendra Kerrisk said a key to getting the most out of capital investment in milking robots was to minimise the amount of time the robots were idle.

Most of Australia’s grazing-based automatic milking systems (AMS) operate with voluntary cow movement: the cows move by themselves from the paddock to the dairy Clever pasture allocation strategies could hold the key to milking more cows and around the farm. Grazing cows tend per robot in a grazing-based automatic milking system. Picture: Lely to be less active after midnight, so robots are often idle during the early hours of the morning.

“High robot utilisation is achieved when in a commercial, pasture-based automatic “We know that better cow movement is milkings are relatively evenly distributed achieved by offering cows three allocations milking system. throughout the 24 hours of a day,” Assoc of pasture a day rather than two which is Prof Kerrisk said. typical of a conventional milking system.”

“Voluntary cow movement has a strong Mr John studied two commercial dairy We know that better cow influence on robot utilisation. We want farms with consistently good voluntary cow to encourage cows to leave their paddock movement. movement is achieved regularly throughout the day and night so “On most AMS farms, cows receive about the by offering cows three that they have the opportunity to be milked.” same amount of feed at each allocation but allocations of pasture a day both of these farmers offered less during the evening,’’ Mr John said. rather than two which is We want to encourage “One of the farms achieved more evenly typical of a conventional cows to leave their paddock distributed milkings, which meant better milking system. robot utilisation and less time spent fetching regularly throughout the cows.’’

Associate Professor Kendra Kerrisk day and night so that they In addition to the labour saved in fetching cows, Mr John said the results suggested have the opportunity to be For more information contact FutureDairy: that this system may enable AMS farmers to milked.

Associate Professor Kendra Kerrisk, milk more cows per robot, achieving a better return on investment in milking equipment. telephone 0428 101 372 or email

Associate Professor Kendra Kerrisk While further research is needed to develop kendra.kerrisk@sydney.edu.au practical recommendations, this study is the • FutureDairy’s major sponsors are Dairy “Feed is the primary motivator used to first evidence of being able to achieve an Australia, DPI NSW, DeLaval and the encourage voluntary cow movement and this evenly distributed milking pattern over a 24hour period with a reduced need for fetching University of Sydney. is why pasture allocation is critical.

“

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JUNE 2014

15

Less watts makes cents Simple changes can help you reduce your power consumption and save money

The dairy shed consumes a large percentage of energy on dairy farms.

Energy retailers are probably keeping you busy and confused with their constantly changing price structures and supply contracts. Generally the price of electricity is increasing, so this is a timely reminder that there are simple modifications you can make in the dairy shed to reduce your electricity consumption.

Where is most of the electricity consumed at the dairy?

About 40 per cent of an average dairy farm’s daily electricity is used for heating water — this is the biggest user of power at the shed.

On average, cooling milk from around 35° C to 4° C accounts for 30 per cent of a dairy’s daily energy use.

How can I reduce my power bill?

Take up the current offer of a free dairy shed energy assessment.

An industry-approved assessor will calculate your dairy’s current energy demand and provide a concise list of recommendations to use energy in the smartest, most efficient and cost-effective way. Personalised energy assessment recommendations could include: • changes to management practices; • optimisation of current equipment; and • new capital investment of more efficient equipment.

Dairy farmers are under time pressure at the best of times and don’t have the luxury, or often the resources and information, to find the best way to save money by improving their energy use, so this will definitely provide the help they need.

Tips for reducing electricity consumption at the dairy: Concentrate your efforts on the areas of largest energy use — heating water and cooling milk typically account for 60 to 70 per cent of the energy used in the dairy shed.

Use heat recovery systems — heat removed from the milk can pre-heat water to about 30° C before entering the hot water service.

Many plate coolers are not working as effectively as they could be. Checking the performance of your own plate cooler is simple and fixing any problems usually offers significant savings.

Check hot water systems — it is common to find them set at the wrong temperature, or filling and/or heating at the wrong time of the day.

Review your plant rinse strategy — using warm water for the first rinse maximises cleaning and minimises temperature drop in

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the following hot cycle.

Attend to maintenance — insulate pipes, clean condenser fins, fix drips — because the little things make a difference.

The ‘Smarter energy use on Australian dairy farms’ project In 2012 Dairy Australia acquired $1million in Australian Government funding as part of the Department of Industry’s Energy Efficiency Information Grants Program, to deliver the Smarter energy use on Australian dairy farms project on 900 dairy farms. There are about 40 places left to complete round one of the Murray Dairy region energy assessments by June 2014. There is funding for a further 100 assessments between June 2014 and June 2015 across the Murray Dairy region.

To register for a free dairy shed energy assessment phone Geraldine Perkins at Murray Dairy on 5833 5312 or 0409 577 317.

Murray Dairy will email/fax a copy of the project’s Expression of Interest form, which requires some basic dairy details to be provided, and copies of electricity bills from the previous 12 months to assist the assessor prior to the farm visit.

— Mick O’Keefe, DEPI Rutherglen

Connections Project

The Connections Project is a “once-in-a-lifetime’’ opportunity to modernise, upgrade and improve the efficiency of the irrigation network in Northern Victoria.

Delivery is more efficient, more consistent and available at larger flow rates – all of which supports some of Australia’s most innovative farmers to leverage smarter on-farm irrigation systems and technology.

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@GMWaterNews Connecting our family “Since connecting to the backbone, George and Sophia Wells’ new Connections pipeline has improved their water efficiency while allowing them to spend more time together as a family. “It used to take me 14 days to irrigate 270 acres, now I can do it in 6 days. And I get to go to Little Athletics with the girls every weekend now” George & Sofia Wells, Strathmerton

Connecting our business The Connections Project replaced Shane and Jacqui Verley’s irrigation system of traditional water wheels with one outlet. “We can water more country and we do it a lot quicker... 40 acres of Lucerne in one day” Shane & Jacqui Verley, Boort JUNE 2014

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Black, white and red this winter in Bendigo The arena at the Bendigo Exhibition Centre will be a hive of activity on July 2 to 4 when the winter fair comes to town.

US judge a coup for new Holstein Winter Fair

Mike Deaver from Sherona-Hill Holsteins in Wisconsin, US, is acknowledged as one of the best judges in the world and will judge the show ring at the Winter Fair.

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JUNE 2014

The addition of a new Holstein introduce other breeds to the arena.” feature show in July will provide a While the format remains largely the great opportunity for breeders to same as other shows, the addition of a few different classes and the showcase their cattle at the winter deletion of others gives the fair a fair to be held at Bendigo’s Price of unique twist.

Wales Showgrounds on from July 2 The introduction of a veteran cow to July 4. class is one initiative. To be eligible The National Herd Development for the veteran class, a cow must be Victorian Winter Fair hosted by the 10 years and over, born before June North West Sub Branch of Holstein 30, 2004, had a minimum of six Australia will feature special youth lactations and produced 50 000 litres classes, conventional All-Australian of milk, 1875 kg of butterfat and Qualifying Classes and for the first 1600 kg of protein. time ever in Australia, a special Red “We have added the veteran cow class Holstein feature show. for those good old cows that people Organisers Stu and Clare Modra have in their herd,’’ Mrs Modra said. and Adam Dee wanted to provide “We have also focused on creating breeders with an opportunity to additional calf classes because we showcase autumn-calved cattle and really want to give the youth a chance hope to make the fair an annual to shine. event.

“There has never been a Red Holstein “We felt there was a real gap in the feature show held in the country and calendar and an event like this gives we know there are a lot of good red breeders an opportunity to show cows out there, so we are expecting cattle that may have previously this class to generate a lot of interest.” missed out,” Mrs Modra said.

There will be no group or dry cow “This year is strictly for Holsteins classes. but as it progresses we are hoping to

Words and pictures: Laura Griffin Words and pictures: Sophie Bruns

In a coup for the fair, Mike Deaver from Sherona-Hill Holsteins, Wisconsin, in the United States, will preside over the show ring.

He has judged many high-profile events worldwide including the World Dairy Expo and Canada’s Royal Winter Agricultural Fair and is acknowledged as one of the best judges in the world.

“

We felt there was a real gap in the calendar and an event like this gives breeders the opportunity to show cattle ...

Clare Modra

“

A dairy produce market celebrating all things dairy will also run on July 3 and 4 in the foyer of the exhibition centre, with produce available for sample and purchase.

For telephone inquiries about the fair contact Clare Modra on 0419 200 981, Stu Modra on 0455 534 431 or Adam Dee on 0427 530 011.

For more information visit http://victorianwinterfair.webs.com/

Members of the National Herd Development Victorian Winter Fair organising committee Stu and Clare Modra from Avonlea Holsteins at Gunbower.

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Individual calfrearing proves worth the effort

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The calves shelter in the boxes, particularly when there is a chilly breeze.

very easy to clean. We put the drainage hole at the back and if a calf does happen to mess in there it is easy to just shovel the straw out and replace it. It has been surprising how clean they are, really.”

The Whatmans currently have 14 individual plastic boxes on the go but they are always on the lookout for more.

“It’s a no-brainer really and if I had the money I would go out and buy a heap of individual hutches but this is the next best thing.”

Mrs Whatman acknowledges the system is fairly labourThe boxes are lined up so it is easy to go along with a intensive because each animal is trailer and fill the grain, hay and water. individually fed, but she believes the benefits far outweigh the powdered milk for many years because they negatives. rear their calves on a separate property to their dairy and carting milk was a nuisance.

“I can’t pinpoint what it is exactly about individual feeding but the calves just grow Every newborn calf is neck tubed with a faster. They certainly don’t lose any weight Dasco product called Kickstart which is and they would easily be two weeks in front a colostrum-based powder. The next feed of the others that are shed-reared. is colostrum or another Kickstart and the calves are fed fresh milk twice a day for the “Before, no matter how hard I tried I could next couple of days. They go on to powdered never wean a calf in 100 days and now I can milk once a day after that. (Mrs Whatman do it in about 90. You know exactly how adds more than the recommended amount much each calf is eating and drinking and if they are a bit off you can pick it up very of powdered milk and she has found that quickly.” works well for her system.)

If the hutches are full, the calves are reared in groups of eight in a shed. Straw is used for bedding and the pens are cleaned out and I can’t pinpoint what it is limed in between batches. exactly about individual Once an animal is weaned it heads out to the feeding but the calves just paddock where it receives 2 to 2.5 kg of grain a day with cereal hay and pasture. grow faster.

Kevin Whatman The family rears about 500 heifer calves annually so it is important to have a simple The Whatmans have been farming in system that works for them — and they can the Cobram area for 19 years and they definitely see individual feeding as part of have modified their system to suit their management. They have been using that future.

“

“

A light bulb moment has been the instigator for a change of direction in calf rearing for Kevin and Sharon Whatman of Cobram.

The couple, who farm with their sons Phillip and James, have reared their calves like most of us do, in a shed in small groups.

While that system works, there are always the inevitable problems that go along with it — calves talking a greater ration of milk than others, sick animals and quite often too many calves in the one pen.

A calf born out of sync in the calving pattern led the family to try to find housing for her.

They decided to cut open a plastic box they had laying around the farm.

The box was a 1000 litre plastic shuttle.

They are delivered on farm with liquids in them. They are not recyclable and stack up on many farmers’ properties.

“We decided to give the plastic box a burl for that particular calf and from that time on we haven’t looked back. We soon cut open all the plastic boxes we had and began using them for other calves,” Mrs Whatman said.

The calves are tethered to the box with a 2 m chain and dog collar and they have ad-lib access to fresh water, cereal hay and prime calf meal. The bottom of the box is lined with straw for comfort and the calves can shelter in or around the box at any time.

The calves are fed their powdered milk ration once a day and they do not leave the box until they are weaned.

This is the third batch of calves to go through this system.

Last summer the boxes were moved to a shadier area and Mrs Whatman thought about putting some tin on the roof, but in the end the calves remained quite comfortable throughout the hot weather.

“The boxes don’t seem to get as hot as you’d think; we just found the calves drank a lot more water and we just had to keep up with that.

“The boxes are off the ground, portable and

Individual feeding ensures each calf gets the required amount of milk each day. Calf meal, hay and water are all ad-lib.

JUNE 2014

21

No time like

the present

Despite a tough start during the drought, Mark Barker and Sophie Hutchins are growing their farm.

An upgrade is planned for the rotary.

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Couple ramping up production growth Mark Barker and partner Sophie Hutchins didn’t wait for their milk company to offer incentives before they went into a growth phase, and didn’t wait for government programs to upgrade their on-farm irrigation systems.

Mr Barker notes, wryly, they were already moving to lift production on their Invergordon dairy farm when Tatura Milk produced a package with two growth incentives.

But he will be jumping on board and plans to integrate the new incentives into their farm operation because the goals of the milk processor and their farm align.

“It’s a win-win outcome for us as we were already heading in that direction. We’ve pushed hard to get production up to where we are now,’’ he said.

Today the couple operates a 160 ha farm, milking about 380 cows, raising about 120 calves in a 60-40 split pattern and developing a feed regime which draws on their own crops.

The couple has two children, Lillian, 10, and Ruby, six, who help on the farm.

Mr Barker’s parents bought the 40 ha farm in the 1980s and grew the business through neighbouring property acquisitions.

Ms Hutchins grew up on a rural property, and she and Mr Barker took over the farm in 2002,

Words and pictures: Geoff Adams A feed pad made real savings in waste.

unaware that the region was about to be hit by the worst drought in living memory.

Despite the high feed and water costs, the young couple with hard work, some help from Mr Barker’s parents, and, Mr Barker reckons, a bit of luck, continued to grow the business.

“Things were tight,’’ he said.

In the first year of the drought they bought about 250 Ml of temporary water at $100/Ml and many people told them they were mad.

“Looking back it was the best deal we ever made,’’ Mr Barker said, referring to the water price that climbed to about $800/Ml. “We should have bought more!”

They used organic fertilisers on their pastures,

and bought in canola and oaten silage to minimise production losses.

They built a 130 m feed pad and found they were saving about 25 per cent of previously wasted feed. A feed mixer wagon was added.

Lucerne has been a big part of the feeding system. They now have about 50 ha of lucerne which is grazed twice a year and also cut for silage or hay bales and fed out on the feed pad.

In the past two seasons they put in 30 ha of maize for silage.

Two full-time staff help them milk in a 36-unit rotary, utilising a flood wash for the yard and a new 15000 litre vat for which the factory assisted with an interest-free loan.

The cows are fed on a diet of grain, lucerne, vetch, maize silage and canola meal.

To qualify for the Bega/Tatura Milk 2¢/ litre milk growth program, they plan to buy more cows and feed their herd better. An upgrade in the dairy is expected to improve conditions for cows and workers.

With a recycled irrigation system, and on-farm effluent disposal, Mr Barker feels they have a good basis for the 3¢/ litre sustainability incentive as well, and is prepared for a farm audit.

He acknowledges there could be some further advances which he will be discussing with the field staff to ensure they qualify.

Murray Dairy Director Positions Murray Dairy is currently seeking Expressions of Interests to fill the role of two director positions.

This opportunity arises due to the expiration of membership terms for two board member positions. Both these members are farmers, with Rick Cross eligible for renomination and Malcolm Holm unable to renominate due to the conclusion of two terms.

Visit www.murraydairy.com.au

To be considered for this board position, applicants should demonstrate knowledge of, or experience across a range of fields including dairy farming, dairy industry structures and organisations and dairy farm business management.

For more information please refer to the position description and selection criteria at www.murraydairy.com.au or by contacting Chief Executive Officer, Leanne Mulcahy, on P: (03) 5833 5313, M: 0400 501 793 or E: admin@murraydairy.com.au

JUNE 2014

23

Breed change fits management style

Val Denhne’s mail box.

improvements were made, the Friesians Changing their dairy herd from mixed to became bigger framed. As they grew it became totally Jersey has been a seven-year process more and more difficult for them to fit in for Leitchville dairy farmers Trevor and Val the stall gates and when they began causing Dehne. The couple has made the change problems, the Dehnes decided to make a through breeding and culling slowly over radical change. the years — they didn’t rush out and buy a “We renovated the dairy in 2000 and put in whole new herd. stall gates and individual feed troughs. Once “We did it over time and weeded the Friesians out as we went. We are more comfortable with the Jerseys could access their own grain ration without bullying, their milk production Jerseys, they suit our shed better and for the improved significantly so we knew what they first time in many years we have extra feed on were capable of producing. It was just a matter the ground in front of us,” Mrs Dehne said. of making the decision and going for it,” Mr The couple has been farming for 34 years Dehne said. and had previously always run a mixed herd.

That being said, Mr Dehne was a little They have always used AI and the Friesians worried and sceptical about initial were always joined to Friesian and the Jerseys implications to cash flow. to Jersey. But over the years, as genetic

Better Soils in the Riverina Come along and hear about the findings from the Better Soils program which involved 12 farms in the Riverina region.

Learn about how to develop a more strategic approach to fertiliser use and how to make efficiency gains to maximise profits and save money.

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JUNE 2014

Where: Helen and Kristen Clark’s Glenbank Farm, 895 Woolshed Road, Tocumwal When: Tuesday 24 June, 10:30am for 10.45 am start — lunch provided Speakers: Don Cook, Farmright Technical Services, Kevin Kelly, Senior Research Scientist, DEPI and Scott Birchall, Dairy Natural Resource Management Specialist RSVP: admin@murraydairy.com.au or contact Murray Dairy on (03) 5833 5312

Visit www.murraydairy.com.au

Words and pictures: Sophie Bruns

Val Dehne with one of her much loved jerseys. Val and her husband Trevor have spent the past seven years converting their herd to Jersey and the Leitchville couple couple are very happy with their decision.

“

The dairy was renovated in 2000.

“

... A Jersey cow seems to suit our farm and lifestyle and I guess in the end that was another reason why we made the change.

“There has certainly been a change in volume of the milk we are sending but the fat and protein test do make up for it and we are also paying a lot less in milk collection fees,” Mrs Dehne said.

The couple milks 220 Jerseys on 115 ha and have been surprised by how much feed they now have in front of the cows.

“We can actually have an argument over which paddock to put the cows in because we have feed in front of us more often than not now.

We are down in income but our feed costs are less too and I don’t think I have had to buy a load of hay in this year,” Mr Dehne said.

The cows are currently grazing on pasture during the day and a couple of bales of home grown silage and hay at night.

The couple has found the fertility of the Jersey breed to be a bonus and they have noticed that cows now calve much quicker.

Val Dehne

“We don’t really check the cows any more at night and if one is calving it all seems to happen very quickly and easily.”

The cows are lead fed and have access to oaten hay, so milk fever is not usually a problem. The herd is treated with Dry Cow at dry-off and next calving they have decided to teat seal as well.

“We have had a bit of a problem with mastitis this year whether it is seasonal or not, but under advice from the vet we have decided to Calves raised on the Dehne property. start teat seal as well,” Mr Dehne said.

The herd is split 50 per cent autumn and farm and lifestyle and I guess in the end that 50 per cent spring. All cows are AI and the was another reason why we made the change,’’ heifers are joined to a herd bull. The couple Mrs Dehne said. breeds for size and components.

“We aren’t getting any younger and they are “Over the years the Jerseys have grown in just easy for us to manage. I can go out to the stature too and the mature ones really fit paddock and pick up a newborn Jersey calf well into our shed. They are pretty quiet and friendly and we just find things are a lot easier and sit it on the bike — but if I had to do the same to a Friesian I would really struggle.’’ for us to run. A Jersey cow seems to suit our

Focus Farms Congratulations to the new focus farmers, Pat & Kerrie Glass, Gundowring, Peter & Susan Wearden, Kyabram and Brad Adams in Strathmerton.

Where: Nick and Jane Andrews’ farm, 1050 Labuan Road, Katandra West

Come along to the final Katandra West open day at Nick and Jane Andrew’s farm.

RSVP: admin@murraydairy.com.au or contact Murray Dairy on (03) 5833 5312

Visit www.murraydairy.com.au

When: Thursday 26 June, 10.45 am for 11 am

JUNE 2014

25

Summit identifies priorities for

long-term profitability Innovation, investment and growth are keys to success Long-term profitability proved to be the key underlying theme throughout this year’s National Dairy Summit discussions.

According to a report released last week on the summit held on March 13, profitability and growth were the strongest themes.

Australian Dairy Farmers president Noel Campbell said measures to boost profitability and grow the industry, both on-farm and through the supply chain, featured prominently in the summit’s discussions, and the Summit Outcomes Report reflected this. ‘‘If the industry as a whole is to grow and prosper, then improving profitability is key — something which farmers on the day made all too clear,’’ Mr Campbell said.

The top three industry priorities identified at the summit and outlined in the report are: • Develop an industry strategy for innovation, investment and growth; • Identify pathways to success to encourage investment and confidence in the industry; and

• Government to continue with trade reform that benefits dairy.

It was overwhelmingly agreed that the most important collective step for the industry to take was to develop and pursue a strategy for innovation, investment and growth.

Summit delegates considered this priority crucial in addressing the disconnection between dairy’s market opportunities and the current on-farm reality.

This approach will require actions from all industry participants — from the farm to processing businesses, as well as the industry collectively, according to the report.

There were broad discussions about innovation, including the need to pursue on-farm actions to reduce the short-term preoccupation with prices and profitability year to year.

The need to promote

a longer-term approach to managing business margins, volatility and profitability over time was emphasised.

Innovation was considered to encompass not just research, development, technology and products but also the approach to on-farm extension and the adoption of business practices to give farmers a competitive edge.

This was also reflected in the second most important priority articulated on the day, which

called upon the industry to identify pathways to success to encourage investment and confidence.

The strong correlation between the action needed to achieve both market growth and a cohesive dairy industry was seen as an obvious link, because industry confidence and cohesion is improved when demand is growing and the supply chain is profitable.

Regional Extension Education Committee Positions Murray Dairy is calling for Expressions of Interests from dairy farmers and industry representatives to join the Regional Extension Education Committee (REEC).

To be considered, applicants should demonstrate knowledge across of a range of fields including regional dairy industry extension, farming systems and business management.

For more information please refer to the position description and selection criteria at www.murraydairy.com.au or by contacting Chief Executive Officer, Leanne Mulcahy, on P: (03) 5833 5313, M: 0400 501 793 or E: admin@murraydairy.com.au

26

JUNE 2014

Visit www.murraydairy.com.au

HUMAN CAPACITY Where we are going in the foreseeable future?

Dairy farms will continue to be largely family owned and operated in Australia.

However, given the trend towards increasing farm sizes, paid employment will also be a feature of farm businesses. The need for dairy farmers to be employers of choice will become more critical as the rural population continues to drift towards cities, and competition for skilled labour in dairying regions is likely to remain intense.

and skilful than ever — managing businesses with precision and a long-term plan for wealth creation The management of succession will continue to be an issue for the industry.

Without family succession, entry into dairying will continue to be a barrier to generational change.

It is timely to consider the role of the industry (if any) in facilitating succession options.

Dairy farming will only become more complex in the future, with ongoing market and climate volatility, increasing community concerns and expectations around sustainability.

With the likelihood that public funding of extension services and vocational education will continue to be withdrawn by governments under budget pressure, the provision of learning and development opportunities will increasingly fall to industry.

Farm managers will have to be more knowledgeable

— From the summit reports.

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›› Direct drill into existing pasture ›› Direct drill into maize stubble ›› Able to drill in arable conditions ›› Better contour following abilities ›› Sowing width 4.8 m

The Aitchison Airpro folds down to a narrow 2.75m transport width this together with large flotation tyres ensures easy and fast transport even over narrow farm roads or bridges.

Despite a sowing width of 4.8 m the Aitchison can be comfortably towed by a 120 hp tractor.

Contact your local Reese Agri Aitchison dealer for details, or free phone 1800 140 196 Brendan Prentice 0400 540 300 www.reeseagri.com.au JUNE 2014

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Production gains to be rewarded Tatura Milk suppliers are signing up to incentive packages that are promising a total of 5¢/litre extra milk money

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JUNE 2014

equivalent) available for growth projects.

The implementation of the programs will occur in two parts during the next three years, with a lump sum being paid to Bega and Tatura Milk suppliers.

Mr Coleman said the investment was separate from milk pay rates.

“The funds are in addition to our normal annually announced milk pay rates, which The money is available to have a proven track record of being highly both current suppliers as competitive,” Mr Coleman said. well as farmers who wish Undera dairy farmers Fred and Sonia DeCicco say the initiative will help them to join the Bega family. to meet growing consumer demand for

Aidan Coleman more sustainable milk production.

“With a rising pressure on farmers to produce more milk in a competitive Bega Cheese has allocated the $25 million for the programs, with 3¢/litre (milk solids environment, there is no way we would have been able to increase production equivalent) available for sustainability without Bega’s help,” Mr DeCicco said. assessments and 2¢/litre (milk solids Bega Cheese is encouraging farmers to invest the money into on-farm projects such as energy and irrigation efficiency upgrades, increased tree-planting, dairy shed expansion or purchasing more cows for their herd.

“

“

Tatura Milk parent company Bega is implementing a $25 million package to reward suppliers (and entice new ones) who sign up to increase their production and make their business more sustainable.

Bega Cheese chief executive officer Aidan Coleman said the past decade had been challenging for dairy farmers.

“The increasing demand for sustainably produced dairy products will underpin future dairy development and is a core reason for this funding injection.

“While customers are increasingly placing an emphasis on environmental sustainability and farming practices, it is important that dairy companies support their farmers in making ongoing gains,’’ Mr Coleman said.

“The money is available to both current suppliers as well as farmers who wish to join the Bega family.’’

New dairy management tool Identifying environmental issues on-farm is now easier, and the fix is at farmers’ fingertips Dairy Australia has launched an upgraded dairy self-assessment tool (DairySAT) making it easier for farmers to identify the most critical environmental management practices for their farms.

The revised version of the tool features new online functionality to help farmers through 10 focus areas such as soils, fertilisers and effluent management so they can gain an overall view of the environmental issues facing their operation. The tool then creates an action plan for farmers to follow.

Dairy Australia’s natural resource management program development manager Amy Fay said DairySAT was a great tool for farmers to use to address environmental management issues on their farms. It was first developed in response to a suggestion from a Gippsland dairy farmer.

“DairySAT helps farmers identify any environmental management problems on their farms, benchmark their practices

against industry standards and provide them with resources to answer their questions,” Ms Fay said.

“After going through the modules farmers receive an action plan listing practices they need to improve on-farm and resources to help them do this.

“The tool also provides a summary of the good and innovative practices farmers are doing on their own which is equally helpful to understand and communicate.”

Ms Fay said the tool was upgraded to be used in a variety of contexts and reflected current industry best practice and the latest science for natural resource management.

The new changes mean farmers can work through their modules of choice at their own pace. Farmers can sign in to the new online tool and save and share module results with or without a facilitator.

She said it meant farmers would also be able

to keep records of their natural resource management practices and track their farm’s environmental management progress.

After going through the DairySAT process, farmers will: • understand the environmental issues facing their farm; • know where their environmental practices sit compared to industry-wide practices; • be able to identify the most critical environmental issues on their farm; • know the legal and dairy company requirements in relation to the environment; and • understand those issues where they need more information, and be provided with key contacts for the issues.

To access the DairySAT tool you need to create a free account by visiting www.dairysat.com.au

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Looking beyond the

farm gate Farmer sees being part of industry’s decision-making process as vital It is fair to say Di Bowles isn’t someone who likes to take a back seat in life and it is also fair to say when she met and married her husband Gary Bowles eight years ago she knew nothing about cows, let alone the dairy industry.

Naturally inquisitive, Mrs Bowles looked upon her new life as a challenge and she was determined to learn as much as possible — a goal that today she has well and truly achieved.

“When I first met Gary I didn’t know one end of the cow from the other but I am the type of person that if I get involved in something I always want to learn more. I am very much a ‘why’ person and I tend to get involved in things to help find out more information,” Mrs Bowles said.

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going to be part of the decision-making Mr and Mrs Bowles milk 200 split-calving process. cows on their dairy farm at Cohuna. Not long after they were married the couple “Murray Dairy for example are looking decided to build a new dairy — an 18 to rebuild and bring more resource-type swing-over with stall gates and cup removers programs to the table for farmers including — a decision that Mrs Bowles joked would calving, sustainable ag and irrigation. They test even the most solid of marriages. are looking to fill in the space left behind “In hindsight the dairy is the best thing from DEPI and they really want to provide we could have done because we probably valid support and information for the wouldn’t be milking today (otherwise). industry.”

We have been through some pretty tough times including droughts, floods, the global financial crisis and the basin plan. It’s a good life but it’s certainly a hard life and I have It is so important for been very surprised by how technical and people to look beyond complicated it all is.” their own front gate and Mrs Bowles is actively involved in all aspects of the dairy farm but she has also chosen see what is happening in to sit on various boards and committees the outside world ... to not only help with her own knowledge but to promote the industry. She currently

Di Bowles sits on the board of North Central Catchment Management Authority, Murray Promoting the industry is important to Mrs Dairy’s natural resources subcommittee, Bowles and she is not afraid to use social and Australian Dairy Farmers’ advisory media outlets like Facebook and Twitter to committee on natural resources and people get her message across. and human capacity.

“It was funny, the other day I tweeted a “It is so important for people to look picture of the dairy on a cold morning and beyond their own front gate and see what that got picked up by Warwick Long from is happening in the outside world. Some people can be pretty quick to attack industry the ABC. People are hungry for information and they love looking at photos, so we can bodies for not doing a good job, but if we really use technologies like these to promote are not involved in them, then we are never

“

“

our industry.”

Mrs Bowles is a former graduate of the Loddon Murray Community Leadership Program and her involvement in that has been instrumental in propelling her forward.

As part of that she decided to set up a program to link farming women together, “Allsorts — connecting farming women”.

She organised a lunch with different guest speakers and achieved her goal — uniting rural women for a fun and informative day out.

“We do live in a bit of an isolated area and have to travel to become involved in anything. Through the drought people became a bit introverted and didn’t want people to know how bad things really were, and the same thing happened after the floods. Getting together, communicating and sharing a few hours with someone else, no matter what the topic is, can help immensely.”

Looking to the future Mrs Bowles is hoping to obtain funding for additional rural programs.

“It is just so important we look beyond our front gates and take an active interest in the industry we are involved in.”

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Getting the

balance right

H Workshop offer ideas for maximising 2 profit and minimising risk Victorian dairy farmers, or those eyeing a career in the dairy industry, are invited to attend business workshops in Shepparton run by The Centre for the Study of Rural Australia at Marcus Oldham College.

The workshops, facilitated by dairy industry consultants John Mulvany and Phill Shannon, are targeted at young dairy farmers, dairy farm employees or sharefarmers, and will step participants through the physical and financial issues related to growing a successful dairy business.

These workshops will also include tips from the team at Marcus Oldham College’s EntruBIZ program on how to develop entrepreneurial skills and how to adapt and capitalise on change.

“We all have the capacity to develop our entrepreneur within, and opportunity certainly abounds in the dairy industry,” Marcus Oldham College’s Centre for the Study of Rural Australia director Dr Yasmin Chalmers said.

“These workshops will provide practical advice for dairy farmers and those wishing to capitalise on opportunities in the industry, and will span dairy farming systems, how to monitor progress and performance, identifying pathways of growth, and more.”

“

“

Looking at a Permanent or Temporary Water Trade?

We all have the capacity to develop our entrepreneur within, and opportunity certainly abounds in the dairy industry.

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‘Growing in Dairy – The Balance between Maximising Profit and Minimising Risk’ workshop is on Tuesday, June 24 from 10.30 am to 3 pm at Shepparton RSL, 88 Wyndham St, Shepparton.

Cost of $30/person includes lunch. For more information or to book, phone 03 5243 3533 or email reception@marcusoldham.vic.edu.au

Questioning the value of nitrogen use Researchers are a step closer to developing improved tools to help dairy farmers predict production and response to nitrogen fertiliser on-farm.

DEPI’s project leader Cameron Gourley said Australian dairy farmers spent $200 million a year on nitrogen fertiliser. ‘‘However, the conversion of this nitrogen fertiliser into extra feed is often low and with the uncertainty around the extra pasture produced, it is often difficult to say whether nitrogen fertiliser decisions will pay,’’ Dr Gourley said. ‘‘Eventually we expect dairy farmers will be able to increase profitability without wasting nitrogen fertiliser. ‘‘There can be many hundreds of tonnes of nitrogen applied and recycled on a dairy farm each year, yet it is also the most frequently deficient of all nutrients. ‘‘Managing nitrogen on dairy farms is therefore critical to dairy farm productivity, profitability and reducing environmental impacts,’’ he said.

DEPI Agricultural Research executive director Ron Prestidge said the project was a good example of DEPI working with

industry on research to boost productivity and profitability. ‘‘The future of Victoria’s agricultural sector will be shaped by opportunities in global export markets, particularly Asia,’’ Dr Prestidge said.

Currently, nitrogen fertiliser is primarily used on dairy pastures at average rates of about 200 kg/ha/year, a rapid increase during the past two decades.

However, according to Dr Gourley, this average value can be misleading. ‘‘Some farms do not apply any nitrogen fertiliser, while others are applying more than 400 kg/ha/year,’’ he said.

The project, conducted at DEPI’s Ellinbank research centre, used previous research findings to improve national predictions of the extra pasture growth achieved from nitrogen fertiliser applications.

More than 19 000 experimental results were collected and analysed. ‘‘The on-farm research component of this project involved field studies on commercial dairy farms, covering a range of pasture types, soils, irrigation and climate zones,’’ Dr Gourley said.

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‘‘The economic, production and environmental aspects of each dairy farm are being monitored and pasture production responses to nitrogen fertiliser applications measured at the paddock scale. ‘‘While we are still in the early stages of research, our newly derived model appears to be accurately predicting pasture yield response to applied nitrogen.’’

The final stage of this work will be to make available a simple nitrogen fertiliser decision calculator based on the potential pasture yield response (including variation) and profitability of nitrogen fertiliser decisions, at the individual farm and paddock scale. ‘‘Australian farmers will be more confident applying nitrogen fertiliser knowing their specific pasture and farm characteristics have been considered and the best available scientific information applied.’’

The project has widespread support from the Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation, DEPI Victoria, Department of Agriculture and Food WA, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, the Fertiliser Industry Federation of Australia, Incitec-Pivot, Murray Goulburn and Fonterra.

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Discovering the benefits of automation Robotic technology reveals potential Automation solutions are already having a big impact on many Australian dairy farms and there are options on the horizon.

FutureDairy project leader Kendra Kerrisk believes the greatest opportunities lie with technologies that save labour by automating repeated tasks, collecting and reporting data to help decision making or collecting new data that hasn’t been able to be recorded in the past. ‘‘Robotic milking offers all three benefits but of course it involves a major capital outlay and a period of six to 12 months to adapt the farming system to realise these benefits,’’ Associate Professor Kerrisk said. ‘‘There are now four brands on the market giving more options with single box, multi-box and the robotic rotary.’’

Other repetitive tasks that can currently be automated in the dairy include yard washing, drafting and weighing cows, individualised feeding, milk sampling and testing for composition, oestrus detection aids and mastitis indicators. ‘‘There are numerous robotic arms available overseas for premilking teat preparation and post milking teat sanitation, although they are not available here yet,’’ Assoc Prof Kerrisk said. ‘‘These are mostly compatible with the manufacturer’s own milk harvesting installations.’’

The FutureDairy team is excited about new technologies that

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allow dairy farmers to collect animal performance information. ‘‘This is an example of products that allow automatic collection of information that we haven’t been able to record in the past,’’ Assoc Prof Kerrisk said. ‘‘For example, the combined use of activity monitors and rumination sensors is looking very promising for automatic heat detection, early diagnosis of illnesses and possibly to provide an automatic alert at the onset of calving. ‘‘This technology is commercially available in Australia.’’

The FutureDairy team will conduct trials this year to better understand the value of the data provided and how to interpret the results.

Technology has also been developed to automatically sample milk from individual cows and analyse it for automatic detection of animal performance, particularly oestrus, mastitis and ketosis. ‘‘The technology is sold overseas but it is unknown if, or when, it might become available in Australia,’’ Assoc Prof Kerrisk said.

FutureDairy has conducted some initial trials on the potential to use a robot to herd dairy cows from the paddock to the dairy. ‘‘The results were very promising; we were amazed at how calm the cows were in the presence of a robot.’’

coolcows13314a

Don’t be in shade about the benefits of trees Sheltered areas offer much more than just aesthetic value Research into the economic benefits of native shelter belts by the Basalt to Bay Landcare Network in south-west Victoria has revealed that sheltered areas have up to 17 per cent estimated increase in dairy milk production.

On a 27º C day, unsheltered cows have 26 per cent less milk production than shaded stock. Cold weather cuts milk yields by up to 1.34 kg/day (four per cent FCM).

Over the lifetime of fencing and shelterbelt (40-60 years), total dairy production will increase by 30 per cent (20 per cent improved pasture growth, 10 per cent improved milk production), and $150 /ha of sheltered pasture.

Trees can reduce summer heat load in cows by 50 per cent and heat loss in winter. They absorb CO2 and are more cost-effective than powered sprinklers and fans.

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Words: Geoff Adams Pictures: Bianca Mibus and Geoff Adams

Sights on

China One of the Pactum packaging lines.

Long life milk packaged in Shepparton is now in the hands of Chinese consumers. The $45 million Pactum Dairy Group factory has already moved up its expansion program with four packaging lines operating and room for up to nine

its own domestic customers.

Australian Consolidated Milk managing director Michael Auld has his sights set on “We have scale of supply, high quality milk and the huge Chinese milk market, but his feet flat supply curve,’’ Mr Auld said. planted on Goulburn Valley soil. ‘’We think all those ingredients go to support a high quality UHT plant in the region.

Three years ago the seeds were first sown for a new milk processing factory in Shepparton “Our ambition is to grow milk supply in while on a trade mission to China.

Victoria and southern NSW and we will also get some supply out of Gippsland for our “Three years ago we were on a Victorian trade other customers in Melbourne. mission to China. That’s when we started discussions with Freedom Foods,’’ Mr Auld said.

Pactum’s joint owner with ACM is the Our ambition is to grow Freedom Foods Group that had its genesis in the Perich family’s large-scale dairy business milk supply in Victoria and at Camden, NSW, which already operated a UHT plant in Sydney. southern NSW and we will ACM had a considerable number of suppliers also get some supply out in northern Victoria and came together with Freedom Foods in a joint business opportunity of Gippsland for our other to grow a new supply for an emerging market. customers in Melbourne.

“We think we have complementary skills from

Michael Auld both parties for the venture,’’ Mr Auld said.

ACM has about 120 suppliers generating up to 200 million litres of milk annually, and as “One of the things we aim to do as a company well as the supply agreement with Pactum has is lift the price for our suppliers.

Pactum Dairy Group operations manager Mark McWhirter with UHT milk destined for Asia.

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“

“

Deputy Prime Minister, Warren Truss, right, at the opening of the new factory, with Michael Auld, who said: “They have UHT, we have the milk and know the local area. I think it’s quite a good fit.’’

trying to achieve that.

Mr Auld said Pactum doesn’t base its price around where commodities prices are.

market and in some times like this year we may be under the market,’’ he said.

Freedom Foods managing director Rory Macleod said the company was looking to base a factory closer to supply and, considering northern Victoria’s reliability in One of the things we aim to water, chose Shepparton.

Since opening earlier this year, the plant do as a company is lift the is now capable of producing up to 100 million litres annually and the company is price for our suppliers. hoping further sales will enable it to push

Michael Auld the capacity to 300 million litres.

Pactum now has a contract to supply Bright Dairy in China and in May started “At certain times we will be well above the production for the Chinese company.

“

Michael Auld, left, with Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss.

“

“We have identified the five-year average of milk pricing, and we have to get that average price up by about 10 to 15 per cent if we are to sustain and grow milk supply in the region.

“That’s one of our core objectives. This particular project is one of the things we see as helping us achieve that objective.’’

A major shareholder in Freedom Foods, the Camden based Perich family, is also focused on export opportunities and sees advantages for suppliers.

Director Tony Perich said one of his goals was to see dairy prices lifted for farmers, and exporting to China was a priority in

Pactum has a huge warehouse area that can be operational as the business expands.

Major shareholder in Freedom Foods and farmer, Tony Perich, said he can identify with suppliers wanting better returns.

JUNE 2014

37

Delivering clean

colostrum We all know how important that first feed of colostrum is for dairy calves.

Colostrum, the sticky secretion from the cow’s udder immediately after calving, contains some of the most valuable factors for calf survival.

Colostrum delivers concentrated nutrients and growth factors in an energy-dense, easily consumed liquid. Included in this product are the all-important antibodies: proteins produced by the cow in response to being challenged by disease in her past.

Depending on her history, the cow might produce antibodies to salmonella, rotavirus, coronavirus and E. coli, along with a whole variety of other infections that she has been exposed to or vaccinated against. As calves are born without any immunity to disease and infection, these antibodies are their first critical avenue for protection.

However, with sub-standard handling, colostrum can also be the first source of exposure to a large variety of infectious agents such as salmonella, Mycobacterium and E. coli. These pathogens can cause scours and pneumonia, which may result in death or, if the calf survives, may lead to

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reduced productivity and fertility in mature life.

Research has shown that as the bacterial count within colostrum increases, there is a reduction in the absorption of antibodies by the calf, increasing the calf ’s susceptibility to disease.

Best practice techniques for colostrum management focus on the quality of the colostrum produced, and the volume and time of colostrum delivery to the calf.

However, the means of harvesting, storing and delivering colostrum to the calf also need to be considered to prevent contamination and maintain quality.

The three main sources of colostrum contamination are: • During harvest from a mammary gland that is shedding infection, or from faecal contamination; • From contaminated collection, storage or feeding equipment; and • Additional breeding of bacteria during storage.

Most of the initial contamination of colostrum occurs during the milking process, between the udder and the collection (test)

Preventing contamination is an important step in the chain when feeding newborn calves bucket. Possible sources of contamination include the skin of the teat, milking cup liners, hoses or the test bucket (collection container). Once harvested, colostrum is often transferred between several containers before being delivered to the calf for feeding.

Each transfer provides another point at which colostrum can become contaminated.

Bacterial contamination can be reduced by following good milking techniques including: • Proper hand washing technique, as well as gloves; • Washing dirty or leaking teats with water and then drying thoroughly with individual paper towels; • Checking that teat cups are attached correctly. The test bucket is also a potential source of contamination, which can be avoided by ensuring that it has a good seal, is kept covered to prevent faecal entry, it is properly cleaned and sanitised before each use. This can be done either by including the test bucket and hoses in the plant wash cycle, or by rinsing and washing thoroughly with hot water and the same dairy chemical that is used for your vat (in accordance

with label instructions), and then rinsing again with very hot water.

• Cracked or brittle rubber-ware is replaced promptly, as damaged surfaces become breeding grounds for bacteria.

Once harvested, colostrum needs to be chilled down to 4°C or below as soon after collection as possible, to reduce breeding of bacteria. Ideally, colostrum should be sent through the plate cooler, but this is not always practical.

Colostrum should be tested for quality and stored in sanitised containers, labelled with

the date of collection and quality. It should be stored in a refrigerator if you are going to use it within three to four days or a freezer for longer storage (up to 12 months).

In summary • Colostrum is a vital component of successful calf-rearing on dairy farms.

• For full effect, colostrum needs to be ‘clean’ with minimal microbial contamination.

• Contaminated colostrum is not only a potential source for pathogens to a newborn calf, but may also inhibit

the transfer of immunity to the calf.

• Hygienic processes around harvesting and storing colostrum will help minimise contamination.

Refer to chapter four of the Rearing Healthy Calves guidelines for further information on colostrum management. The manual is available on the Dairy Australia website www.dairyaustralia.com.au.

— Katrina Lawrence, dairy extension officer, DEPI Echuca

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Plan now

to fill feed gaps

Do you have enough silage?

While a good autumn break will impact how well we can feed our herd homegrown pastures, supplements and feed management will play an important role in filling any feed gaps.

Autumn pasture is the best and cheapest option but has to be managed to grow sufficiently to set up a pasture wedge.

Once this wedge is achieved and if maintained through winter, you will be pleasantly surprised by the saving in supplementary or concentrate feed used.

This means that about a month ago the rotation on the milking area available for grazing should have been about 20 days for about a week, then about 30 days for about 10 days and then slowed to about a 30-day rotation for about two weeks.

If pastures has not reached 2.5 to three green leaves after the month, the rotation needs extending further, possibly to 45 to 60 days.

Ideally, pasture residuals need to be kept to about 4 to 6 cm height so it can recover quickly and persist longer. To achieve this, cows must be fed enough supplements (fodder in the paddock or concentrates in the bail).

A pasture wedge can still be achieved now but will take much longer to establish.

Use any remaining high quality silage or hay because this will keep cows milking while the pasture wedge forms. Feed the lower quality hay and silage to dry or late lactation cows.

Short of fodder?

You may not have the reserves of silage you need to get through to spring. If you 40

JUNE 2014

have no silage then feed home-grown hay, hay purchased early or buy hay now at a slightly higher price than it was up until late January.

The severe drought in northern NSW and Queensland reduced the amount of fodder from the traditional hay suppliers in western and northern Victoria and pushed prices up somewhat.

If the autumn growth has been good in Victoria then there will be less demand for hay.

However, we may also get a wet winter — although predictions are suggesting this is unlikely.

Milkers, calving cows and young stock all require feed of high nutritional value.

This feed should ideally test more than 10.5 megajoules of metabolisable energy per kilogram of dry matter (ME/kg DM) and more than 16 per cent crude protein (CP %).

If this sounds like swearing to you, this feed will have a lot of leaf, minimal stem and may have good clover content.

If feed is of lower quality, other feeds may be able to improve the ration. Autumn and winter pasture is high in energy and protein while concentrates help limit the impact on intake of high fibre found in lower quality fodder.

Purchasing fodder The opportunity to buy high quality hay will be disappearing rapidly and/or it may be becoming more expensive as southern Victoria and Gippsland farmers rush to hay suppliers.

Before you purchase fodder, consider what is happening in the hay market and with

autumn pasture growth. How are your stocks of fodder for winter? Will you need to buy hay and concentrates?

Are you better buying good quality hay and feeding your own lower quality hay to the dries or springers (with a lead feed)?

Conversely if you have some high quality silage or hay left, are you better off to buy in some poorer quality cheap hay for your dry cows?

Remember, drying off cows early can save some feed but if the cows are down in condition they may be better off in the shed receiving some grain and therefore reducing the need to feed the diminishing supplies of hay in the dry cow paddock or run-off block.

However, if you consider current feed and milk prices, there should be a good return on purchased milker feed in most situations.

Nitrogen applications Applying nitrogen (N) fertiliser and other required nutrients while pastures are still growing well will result in good responses, reducing the need for some supplementary feeding and less purchased fodder.

An autumn application of urea will provide early winter feed and this can be followed by a winter application if extra feed is needed.

Forty kilograms of nitrogen can be applied up to four days ahead of grazing and allow at least 18 to 21 days or longer before grazing again to get maximum response from the nitrogen and graze at 2.5 to three green leaves.

Nitrogen-boosted feed will be cheaper than purchased feed.

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Providing customised Water Solutions to meet the needs of your business For more information contact Rod Luke at KILTER RURAL on 0417 102 561 or visit www.kilterrural.com JUNE 2014

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Weather warning Odds are, an El Niño event will develop this winter, and farmers need to prepare

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JUNE 2014

A drier than average winter and spring are on the cards for southern Australia in 2014.

“

spring conditions across southern and central Farmers need to be aware regions of the country,” she said. that the chances of El Niño “It would be advisable for farmers to start occuring are rising and that thinking about what planning they need to from the current forecast it is put in place if feed becomes less available, what alternative feed could fill a shortfall in likely farmers may again face their regions and how this might affect their operations in the longer term.” drier than average winter Although the outlook may be dry, Australia and spring conditions... may also still be vulnerable to extreme storms,

Julie Iommi flash flooding, power outages and cyclones,

“

Dairy farmers are being cautioned to prepare contingency plans for an El Niño climate event this year.

El Niño is usually associated with below average rainfall over southern and eastern inland areas of Australia. About two-thirds of El Niño events since 1900 have resulted in major drought levels over large parts of the continent.

The Bureau of Meteorology has given a 70 per cent chance of an El Niño developing during winter, and climate models surveyed suggest this may occur by July.

For many farmers in Queensland and New South Wales this is already a reality as they manage drought conditions and fodder shortages.

Dairy Australia’s issues management manager, Julie Iommi, said while El Niño could not be guaranteed farmers should be vigilant and put some planning in place.

“Farmers need to be aware that the chances

of El Niño occurring are rising and that from the current forecast it is likely farmers may again face drier than average winter and

Ms Iommi said.

Material is available on the Dairy Australia website to help farmers start feed budgeting now so they have options for different scenarios later in the year.

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43

Opportunity to gain a global perspective Scholarship offers 16 weeks of travel to help broaden farming horizons Gardiner Foundation and Nuffield Australia will again provide a Victorian dairy farmer with a 2015 Nuffield Farming Scholarship enabling them to experience agriculture from a global perspective and develop their leadership skills.

The program offers successful applicants a total of 16 weeks’ international travel beginning with a six-week Global Focus Program of group travel to agricultural powerhouses such as China, India, Brazil, United States, Canada and Europe.

Each scholar also undertakes 10 more weeks of travel to countries of choice to pursue an individual study program into a research topic of interest to them and

the industry. The Nuffield network helps them develop itineraries for individual study programs and gain access to the key institutions and people central to the scholar’s area of study.

The farmers then become part of a powerful alumni network of scholars around the world, providing lifelong opportunities for further learning and friendship.

Recent Gardiner Foundation Nuffield scholar Graeme Nicoll of south Gippsland said the program was an investment in the individual and business that would be repaid tenfold.

“For many years I considered a travel

scholarship; while it never seemed the ‘right time’, I am thrilled I chose to pursue this opportunity to put our own business and Australian agriculture into a global perspective,” Mr Nicoll said.

He studied the resilience of high-rainfall dairy farms around the world, identifying key techniques including systems thinking and cross-breeding to help farmers manage profitably in today’s highly volatile economic and environmental climates.

Expressions of interest are welcomed from eligible Victorian dairy farmers, with full applications closing on June 30. Visit www.nuffield.com.au for more information and to apply.

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Positive future employment potential

The NCDEA training course in relief milking has proven popular.

A close to 100 per cent success rate in securing jobs for participants of the previous two relief milker training courses guaranteed a third course for the Loddon Mallee, at Rochester in May. The Relief Milker Training Course is coordinated through the National Centre for Dairy Education Australia and provided by Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE. Training is supported by AgriFood National Regional Initiatives, a project of AgriFood Skills Australia, which is committed to driving skills and workforce development across the agrifood industry and regional Australia.

NCDEA northern Victoria industry trainer James Goulding said he was thrilled with the

milkers

success of the program to date. ‘‘We had seven participants in the first course and seven in the second and all but one have now secured employment, with the last trainee waiting to get his licence before seeking employment,’’ Mr Goulding said. ‘‘In addition a number of the participants have now gone on to further training in calf rearing and animal husbandry, with the expectation of furthering their careers in the dairy industry. ‘‘This is a very impressive result; the program has now secured jobs for 13 participants who had previously viewed their prospects of remaining in the region and gaining employment as extremely remote. ‘‘AgriFood Skills Australia had identified that

there is over 100 people unemployed in the Cohuna-Kerang region alone; this means that more than 10 per cent of those that were previously unemployed now have jobs thanks to this program.’’

“

“

Training relief

... more than 10 per cent of those that were previously unemployed now have jobs thanks to this program.

James Goulding

For information about courses phone James Goulding on 5833 2864 or 0418 568 969.

Profit-focused approach to farm consulting Experienced dairy consultant Neil Lane has joined Dairy Australia as Farm Business Management Program manager and will work with farmers to help them achieve their business goals.

Mr Lane’s appointment by Dairy Australia is part of the organisation’s strategy to increase focus on the program and farm business profit performance across the dairy regions. ‘‘I am very excited to be working for Dairy

Australia as my goal is to help dairy farmers achieve better business outcomes and higher profits,’’ Mr Lane said. ‘‘To do this I will use my experience to help develop farmers’ understanding of how to make their business more effective.’’

Mr Lane has a lifelong association with the dairy industry that began while growing up on his parents’ Gippsland dairy farm.

He has worked across the industry in Australia and internationally, most recently

as a consultant with Intelact Group.

Over the past 15 years Mr Lane has developed a reputation for his whole-farm systems and profit-focused approach to farm consultancy. ‘‘Farm business management is a key factor in all decisions made on our farms, whether that be feed base, animals or education and I’m really looking forward to being involved in all of those discussions, ’’ Mr Lane said.

JUNE 2014

45

Who’s looking after your dairy?

Programmed servicing and regular maintenance will keep your dairy operating at peak performance and minimise downtime.

ND Services are number one for all your dairy service and supplies, providing 24 hour, 7 day breakdown service as well as general maintenance, servicing and testing for ALL brands of milking machinery.

To ensure your milking machine maintenance and replacement programme is undertaken in a professional manner, contact us today for a no obligation, free assessment and quotation.

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JUNE 2014

calendar of events JUNE June 1, 15 and 22 Manage Human Resources William Orr Campus (NCDEA) June 2, 16, 23 and 30 Getting the Most out of Yourself and Your Team (Manage Staff — People GPS) Katamatite (NCDEA) June 3 and 10 Continuous Business Improvement William Orr Campus (NCDEA) June 4 and 11 Getting the Most out of Yourself and Your Team (Manage Staff — People GPS) William Orr Campus (NCDEA) June 5, 12, 19 and 26 Supervise Animal Health William Orr Campus (NCDEA) June 5, 12, 19 and 26 Feeding Dairy Cows William Orr Campus (NCDEA) June 5 and 6 Cups on Cups off Tatura (NCDEA)

Please check www.murraydairy.com.au for updates or phone (03) 5833 5312.

June 6, 13, 20 and 27 Getting the Most out of Yourself and Your Team (Manage Staff — People GPS) Cohuna (NCDEA) June 12 and 13 Cups on Cups off Lockington (NCDEA) June 17 Murray Dairy and AFIA Gen Ag — Fodder Day Rochester (Murray Dairy) June 19 Quad Bike Operations Corryong (NCDEA) June 20 Quad Bike Operations Kiewa William Orr Campus (NCDEA) June 20 and 27 Farm Chemical Users Course William Orr Campus (NCDEA) June 24 Better Soils for Better Dairy in the Riverina (Murray Dairy) June 24 Growing in Dairy workshop — maximising profit whilst

minimising risk in dairy businesses Shepparton (Murray Dairy) June 26 Focus Farm Open Day Katandra West (Murray Dairy) June 27 Farm Chemical Refresher William Orr Campus (NCDEA) JULY July 3 and 4 Cups on Cups off Kerang (NCDEA) July 7 Quad Bike Operations Lockington (NCDEA) July 8 Quad Bike Operations Kyabram (NCDEA) July 8 Lunchtime research — Pasture feedbases: better returns from pastures Tatura (Murray Dairy) July 10 and 11 Cups on Cups off Milawa (NCDEA)

July 14 and 15 Calf Rearing Workshop William Orr (NCDEA) July 15 and 16 Farm Chemical Users Course Cohuna (NCDEA) July 16 Farm Chemical Refresher Cohuna (NCDEA) July 16 and 17 Young Dairy Network Study Tour July 17 and 18 Cups on Cups off Numurkah (NCDEA) July 23 Risk Management Workshop Wodonga (NECMA) July 24 and 25 Farm Chemical Users Course Numurkah (NCDEA) July 25 Farm Chemical Refresher Numurkah (NCDEA) July 31 and Aug 1 Calf Rearing Workshop Kyabram (NCDEA)

High-tech help Dairy farm is being transformed by technology decisions or by helping With 500 cows, four children and a variety us better manage our of industry roles, Western Victorian dairy farmers Mark and Sam Billing are happy for inputs, resources or animals. And we also all the help technology can offer. consider ease of use, But with so many products on the market, relevance to our system, its cost and time the couple says the challenge is to identify effectiveness,” Mr Billing said. the technology that has the right fit for “If the technology is difficult for me or our their operation.

Mr Billing will talk to delegates at this year’s staff to use or understand, then it will be of limited value, no matter how good it Dairy Research Foundation Symposium appears.” about the ways technologies they have Aware that many products are developed installed in recent years transformed their for overseas barn-style systems, the Billings dairy business. Some examples include: always carefully assess the relevance of a milk metering with conductivity; grain new technology to their pasture-based farm. feeding based on individual production and body weight gain; walkover scales; cow Mr Billing said while technology could activity meters; automatic drafting; in-shed provide a lot of information to help with alerts; and individual cow information. day-to-day activities, it could also waste a lot of time and money if the data was not “When we consider investing in a new piece presented in a useable way, or if it was not of technology we consider its potential acted upon. to drive profitability – by aiding farm

Mark Billing will speak about onfarm technology at this year’s Dairy Research Foundation Symposium.

“We look for technology that will help us make good and timely decisions, for example, grain-feeding on the basis of production enables us to set a grain diet based on desired outcomes and then deliver grain at an individual or group level,” Mr Billing said.

To hear more about the technology operating on the Billings’ farm, attend this year’s Dairy Research Foundation Symposium to be held in the Hunter Valley, NSW, on June 19 and 20.

For more information visit http://sydney. edu.au/vetscience/foundations/drf/ symposium or email esther@estherprice.com. au or phone 1800 177 636.

JUNE 2014

47

YES! Finally...

Your heat detection problems solved Easy Dairy Automation Systems – now selling and supporting Afi Act II heat detection Does it work?

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Afi Act II is made by Afimilk, world leaders and specialists in automatic heat detection.

They’ve been perfecting their heat detection system for over 30 years.

Will it save me time?

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Afi Act II means no more tailpaint, no need to look for cows on heat and a shorter joining period. The system also indicates non-cycling cows and cystic cows.

Does it work with Easy Dairy?

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Australia’s most popular and easy to use herd management program, “Easy Dairy” seamlessly integrates with Afi Act II.

Will it make my life easier?

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We mean it – there really will be no more tail painting and no need to watch the herd.

Will it make me money?

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Afi Act II uses the most accurate form of heat detection. Accurate heat detection means less inseminations per pregnancy, shorter between calf periods, more AI calves!

Will I be glad I bought it?

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The team at Easy Dairy Automation systems have chosen the Afi Act II, we firmly believe it’s the best available. We will assist you in any way we can to make sure you get the most from your system.

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JUNE 2014

Act now Call Easy Dairy Automation Systems (03) 5821 9900 Or go to easydairy.com.au • dmsafimilk.com.au