Dairy direct october 2014 (low res) by McPherson Media Group

Country News PUBLICATION

2014

OF T H AR E

•

ATIONAL RN

I NT E

Issue 14, October 2014

MILY FARM FA

Succession in the north-east

» page 12

Tips from low cell count farms

» pages 22, 24

A guide to bull choices

» page 26

Aiming for farm ownership Luke Zuidema has done the theory, now he’s on the farm » page 20

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Dairy Direct The long range weather forecasts appear to be promising close to average rainfall, but it’s amazing how jittery we can all get after the post millennium drought when we have a dry month. August was one of the driest in living memory for many northern districts which kicked off a busy irrigation season, but follow-up rain in September is indicating a better spring. With a return to more average conditions, and hopefully stable grain prices, dairy farmers should be in a better position to make capital from improved milk prices this season. The recently released Dairy Farm Monitor Project (see page 6) found that last year’s conditions contributed towards healthier dairy businesses and gave some farmers the opportunity to re-invest, make repairs and expand herds. One particular input, water, is bound to continue to be a 2

OCTOBER 2014

concern, as the survey found temporary water, in a season where there was no water shortage, cost an extra 27 per cent. It’s becoming clear that no matter what falls from the sky or what is retained in the storages, water will remain a considerable liability and asset for farming in the region. Geoff Adams Country News editor

contents

Good news for dairy

Doing Dairy Dairy news

But challenges remain for farmers. It was good to see positive solid numbers through the recent release of the Dairy Farm Monitor results for the past year. This is a result of the positive operating conditions and strong milk price for 2013-14 and is also a credit to the rising business management skill level of many dairy farm owners and managers. You’ll see inside this edition of Dairy Direct that Murray Dairy is seeking expressions of interest to join one of three steering groups. Farm business management is a strong area of focus and we are interested in hearing from people who would like to have a say around the prioritisation of the rollout of programs and how the level of farm business management skills across the region can continue to lift. We are working with Dairy Australia to set up a pilot Farm Safety Committee to inform the development of resources and programs to help address safety on farm challenges. A steering committee will be established with the University of Melbourne to support the development of Dookie Dairy.

Significant investment in robotic milking has been made in Dookie Dairy along with the irrigation technology. This will be a good opportunity to work with the University of Melbourne to draw on this investment to provide value back to both the university and the region’s dairy industry. While this season started with an improved opening milk price, the challenges ahead include a forecast of drier seasonal conditions, processors saying not to bank on step-ups and a higher temporary water price. Murray Dairy, Dairy Australia and DEPI are taking a combined seasonal approach to help support dairy farmers through these challenges. Watch the fortnightly enews over coming weeks for useful information and workshops. Malcolm Holm Murray Dairy chairman

4–5

Better year for the north

Animal health

Royal show crowns its queen

Future with a plan

Award recognises quality producer

Focusing on the farm business

Sexed semen improves herd

Building assets drives young farmer

Cell count award for year-round calving farm

Laid-back dairy lifestyle

Choices, choices, choices

Helping farmers improve profitability

Passion for agriculture leads to career

New indexes for ADHIS

City kid was born to be a farmer

Innovating to achieve industry excellence 34 Dealing for dairy equity

Hay balers a hidden fire risk

Testing milk for bacteria

Calendar of events

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REPAIRING AND SERVICING HYDRAULICS FOR THE DAIRY INDUSTRY OCTOBER 2014 3

Doing Dairy

with SOPHIE BRUNS

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

Girls produce plenty of girls Spring calving has gone well, touch wood. It has been a touch wood kind of month for us on the farm, especially when it comes to calving this spring. Last autumn we had the worst run of bull calves ever. We ended up with only about 20 AI heifers. This season I am happy to report things have been much better and we have well and truly surpassed that total. We have only had to pull two calves and even though some of our heifers calved about a month earlier then they were meant too, they have been trouble-free, too. Our touch wood luck even extended to the heifer we bought at this year’s North West Sale, who has just calved and given us a lovely healthy Guthrie heifer. We had female twins (Goldsun) and another favourite cow we also bought at a sale a few years ago has given us her first heifer too. On the negative side I have lost the ear taggers somewhere and the neck tuber

(although I am pretty sure the cheeky little Maltese may have had something to do with that disappearance). As you run from job to job it can be pretty easy to ‘forget’ where you put things, including the bucket with all the very important calving information in it. Lucky for me and my marriage, that one did turn up. The grass is starting to grow and we are looking at cutting our first lot of silage since we returned to dairying so we are pretty happy with that. We did fertilise fairly early to try and get things up and going and we have been blessed with a couple of showers of rain which kicked things on a bit. It is typical to go from mud, mud, mud in June to dust, dust, dust in September and like everyone else our irrigation pump has been given a fair workout already.

We are keeping a keen eye on temporary water prices too because we did consider pre-purchasing some temporary water for this season at a fixed price. We didn’t go ahead but will be interested to see how that pans out this year. On a personal note I have been busy training for my first and probably last half marathon which is in October. It was something I thought I could do before I turn 40 at the end of the year. Lucky for me I can run in the bush and along the Murray which make things a bit more enjoyable. And for an extra bit of exercise there is of course running around the calving paddock chasing calves that either take off like a fire cracker or refuse to walk at all — life just doesn’t get any better than being a dairy farmer!

dairy news China milk flows from Shepparton plant A new $100 million deal between Bega Cheese and a Chinese retailer will result in more work for Shepparton’s new Pactum UHT dairy factory. While Bega has two factories in northern Victoria, and is an exporter of milk powder, it does not pack UHT milk so it will engage the Pactum plant that was officially opened in May. Bega has signed the agreement with Chongqing General Trading Group in southern China. The Chongqing municipality in south-west China has a population of 32 million. The companies were initially brought together by DEPI. Meanwhile, production of packaged UHT milk destined for the Chinese market has begun at Pactum Dairy Group’s Shepparton plant. The product U+ is packaged by Pactum

OCTOBER 2014

which is part of the Freedom Foods Group, as part of a strategic supply agreement with China’s Bright Dairy. Launched in China in August, the 250 ml product is marketed as 100 per cent pure Australian milk sourced from the rich dairy producing areas around Shepparton. Freedom Foods managing director Rory Macleod said the Shepparton-based $45 million Tetra Pak facility would manufacture value-added dairy beverages for key customers in China and South-East Asia. “Australia has a unique advantage in the supply and manufacture of high quality premium agriculture-based foods. With increasing demand from markets in China and South-East Asia for high quality valueadded product, Australia through companies such as Pactum, is well placed to play an important role in this supply chain,” Mr Macleod said.

Pactum operations manager Mark McWhirter.

dairy news

We Trade Allocation Daily

Farmer of the year Queensland dairy farmer Greg Dennis was crowned Dairy Farmer of the Year at the Kondinin Group ABC Rural Australian Farmer of the Year Awards in Melbourne recently. Kondinin Group general manager Stephanie Shepherdson said while the field was tight, Mr Dennis was a worthy winner of the Dairy Australia award. The Dennis family has owned and operated its 150ha dairy farm since the 1930s, and Mr Dennis is a fifth-generation dairy farmer.

From the 20–cow herd milked by hand in the 1930s up to milking 360 cows and being the second largest dairy in Queensland through the 1990s, Mr Dennis has now moved towards using robotics in his dairy operation. “My interest in the prospect of robotic dairies was first ignited in 2010, our first cow was milked robotically in October that year, and we have seen tremendous benefits for our cows, surrounding health and productivity, with reduced labour,” Mr Dennis said.

FTA could save millions The northern Victorian dairy industry could save $202 million over 10 years if tariffs were cut in a free trade deal with China, dairy farmers at Kyabram heard recently. The UDV is driving a campaign to get a better deal in trade negotiations between Australia and China, which are expected to conclude this year. New Zealand has been enjoying lower Chinese tariffs than Australia since 2008, Dairy Australia international trade development manager Peter Myers told a dinner attended by about 45 people. Mr Myers said while Australian imports into China faced a 15 per cent tariff for skim milk, for example, the New Zealanders were paying zero, as a result of a free trade agreement settled in 2008. Under the agreement, a range of tariffs imposed on New Zealand are being removed over time. UDV president Tyran Jones

told the meeting the industry was lobbying for a “New Zealand plus” deal with China, which was based on a comment by Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb earlier this year. This equates to Australia achieving the same tariff reductions as New Zealand is getting in the same years. Some industry references are being made to ‘New Zealand equivalent’ which means Australia would have to wait for the same time to elapse as New Zealand, starting from when the agreement is concluded. Mr Jones said tariff reductions would not only help with price but would give Australia access to growth and make Australia more competitive. Mr Myers said tariff reductions could generate savings of about $589 million over 10 years for the Victorian dairy industry. See page 36 for further details.

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OCTOBER 2014 5

Better year for the north

$8.00

10%

$7.00

Return on assets (%)

12%

$6.00

$5.00

$4.00

$3.00

$2.00

-2%

$1.00

-4%

Milk price ($/kg MS, real)

Positive operating conditions

$0.00 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Return on assets (left axis)

Milk price (right axis)

Figure 1: Return on assets and milk price in northern Victoria across the history of the Dairy Farm Monitor Project

DEPI business economist Claire Waterman outlines the dairy monitor results showing a better year for northern Victorian farmers.

In a year that possibly was ‘as good as it gets’ for growing pasture and producing milk, northern Victorian dairy farms in 2013–14 reported the highest returns of the eight-year history of the Dairy Farm Monitor Project. The year began with above-average winter rainfall which was welcomed because many farmers carried over less water into the 2013–14 irrigation season than the previous year. The winter was followed by a warm spring and then a hot, dry summer but 100 per cent high-reliability water allocation meant that dairy farmers in the north were able to take advantage of good growing conditions. A significant heat spell in February caused a decrease in production in the short term, yet farms readily recovered and those farmers who sowed pastures early were rewarded with the good autumn break. The 2013–14 Dairy Farm Monitor Project

OCTOBER 2014

surveyed 75 dairy farms, reporting on the this year compared to last year. While the financial and physical performance of the grain price increased to $329/tonne, the businesses across Gippsland, south-west and higher milk price meant it was attractive to northern Victoria regions. Across the state, continue to feed grain. all participants recorded a positive return on The positive operating conditions and assets this year compared to only 43 of the strong milk price led to an increased average 75 participants last year. return on assets to 11.3 per cent, up from In the north this year, average milk price 2.2 per cent in 2012–13. Return on equity was $6.83/ kg MS for participant farms; also showed a significant turnaround from 36 per cent higher than last year’s price of -2.9 per cent last year up to 14.7 per cent in $5.05/ kg MS. 2013–14, meaning farmers were better able Income from milk was bolstered by to capitalise on borrowed assets in this highother farm income, such as livestock milk-price year. trading — particularly heifer export — and The 2013–14 Dairy Farm Monitor Annual changes in feed inventories, to increase gross Report is available for download from farm income to $7.46/ kg MS. www.depi.vic.gov.au/dairyfarmmonitor Total cost of production increased to The Dairy Farm Monitor Project is a $5.34 kg MS from $5.15/ kg MS last year joint initiative between DEPI and Dairy due to higher costs for purchased and Australia. home-grown feed. These higher costs came partly from increased water and grain prices, — Katrina Lawrence, Contemporary but also from feeding more cows per hectare Extension in Dairy, DEPI Echuca

Case study management by attending A northern Victorian dairy farm that invested heavily courses and seeking advice from in water modernisation had pasture management specialists. shown improvements in pasture More recently the owners production, water efficiency were seeking advice on lifting and financial return. phosphorous levels DEPI business economist Ms Waterman said the results Claire Waterman produced a were reflected in the pasture case study for one of the farms consumption figures. in the Dairy Farm Monitor The farmers believe Project. improvements in the irrigation The farm managers had made system have helped them lift some major changes to their pasture consumption and property, and the case study improve their skills. measured some of the outcomes. “The irrigation upgrade has Ms Waterman said that as improved their water-use farms underwent significant efficiency and they are using less development, short-term labour, resulting in improved production and income labour efficiency, Ms Waterman are often decreased as they said. integrated the development into “They are shifting a part-time the new system. employee onto full time While the project created as a result of the business significant delays to production performing better and running the benefits are starting to flow. more cows, thus increasing Under the program established stocking rate.” about four years ago the farm While the cost of production surrendered about 25 per cent has moved up, the farm has of water entitlements (about entered the top performing 60 Ml), installed a fast-flow group for the state for the first automatic irrigation system and time this year. laser graded 73 ha. They also installed new drains and outlets, Ms Waterman said while capital and have sown down more expenditure development was pasture. not a silver bullet (it required effort and time to integrate it The farm owners concentrated into the system), it can have on home-grown feed and developed their skills in pasture long-term positive effects.

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animal health

A regular column from Rochester Vet Clinic

Are you ready to mate? Getting cows in-calf early will give the business a boost. No matter what the season ahead has in store, reproductive performance should still be high on most people’s agenda. Getting cows and heifers in calf early can have an enormous effect on the profitability of your business and obviously when things are looking tight you want to maximise your return from all inputs. The following is a brief summary of the main areas of management relevant to maximising your reproductive performance. Nutrition Nutrition has probably the biggest impact on reproductive performance from year to year. Heifers need to be raised so that they have sufficient body size and condition at joining to allow them to carry a calf. Cows need to be fed to meet both the needs of lactation and to maintain body condition for cycling. Cows with low body condition are less likely to start cycling after calving. While cows will normally lose condition after calving, excessive loss (more than one condition score) will affect reproductive performance. In order for cows to calve down in reasonable condition, they must be fed correctly in the dry period. Health It is vital that the cows are healthy overall and from a reproductive point of view. Ensure the cow does not have to cope with a parasite burden by strategic worm and fluke drenches. This will most likely have been done at drying-off but a further dose, about one month after calving, with Ivomec Plus will take care of any build-up of worm numbers post-calving, especially where cows are grazing close to the ground and densely stocked. Any cow that has had problems calving, retained afterbirth or is showing any sign of vaginal discharge should be checked by your vet and if necessary given the appropriate treatment. There is a Coopers product, Metricure, for flushing cows that has a nil milk withhold which takes a lot of the hassle out of treating this condition. These cows should be examined two to four weeks post-

OCTOBER 2014

calving to allow them time to clean up before your mating start date (MSD). In-Calf data and studies in both New Zealand and Australia have demonstrated a close correlation between having retained foetal membranes and/or metritis and having poor submission and in-calf rates. Pre-Mating Heat Detection It is well worthwhile heat detecting at least three weeks before your planned MSD and recording these heats. This will identify those cows that are not cycling visibly. Some of these may be in true anoestrous and will require treatment to start cycling. Once you have recorded your pre-heats, you will be able to generate a short-list of animals that need a reproductive exam by your vet. By treating these animals early, you have more chance of increasing your early submission rate and increasing the number of service chances for each cow. Non-cycling cows can be treated with a program of injections and vaginal inserts (CIDRs or Ov-Synch program) and cows that have cystic ovaries can be treated with gonadotrophin injections. Heat detection aids include: • Tailpaint • Heat mount detectors (Kamars or Estrus Alerts) • Activity meters (expensive) • Telemetric heat mount detectors (expensive) Good submission rates are a vital part of getting cows in calf early as a cow can’t get pregnant unless it actually gets served. Synchronisation This is the process whereby cows’ cycles are manipulated by the use of drugs, in order to concentrate the heats into a short period. This can improve the efficiency of heat detection and enable planning and better utilisation of AI services and ultimately reduces the spread of calving, giving a tighter calving pattern and allowing better management of labour at that time. There are many different programs available using injections, vaginal inserts or a

combination of both. As each herd has a unique situation, it is best to discuss your objectives with your vet to determine which program best suits your needs. The programs should be compared according to the following key features: • Labour and time available – number of injections required – placement and removal of inserts – number of yardings required • Degree of complication – will cows need to be grouped separately – need for heat detection – tightness of synchrony required – cost of treatment Bulls Once AI has finished most people will use bulls to ‘mop up’ the non-pregnant cows. For this to be effective, the bulls must be healthy and in good body condition and there need to be enough of them to do the job. The number of bulls required will vary according to how high the AI conception rate was. When calculating the number of bulls required it is best to assume the worst and overestimate the number of empty cows after AI. The In-Calf recommendation would be to have three bulls for every 100 cows at the mating start date. If you are synchronising, there will be more cows on heat during a short period. This will create a lot more work for the bulls, as they will be required to serve more cows per day so the recommendation is to use four per 100 cows. The bulls should be run in teams and rotated one week on, one week off. Young bulls do not have the capacity to store the large amounts of sperm necessary to fertilise a large number of cows in a short period of time so use mature bulls when synchronised cows are due to come on heat. All bulls should be vaccinated for 7-in-1 (leptospirosis), Vibriosis and Pestigard (BVDV). — Keith Fletcher, Rochester Vet Practice

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Ireland Letson from Cobram (left), and Kiarra Taylor from Wangaratta were helping out friends in the Cobram Sun Vale stud stalls at the Royal Melbourne Dairy Show.

Brendon Nicholson, (left) and Pat Nicholson with Interbreed Reserve Champion Dairy Cow, Jugiong Petunia 5574, which also took home the Senior Champion Jersey and Jersey Best Udder sashes.

Royal show crowns its queen Hundreds compete in dairy show.

G V D A I RY SDU P P L I E S P TY L T

OCTOBER 2014

the youth classic was paraded Linsand Aspen Cinnamin, by Brady Hore, 15, from exhibited by John and Leitchville. Cherie Gardiner and Lindsay and Nina Marshall of More than 400 class entries were judged, including 268 dairy Cardinia, has been awarded cows from 82 exhibitors over the prestigious Supreme three days at the Melbourne Champion Dairy Exhibit at Showgrounds. the 2014 Royal Melbourne RASV chief executive officer Dairy Show. Mark O’Sullivan congratulated The Gardiners and Marshalls this year’s winning exhibit and have competed at the Royal said judges were impressed by Melbourne Dairy Show for the quality of entries. more than 29 years, taking out the top prize for the second time “Through the Royal Melbourne since winning in 1997. Dairy Show, the RASV is dedicated to recognising and Girgarre’s Nicholson family won celebrating the Australian Reserve Champion dairy cow with their Jersey, Jugiong Petuna dairy industry, as well as its contribution to the wider 5574. agricultural sector, and thanks The seven-year-old also won to the industry for its ongoing Champion Jersey Exhibit and support,” Mr O’Sullivan said. Best Udder. International and local experts The Peatlings, from Toolamba, judges included New Zealand’s exhibited the Interbreed Junior David Stalker (Holsteins), Champion with their Bluechip Darrin Grevett (Jerseys) and Goldlyn Tonio heifer, and Sally Keith Dorries (Interbreed), both Tivendale from Murchison’s from Queensland. Glenally Guernseys won Supreme Champion Guernsey The Royal Melbourne Dairy Exhibit with Glenally SPC Show featured live scoring Jackie. displayed in the livestock Supreme Champion Heifer in pavilion throughout judging.

OCTOBER 2014 11

Words and pictures: Cathy Walker Cows graze on the hillside at Mitta Park, Tallangatta South.

Future with a plan Making succession work

Alice Colclough has her hands full with two-year-old twins Oliver and Hamish as well as an exciting new dairy partnership.

OCTOBER 2014

Farming families understand a farm succession plan is imperative for a harmonious life, not to mention a viable financial future. But not everyone has the ‘‘succession’’ conversation in time. Alice and Justin Colclough are passionate exponents of the idea after Alice’s father Matt O’Brien suffered a life-changing stroke and they were able to swing their plan into play, albeit a little earlier than expected. At Mitta Park, Tallangatta South, the Colcloughs recently described their journey at a Murray Dairy Young Dairy Network ‘‘Calving Your Career’’ farm walk. Murray Dairy YDN leader and consultant Geraldine Perkins welcomed a small group of local farmers and suppliers to the day and said Alice and Justin were ‘‘quite open about what they are doing’’ and welcomed the ideas of their visitors. The pair met when Alice, who studied agricultural science and Spanish at university, was working in banking in Melbourne. Justin, who was working in logistics, said he didn’t see returning to the family sheep and cropping farm at Deniliquin as an option. ‘‘Mum and Dad weren’t all that keen about expanding the business and acquiring more desert,’’ Justin said, admitting to making the most of the party life in the city. ‘‘It makes me not want to ever go back there — but I made some money and I met Alice.

It was time to get serious about making a living.’’ After twins Hamish and Oliver were born in 2012, Justin and Alice spent time at home at Tallangatta South with Alice’s parents Matt and Katie. ‘‘Justin grew an appreciation of what dairy has to offer,’’ Alice said. ‘‘We returned to Melbourne and it took that time away (from the property) to be really clear about a longer-term plan to be on the farm.’’ They headed back to Mitta Park to take a chance on dairy — and almost straight away Matt had a stroke, in December 2013. ‘‘Having had the (succession planning) discussion before we had to take over enabled us to get going,’’ Alice said. ‘‘We had some base structure about what we were going to do.’’ In earlier scenarios, when Justin was ready to take the reins of the farm, Matt would have stayed on to oversee things for six months. Instead, he and Katie have moved to Albury to be closer to medical support and to negate the frustration Matt felt. Alice said what her father could see but not do wasn’t helping his recovery. Justin added the kind of nuts and bolts advice he missed out on from his father-inlaw included ‘‘working up a paddock with a massive spring that you don’t know about’’.

Justin Colclough hails from a mixed farm at Deniliquin and is enjoying the challenges of dairy.

Mitta Park includes flats and hills and the dairy is conveniently close to the road.

The Colclough have taken out a loan to cover the cost of improvements such as a dairy upgrade and are still feeling their way with the layout of the property in terms of which paddocks to crop and which to retain as part of the dairy platform that now is 115 ha including leasehold. Matt and Katie converted Mitta Park from beef to dairy in 1996 and some of the property, which sprawls over 10 km by road in a boomerang shape comprising hills and flats, remains under-developed. With the potential of 250 milkers at peak

Justin is making it his mission to grow better grass as well as silage. The group discussed stocking rates and agreed it was on the high side, suggesting that Justin and Alice needed some fodder reserves ‘‘to take the heat off ’’, predicting hay would be expensive. As newcomers to dairying the couple has many challenges ahead but said there was no better place to raise a young family, agreeing with a comment during the farm walk that seeing Melbourne in the rear-view mirror was its best perspective.

Geraldine Perkins ran the discussion group.

The farm walk participants check out the dairy at Mitta Park, where they discussed feeding and integrating heifers into the system.

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Blighty farmer Craig Gallpen (middle) pictured with his staff (from left) Lochy McCallum, Rachel Napier, Steph Leetham and Selina Kim.

Craig Gallpen’s three-milkings-a-day farm has a deliberate focus on milk quality that has paid off in recent years. The Blighty farmer has invested heavily in staff training and equipment to ensure his high-producing cows have a minimum down-time due to mastitis. He is one of only a handful of Murray region dairy farmers to be named among Dairy Australia’s milk quality award winners. Mr Gallpen has a systematic approach to herd health, influenced by consultants and carried out by his professional staff. His supervising shed staff attend ‘‘Cups-on, Cups-off ’’ training courses, and he insists they follow established protocols. A key to preserving udder hygiene is ensuring teat end health to protect against incursion by mastitiscausing bacteria. ‘‘If we can keep teat end condition good, we can lessen the chance of mastitis,’’ he said. He has recently bought and installed teat scrubbers for the 15-a-side double-up herringbone dairy. Mr Gallpen said his staff was a key to achieving low cell counts.

Lameness in your dairy cattle is affecting your bottom line We are bringing the newest innovations and information available in Australia to help you prevent lameness in your herd. We encourage a holistic approach to dealing with lameness therefore will be covering the three areas necessary to prevent lameness: hoof trimming, diet and a new approach to maintaining your laneways never seen in Australia — a soil binding agent, Perma-zyme.

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Hoof trimming demonstrations featuring the Appleton Steele Hydraulic Hoof Trimming Chute. Date: Wednesday 19th November Where: Peaceville Holsteins. 51 G. Peaces Rd (off Kerang-Leitchville Rd), Leitchville Time: 6pm to 7pm for hoof trimming demonstration RSVP: For more information or to RSVP call or text to 0407 826 630. RSVP essential for catering purposes. A BBQ and refreshments are included and we encourage you to stay and chat with our vets, speakers and other farmers.

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www.bordervets.com.au OCTOBER 2014 15

Words: Cathy Walker Pictures: Sophie Burge, Evie Feehan

Focusing on the farm business And benefitting from advice and support of others

Exciting plans are on the horizon for David and Jenni Owen and their family, and the Blighty dairy farmers won’t be on their own when they embark on the journey. The Owens are Murray Dairy and Murray Local Land’s new Focus Farm hosts for the Riverina, a prospect that Mr Owen views as all positive. “My daughter Kristeen and her husband Leigh Culton have joined the farm since we bought the farm next door last year,” Mr Owen said. “Initially we were working two herds from two dairies, but the newer one needed work, so we’ve joined the herds together and we plan to build a new dairy, feed pad, feed shed and calf-rearing facilities. “To pay for it we need to get bigger so we figured being part of a Focus Farm could help us achieve that.”

“

... We need to get bigger so we figured being part of a Focus Farm could help us achieve that. David Owen

The Owens now milk up to 700 cows on 480 ha that includes an 80 ha outblock. They plan to get to 950 head in three years. “There was a plan but it wasn’t written down; even Jenni said ‘I don’t know what the plan is’.” A Focus Farm will take care of all that; Mr Owen said he would include some young 16

OCTOBER 2014

farmers in his group so they could learn alongside him. “I’ll probably get embarrassed when the figures start going in the paper, but if it (the process) helps us get where we want to be I don’t mind,” Mr Owen said. Murray Dairy’s business officer Tony Berrisford said hosting a Focus Farm would provide the Owens with the opportunity to assess the direction their business was taking on both a financial and physical production basis. “The Focus Farms project helps farmers better understand their farm business and farming system. It assists in analysing the impact of on-farm decisions, development options and risk management,” Mr Berrisford said. “Through the establishment of a support group of farmers and service providers examining all aspects of their business they will be exposed to new ideas and a diverse range of options to increase the strength of their business. “The support group’s role is to explore options for achieving the Owens’ goals for their business. “It offers a range of experiences and expertise providing a breadth of ideas and management skills. “The wider community also has the opportunity to benefit from the Focus Farm through the open days that are held twice a year on the farm,” he said. Regular updates on the progress of the Focus Farm will be published through Country News and Murray Dairy’s enews. To subscribe to Murray Dairy’s enews email admin@murraydairy.com.au or phone 5833 5312.

Hay, nice day. David and Jenni Owen’s herd will be a focal point of the new Murray Dairy and Murray Local Land’s Riverina Focus Farm.

David Owen welcomes the scrutiny of being part of the Focus Farm program because it may help his family to achieve its goals.

These calves will come out of the shade and grow with the Focus Farm.

Seeking Farmer Input Over the coming year Murray Dairy is placing a strong focus on farm business management along with workforce and profitable production on farms. Murray Dairy is seeking Expressions of Interest from dairy farmers for participation on newly formed committees.

Farm Business Management

Dookie Dairy

This steering committee will help prioritise the roll out of programs and identify how to support the ongoing development of farm business management skills across the region.

Murray Dairy is partnering with the University of Melbourne to establish this steering committee. The committee’s focus is to optimise the significant investment in robotic milking and irrigation technology through Dookie Dairy.

Key attributes for steering committee members include: • dairy farm business management skills, • an understanding of farm profit drivers and farm systems, • a strong experience with Dairy Business Networks would highly regarded.

Key attributes for steering committee members include: • a vision for the direction of regional farm system and priorities, • an ability to identify future opportunities for industry engagement, • a strong understanding of dairy industry priorities.

Farm Safety Murray Dairy and Dairy Australia are establishing a pilot Farm Safety Steering Committee to help address safety on farm challenges. Key attributes for steering committee members include: • a passion to see positive change in the area of farm safety • a willingness to bring farm safety solutions to the committee, • preparation to be involved in testing the resources developed, • ability to encourage farmers to become involved in the uptake of farm safety resources.

Legendairy The Legendairy Working Committee will help inform local Legendairy communications and promotional activities in accordance with regional priorities. The committee is seeking: • dairy industry representatives from a range of experiences and backgrounds, • a dairy farmer representative from each of the five Murray Dairy sub-regions, • members who have a passion for promoting the region’s dairy industry.

For more information and an Expression of Interest form please visit www.murraydairy.com.au, call Murray Dairy on (03) 5833 5312 or email admin@murraydairy.com.au Interested farmers are asked to submit their interest to Murray Dairy by 10 am Monday, November 3, 2014.

Words: Sharon Wright Heifers born in April 2013 are growing out on the McNaughton’s Kergunyah South dairy farm.

Sexed semen improves herd Calving rate using AI is impressive. A Kergunyah South dairy farming know it’s going to be a heifer calf.” Staff from Numurkah Nu-Genes used family has seen significant improvement to carry out the AI program but since This season the McNaughtons used five in its 220–cow herd since it started moving to the new farm Mrs McNaughton sires including Rising Star, Kody, Focus, joining the maiden heifers to sexed completes the task. DSol and Petrone to improve the genetic merit of their herd. semen. The McNaughtons’ conception rates are Jane and Bruce McNaughton have used They aim to produce cows with improved impressive; they have never gone under 50 the relatively new technology to artificially milk components, strength, feet, legs and per cent in-calf rate and once achieved a inseminate their heifers for 10 years. mammary system and choose bulls which 98 per cent in-calf rate. They average 75 produce daughters with exceptional health “More heifer calves on the ground means we per cent of heifers in calf. and fertility traits. can choose the best possible replacements for the herd. We have more opportunities “In the early days there were very few bulls to cull the lowest performing cows or cows in the sexed semen catalogue. Now there is with bad traits,” Mrs McNaughton said. a far larger pool of animals to choose from so you can breed the animals with the “AI-bred heifers, regardless of their age, are More heifer calves on traits you require,” Mrs McNaughton said. worth a lot of money.” the ground means we The 172 ha dairy farm is a pasture-based The McNaughtons, who farm with their operation with about 4 kg of crushed son Tim, started using sexed semen in the can choose the best wheat with a mineral additive- fed per herd when they farmed at Waaia. possible replacements cow per day. Milk production averages “We used to join our heifers to AI calving 6500 litres per cow. ease bulls. One year we ended up with for the herd. three heifer calves, the rest were bulls. The family is a loyal Murray Goulburn Jane McNaughton It was a very expensive exercise,” Mrs Co-operative supplier and milks 220 cows McNaughton said. year-round; calving 150 in the autumn and the balance in the spring. Their heifer joining program is simple, the “If we have 40 heifers submit to AI; at animals are kept close to the dairy and Their property Fairholme fronts the the lowest rate we know we’re going to joined as they come on heat naturally. picturesque Kiewa River and in their four have 20 heifer calves and at the average years of ownership the McNaughtons “We don’t synchronise or use any drugs. conception rate we will have 30 heifer have planted thousands of trees to provide They are tail painted, observed closely and calves,” Mrs McNaughton said. shelter for stock as well as control erosion joined immediately,” Mrs McNaughton in the steep gullies. “If one of our heifers is in calf to AI we said.

OCTOBER 2014

“

Spring calving heifers have been joined to sexed semen and will soon come into the McNaughtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s herd.

Bruce, Jane and Tim McNaughton have used sexed semen for the past 10 years which has resulted in more heifer calves on the ground.

OCTOBER 2014 19

Words and pictures: Sharon Wright

Building assets drives young

farmer

Luke Zudeima’s goal is to own his own farm and he’s well on the way to realising his dream. Zeerust farmer Luke Zuidema is enthusiastic about the dairy industry and is eager to build his asset base to support his eventual aim of farm ownership. Now entering his third season on the 120 ha farm, Mr Zuidema, 30, has a sharefarming arrangement with his family which he is confident will help him achieve his long-term goal. “Mum and Dad own the farm, I own the herd, the machinery and all the headaches,” Mr Zuidema said. Raised on a South Gippsland dairy farm Mr Zuidema completed a double degree — Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Hons) and Bachelor of Business at LaTrobe University Bundoora — before managing his parents’ farm for 12 months. After that a three-year stint as an assistant manager with Warakirri Dairies at its East Gippsland site prompted Mr Zuidema to pursue a career milking his own cows.

Zeerust dairy farmer Luke Zuidema is in a sharefarming arrangement with his family. His ultimate goal is farm ownership.

The family looked at upwards of 60 farms in Victoria’s three key dairy areas — Gippsland, Western District and northern Victoria — before buying the Zeerust property. “Northern Victoria represented the best value for money for us. We could come here and buy a farm for under $1 million that would carry 240 cows and help me get a start,” Mr Zuidema said. He milks off a grass base comprising 70 per cent perennial pastures with the balance

annuals; most of which he has oversown. He augments the pasture with a grain mix to produce on average 7700 litres and 562 kg milk solids per cow. Other farm improvements Mr Zuidema has made include installing cup removers, automatic wash and a yard blaster in the 26 swingover dairy so it’s a one-person operation. Farming on his own, the Murray Goulburn supplier relies on a couple of casual relief milkers and uses contractors when needed.

100%. . .

this is no Bull!

Checking bull fertility is a logical exercise.

The ideal time to fertility test bulls is just prior to joining. No special handling facilities are required, apart from a sound cattle crush.

20% of bulls are infertile or subfertile. This is a disaster if the infertile bull is the dominant one in a group, or worse still if he is supposed to be doing the job himself.

OCTOBER 2014

Bull Fertility:

Fertility testing costs around $100 per head, which is cheap insurance. We advise farmers to closely observe the bull’s activities when introduced to the cows.

If you need bulls’ fertility tested please contact the clinic.

29 Ross Street, Tatura Ph: 5824 1755

Healthy calves on Luke Zuidema’s Zeerust dairy farm.

Building up numbers of young stock is one way Luke Zuidema is increasing his asset base.

His immediate priority is to reduce debt and “My aim is to breed a high fertility, high “I suppose because of my business background rear as many heifer calves as possible both to component, no-fuss cow.” anything I do must have a solid business case improve the genetics in his own herd and tap and comes back to getting a dollar return for the Since moving to the area Mr Zuidema has into the lucrative export heifer market. joined a discussion group in Numurkah and dollar I spend.” He joins the cows to calve twice a year, using a followed Nick and Jane Andrews’ Focus Farm He firmly believes that milking cows is the best synchronised artificial insemination program for project at Katandra West. way for him to grow his asset base and reach his three weeks followed by a further three weeks “Getting involved with those programs was farm ownership goal. with bulls in the herd. probably the best thing I did. I’m always keen to “I will admit I am more of a pasture man than know what other farmers are doing. I don’t care “Two years ago I started with 240 cows. I’ve still got 240 cows but I’ve also got 180 head of a cow man. I like growing the grass which the whether it’s a good idea or bad idea, I’m happy cows then turn into money,” Mr Zuidema said. to make up my own mind,” Mr Zuidema said. young stock running around.”

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This inquisitive cow is part of the 400-head, AI-bred Holstein herd on the Poyner farm.

Cell count award for year-round

calving farm

Team approach helps gain farm a gold plaque award.

Healthy dry cows will soon be ready to come into the Poyner herd at Katandra West.

OCTOBER 2014

Maintaining a low bulk milk cell count while calving 400 cows year-round is no easy task, but a Katandra West dairy farming family has achieved it several years running. Ken and Betty Poyner have been awarded a Dairy Australia gold plaque which places their herd in the top five per cent in Australia with the lowest BMCC. The couple, son Warren and employee Cheyne Osborne have implemented a team approach to dealing with mastitis to maintain their premium milk status with supply company Parmalat. “We never really had a huge problem, our cell count hovered between 200 000 and 250 000, but then you only needed one crook cow to push the count up,” Mr Poyner said.

Words and pictures: Sharon Wright

Warren, Betty and Ken Poyner and their employee Cheyne Osborne have been rewarded with a gold award for maintaining a low cell count.

routine helps combat that concern even three times we dry the quarter off or sell But after illness forced Mrs Poyner to take her,” Mrs Poyner said. a break from the dairy four years ago, she though they are bringing freshly calved made a concerted effort to reduce the cell cows into the herd every six weeks. Blanket dry cow treatment and teat seal count when she returned. is administered to every cow at the end of They feed up to 2.3 tonne per cow of lactation and every endeavour is made to Now the count sits at around 80 000 crushed wheat with a mineral supplement calve cows in a clean and dry area. occasionally inflating to 120 000 during which underpins the herd average of 8500 extreme wet periods. litres. Mr and Mrs Poyner milk morning and “It took us a little while to get the nutrition night and routinely strip every cow before sorted out and that has definitely helped It took us a little while putting the cups on. with the cell count too,” Mr Poyner said. “I put the cups on so I strip the cows. I don’t “The cows are never stirred up, they are to get the nutrition do 400 every milking, I might check older always moved slowly to and from the dairy. cows in the morning and younger cows at sorted out and that has That’s important too.” night,” Mrs Poyner said. The family farm encompasses 344 ha with definitely helped ... The practice helps them identify cows Manufacturers of axial flow a further 182 ha lease property used for Ken Poyner and turbine pumps which have early clinical signs of mastitis fodder production. The 48–stand rotary enabling prompt treatment and quick dairy was constructed 19 years ago, five Dam site design Bore pumps recovery. years after the family relocated from South Calving is a critical time for mastitis outbreaks and theneeds Poyners believe their “We are strict though, if a cow has mastitis On-farm Gippsland. project

“

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Words and pictures: Cathy Walker The Karraglen Jerseys herd at Numurkah heads in for milking.

Peter Hansen says with a smaller herd you pay attention to each individual cow but ‘‘you still have the same bugs, they are just easier to detect’’.

Laid-back dairy lifestyle The results speak for themselves.

Peter Hansen says with a smaller herd you pay attention to each individual cow but “you still have the same bugs, they are just easier to detect”. The way Mr Hansen sees it, happy cows are healthy cows. At least that’s one reason he gives for achieving exceptionally low cell counts in the Karraglen Jerseys herd at Numurkah that was established in 1958 by his mother Faye and late father Allan. The 160-strong herd has returned figures in the top 100 herds in Australia for seven years, but Mr Hansen doesn’t see it as a big deal. His laid-back character seems to be reflected in his herd. “You have to do what you’re doing well — you get paid for quality milk,” Mr Hansen said as he got the cows in late in winter. The property was once a 2430 ha sheep station

and Faye Hansen lives in the original red brick the 10-a-side swingover dairy; they get homestead. 4 kg a day of Rivalea pellets and as well as growing 150 tonnes of hay a year they buy in But there are no working dogs there now and 220 tonnes. it’s important to Mr Hansen the cows are treated respectfully and not upset, which he “I like my cows looking good; because they are said could have a detrimental impact on cell healthy they don’t get too many problems.” counts. The results seem to speak for themselves, with “It depends on the weather and the the Jerseys delivering up to 8.3 per cent fat temperament of the cows and the and 4.1 per cent protein. temperament of the milkers,” the Dairy The longevity of some of the Hansens’ Farmers supplier said. “These cows are not favourite cows is extraordinary and the herd’s stressed in any shape, manner or form.” average age this year is seven. When his father He herd tests every month; and at drying off, was running the show the average age was any suspect cows are treated. eight-and-a-half. “We don’t use teat seals, haven’t found the need, One of the “Dawns” had her last calf at 21 and and we teat spray every cow after milking,” Mr prolific showring winner Dawn 127 died (in Hansen said. retirement) last year at 24 — as Mr Hansen observed, “we don’t cull for the sake of it”. “If a cow is dirty (in the udder) I’ll wash it but water drips dirt into the cups.” “You milk for a lifestyle and part of the lifestyle is looking after your animals.” He gives his milkers individual feeds in

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Choices, choices, choices Selecting traits to improve your herd. With joining just around the corner, many farmers are asking themselves, ‘which AI bulls am I going to use on my herd?’ The effects of genetics are permanent and compounding in the future so it’s crucial to make good decisions now. However, when it comes to bull selection there are many options. For the Holstein breed alone, there are at least 400 proven sires available (a conservative estimate) from an enormous variety of semen sellers and bull catalogues. A good decision fits with your goals, is based on information from a range of sources and is practical. The following steps will help you come up with a list of bulls to best meet your requirements. The first step is to figure out your goals — what would you like to achieve? Apart from getting cows pregnant, joining is also an opportunity to improve the productivity and longevity of your herd.

The first step in bull selection is to set your goals.

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This list of goals is known as your breeding objective, and can differ dramatically between farmers. You will make quicker progress if you have just a few traits to focus on (preferably five or less) and if you are consistent from year to year. A ‘Genetic Progress Report’ from Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme can be a good way to track the direction past breeding decisions have taken you, and to spot areas which may need improvement. The next step is to use your breeding objective to create a short list of bulls, taking into account practical considerations such as availability and type of semen, and cost and in-breeding concerns. If you’re a breeder for example, you might accumulate a pile of catalogues or research online about the latest, most promising bulls. Or, if you would rather focus on other aspects of farming, you might rely on a herd improvement adviser to create a list for you. Having your breeding objective handy will make it easier to discuss options for the future of your herd. For a good source of the season’s top bulls, the Good Bulls Guide August 2014 edition is downloadable from the ADHIS website at www.adhis.com.au Hard copies will be mailed directly to dairy farmers and copies are also available from

herd improvement centres and semen sellers. The guide provides independent standardised information comparing bulls from different countries and companies, with all listed bulls ranking highly for profit. If you are having trouble narrowing your list down, ‘Displayabull’ database on the ADHIS website lists information on bull pedigree, description and all known Australian Breeding Values for that individual including: production, cell count, Semen catalogues can often offer a bewildering workability, survival, calving ease, array of choices to farmers — it’s worth taking live-weight, daughter fertility and the time to sit down and make sense of it. conformation. This is excellent to help decide between two strong another group loves fast milking, easy calving contenders. cows with no health problems. Once you have a list of the bulls you want Good genetics don’t have to cost a fortune to use, order straws for the season ahead. and will stay around in your herd for decades Remember — it takes six straws on average to come. to generate a two-year-old heifer in milk, so order enough semen to meet future needs for For more information, phone Sarah Chaplin herd replacements. on 0439 275 896, email sarah.chaplin@depi.vic.gov.au or visit No single bull is ‘perfect’ for every farm. www.adhis.com.au Some farmers want a uniform, good looking, prize winning herd. Other farmers focus — Sarah Chaplin, DEPI Development on production indexes — more milk, better specialist in animal performance and components, higher protein. Still others Ee Cheng Ooi, DEPI dairy reproduction prefer beautiful temperaments, and yet management officer

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Helping farmers improve profitability Tony Berrisford’s focus is on strengthening farmers’ businesses. stint with the Commonwealth Bank. Assisting dairy farmers to improve their productivity and profitability That followed the completion of is the role of Murray Dairy’s newly an agricultural science degree at Melbourne University and preceded appointed business officer Tony a five-year term with DEPI, based at Berrisford. Geelong where he was involved in He will oversee three businesses in the livestock farm monitor program the Focus Farm project, at Kyabram, for the beef and sheep industry. Finley and Gundowring, and expects “That was where I really honed my to work closely with the individual farmers, their facilitators and support business analysis skills. Among groups during the two-year program. other things I analysed pasture performance and investment options Mr Berrisford will also support for farmers,” Mr Berrisford said. discussion groups investigating He said he was looking forward to a range of dairy business topics meeting the region’s dairy farmers including animal nutrition, pasture and facilitating the delivery of management and supplementary financial courses including the feeding. Taking Stock program. Originally from Horsham and now “I will be pro-active, keep an eye based at Murray Dairy’s Tatura on the season and direct farmers to offices, Mr Berrisford is not new to the area. He spent almost 18 months the resources which are available to in Shepparton during a two-year them,” Mr Berrisford said.

Tony Berrisford is Murray Dairy’s new business officer. He brings a wealth of agricultural and business experience to the role.

Passion for agriculture leads to career Helping dairy farmers build their business.

Angela Stead is Murray Dairy’s new dairy extension co-ordinator. She will be familiar to many dairy farmers, having recently worked as Murray Goulburn Co-operative’s FarmCare facilitator based in Cobram.

A passion for agriculture and the environment has led Angela Stead on an interesting career path which has culminated in her latest appointment as dairy extension co-ordinator with Murray Dairy. Her major objective is to help dairy farmers build sustainable businesses and give them the tools they need to make their farms profitable in the long term. Raised on a dairy farm on New Zealand’s North Island, Ms Stead completed a Bachelor of Applied Science at Massey University in Palmerston North focusing on horticulture, agriculture and forestry. She has worked as a sustainable farming officer with Northern Agricultural Catchments Council in Geraldton, Western Australia and most recently as

Murray Goulburn Co-operative’s FarmCare facilitator based at Cobram. Ms Stead’s position at Murray Dairy is funded by Dairy Australia and she sees her role primarily as helping to find solutions to the issues raised by the region’s dairy farmers. “During our regional network meetings farmers identify issues they need assistance with. It might be lameness, mastitis or heat stress,” Ms Stead said. She then liaises with experts in the industry to conduct field days and online webinars. Ms Stead has only been in the role a short time but she expects to help farmers assess their feed base, animal nutrition and performance as well as improve farm business and natural resource management, and advise on labour issues.

OCTOBER 2014 29

New indexes for ADHIS

A comprehensive review of the dairy industry’s national breeding objective has recommended three new breeding indexes.

While all three indexes account for the traits that influence profitability, the balance between profitability and other traits differs.

A ‘Balanced Performance Index’ to replace the current Australian Profit Ranking that focuses on maximising net profit through production, fertility and type.

The Balanced Performance Index is an economic index that aligns directly to net profit through a balance of production, functionality and type. Compared to the current APR, it has a stronger focus on fertility, cell count, survival, udders and overall type.

Two custom indexes: A ‘Type’ weighted index that focuses on improved type and a ‘Health’ weighted index that focuses on improved fertility and survival (longevity). Michelle Axford from the Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme said the proposed new indexes took into account feedback from farmers, industry and scientists. “Three breeding indexes will give farmers more choice,” Ms Axford said.

The Type weighted index has a stronger focus on overall type, mammary system, udder depth and fore udder attachment. Gains in live weight, stature and angularity will be faster and gains in fertility will be slower. The Health functionality index has the strongest focus on fertility, cell count and survival. Gains in production and type will be slower than in other indexes.

“This Balanced Performance Index will align to the breeding priorities of most Australian dairy farmers.

The new breeding indexes are expected to be launched with the next release of Australian Breeding Values in April 2015.

“The Type and Health weighted indexes will suit farmers with different breeding philosophies.”

Farmers and industry can provide feedback on the recommendations at www.ahis.com.au

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Bruce Springsteen might have been born to run but northern Victoria’s Peter Letcher was born to farm. When it comes to dairy farming, Mr Letcher believes you’re either born one or not, even if you grew up in the city as he did. “You either are or aren’t a farmer, it doesn’t matter where you come from. I don’t think you can be made into a farmer,” he said. Dairy farmers can grow good pastures and nurture healthy cows to make good milk, but according to Mr Letcher there’s no way to grow a dairy farmer if someone doesn’t want to do it. Luckily he did and he’s never regretted his fulfilling career choice. A city boy raised in the suburbs of Auckland in New Zealand, Mr Letcher always had his mind on a dairy career and has defied his metropolitan roots to become a successful farm owner in northern Victoria. There was never any question about his career choice and today, in his 53rd year, he is still enjoying and growing in the industry. Although his parents lived in the city, Mr Letcher had rural connections and from an early age would visit his grandparents’ dairy farm in New Zealand.

He admits it’s tough and challenging but he still enjoys the lifestyle, the animals, the work and the financial incentives of being a dairy farmer. The excellent farming conditions and moderate land prices of northern Victoria have helped Mr Letcher and his wife Diane to achieve their dreams of owning a farm, not once but twice. “We were sharefarming in New Zealand and moved to Australia in 1995 because we couldn’t afford to buy in New Zealand,” he said. They tried Tasmania for five years before moving to northern Victoria where they found the Murray Dairy region to be the perfect environment for buying and expanding. After sharefarming in Tongala, they bought an 80ha farm at Numurkah in 2002. They have since added a second 150ha farm at Strathmerton and now milk 180 to 200 autumn-calving crossbreed cows. Mr Letcher is not alone in migrating from New Zealand to the rich farming area. “There are quite a few guys from Auckland who have dairy farms in northern Victoria. I know three or four,” he said. There’s good reason for the area’s popularity.

our control, such as milk prices.” Milk production in the region grew by 1.4 per cent in the 12 months leading to the end The Letchers call on expert consultants of June on the back of improved seasonal to make sure they are heading in the right conditions, higher farm gate prices, local direction. investment and farmer confidence, and it “They look from the outside in where we is widely recognised as one of Australia’s look from the inside out. They see some premier dairying regions. important things that we might miss.” The Letchers’ farms are 100 per cent He also advocates industry involvement to irrigated which gives them year-round surety. help find the best pathway to success. “We can guarantee what we’re going to grow Mr Letcher started the Numurkah dairy and we’re growing plenty of good rye-grass,” discussion group at the tail end of the he said. drought and although he has stepped back The reliable water supply has also allowed from a leading role he continues to enjoy them to change from spring to autumn the benefits of working with other farmers calving, which has helped boost production. to discuss issues of relevance. So confident are the Letchers that when the He is on the local Focus Farm committee home farm’s production reached a peak they where best practice farms are used to bought a second farm 25 km away. showcase dairy success stories and was a forum delegate for his supply company, Now they are considering selling their home Fonterra. farm and buying a bigger one and hope onsite managers continue to develop and He is also supporting the Legendairy eventually enable them to retire. communication initiative to raise the profile and reputation of the industry. “As an industry the main thing we have to deal with is volatility and I think the whole “We’ve tended to sit back and do nothing dairy industry needs to be rationalised,” Mr when we should be out there trying to Letcher said. build a profile. A lot think we’re just dumb people with overalls on; we’ve got “Milk price is something we can’t change. We to get out there and show them what’s look after things we can control and don‘t really involved.” worry too much about things that are out of

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Innovating to achieve industry excellence Longer-lasting Australian dairy products with high nutritional value will soon be available to consumers in Australia and overseas thanks to a major industrial research initiative. The new ARC Dairy Innovation Hub will assist Australian dairy manufacturers to develop new products to meet the increasing local and international demand for high quality dairy products, particularly in Asia. Potential new products could include butter and dairy blends with improved taste and spreadability, lactose-free and reduced fat, long-life milks that really do “taste like real milk”, yoghurt that will retain its texture for longer without “watering off ” in the fridge, and a wider range of more consistent, natural cheese flavours and textures. Hub director, Sally Gras of the University of Melbourne, said the initiative brought together three of Australia’s leading dairy research groups in a five-year, $13 million Industrial Transformation Research Program, co- funded by the Australian Research Council, Dairy Innovation Australia, the University of Melbourne and the University of Queensland.

“Dairy manufacturing is currently worth more than two billion dollars to the Australian economy and will Hub director Sally Gras at the launch of the ARC Dairy Innovation Hub. continue to increase as the demand for food required in Asia doubles in coming years,” Associate Professor Gras said. University of Queensland chief investigator Bhesh Bhandari said food materials, “We will work to find solutions and scientists and technologists would work opportunities for the Australian dairy together within the ARC Dairy Innovation industry to make the most of our geographic Hub. location and to grow our exports into the lucrative Asian market.” “This will foster collaboration between two universities in dairy research that can benefit Australian dairy manufacturers will also industry,” Professor Bhandari said. benefit from processing innovations that reduce environmental impact, provide new Over the five years of funding, the hub opportunities for water recycling and reduce expects to achieve research outcomes to operating costs and time lost to equipment understand the structures of dairy products cleaning. better and how these contribute to their properties and feel in the mouth. Dairy Innovation Australia chief executive officer Lesley MacLeod said the new Researchers working across the three sites centre would focus on translating research will also evaluate new processes to improve excellence into industry value. dairy manufacturing in Australia. “This approach will use innovation to help “These insights will help manufacturers make our manufacturers both grow and add new products and design processes that can value in domestic and export markets,” reduce waste and lead to water and energy Dr MacLeod said. savings,” Associate Professor Gras said.

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Dealing for

dairy equity Building strong relationships. It is heartening to hear that the Federal Trade Minister is still committed to securing a good deal for dairy in the China Free Trade Agreement which is expected to be signed by the end of this year. Speaking at the Australian Dairy Farm Investment Forum in Melbourne, Mr Robb reiterated his “major objective with the China FTA was to get at least a New Zealand-equivalent deal for the dairy industry’’. While we welcome Mr Robb’s comments, UDV will continue to push for a ‘New Zealand plus’ outcome because we need tariffs to fall to the same level as New Zealand immediately to arrest our comparative disadvantage. The UDV has also been encouraged by positive meetings held with key politicians in dairy electorates and the large numbers

of northern Victorian dairy farmers who attended our open forums. We know we have support from many people involved with the industry who understand the FTA’s importance for their region and the opportunities it can bring. Those opportunities are not just about what’s in it for us, but also about strengthening the relationship between Australia and China. We are already in partnership with the Chinese to develop their industry and we have been for many years. We are an important partner of their domestic market, with the export of more than 50 000 dairy heifers every year. Dairy Australia has presented at the China Dairy Industry Association annual conference since 1995 and has been working closely with CDIA on the Dairy Australia China Scholarship Program since

1999. In that time, Dairy Australia has brought more than 220 Chinese scholars to Australia to get first-hand knowledge of our industry, and the relationships established are providing invaluable personal and business links between the two countries. This further strengthening of the Australia/ China dairy relationship through the FTA will help keep us in a competitive position in the rapidly growing market. Without the right deal, we risk being pushed out of our existing position by the much bigger competitors of New Zealand, Europe and the United Staes who have much greater ability to manipulate the market than we do. It is important that as many people as possible reiterate this message to their state and federal MPs so that dairy is not compromised when the final decision is made on who the winners are when the negotiations are finalised. — Tyran Jones, UDV president

Australia tariffs V NZ FTA tariffs — Key dairy products Item Skim milk Milk and cream SMP and WMP* Butter Cheese Instant formula

Aus (MFN) tariff NZ 2014 NZ 2015 NZ 2016 NZ 2017 End date 15.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2012 15.0% 4.5% 3.0% 1.5% 0.0% 2017 10.0% 4.2% 3.3% 2.5% 1.7% 2019 10.0% 3.0% 2.0% 1.0% 0.0% 2017 12.0% 3.6% 2.4% 1.2% 0.0% 2017 15.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2012

*Skim milk powder and whole milk powder

Source: Dairy Australia

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Hay balers: a hidden fire risk Simple tips to avoid baler fires

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• Outstanding dairy farm situated on Boothroyds Road, Katunga on some of the best lasered soils in Northern Victoria. • Excellent layout with central laneway and modernised Padman outlets and 100% recyclable. • 200 meg electric spearpoint, Deep Lead S&D bore supplying water to troughs, home and dairy. GMW delivery share in place. • Modern 16-aside swingover dairy with stall gates, electronic plant, in bale feeding, 5,800 litre vat, 200 cow feed pad. • Four-bedroom family home with ensuite, two living areas, reverse cycle air-conditioning and wood heater for those cosy nights. • Currently milking 130 cows and producing 74,000 kg/ms. This is a great family farm. Vendors have purchased bigger so act now.

• Outstanding 350 acre in three titles, situated on Berry’s Road, Katunga. • Modern five-bedroom brick-veneer home with ensuite, two large living areas and separate dining and lounge with lovely timber kitchen. • Great shedding including three large sheds for machinery and hay. • 26 swingover dairy with cup removers, 7,200 litre vat, electronic pulsators, in bail feed system, crusher, three grain silos. • 95% lasered with an excellent mixture of permanent and annual pastures, well built-up laneways and excellent fencing. Own gravel pit. • GMW delivery share in place, 458 megs deep lead bore on three phase, and 457 meg spearpoint on three phase with 7 meg recycle. • One of the best “could be yours”.

• After a lifetime of farming our vendors are retiring and offering their 212 acre property for sale. • Situated on Rankins Rd in two titles 95% lasered with a mix of irrigation set up and still waters well. • Very good 24-aside dairy with cup removers, flood wash yard, in bail feeding and 7,600 litre vat. • Well renovated four-bedroom family home with two living areas. Fully insulated with wood heater and evaporative air conditioning. • Currently sown to permanent pasture and annuals with good fertility and growing well. • Currently in full production with a split calving herd that could be purchased on a WIWO basis. • This is your chance to buy this productive and wellloved farm.

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fire spreading into nearby windrows and surrounding dry paddocks, and possibly stock losses. “There is always the prospect of nutritional loss of the hay left lying in windrows through delays replacing the burned out baler, especially if rain occurs in the meantime,” Mr Mickan said.

“

However, not so commonly known, there are also many hay baler fires which start during every hay Frank Mickan harvest.

“

DEPI is offering a timely warning concerning fire risk posed by badly maintained or worn-out hay balers. DEPI pasture and fodder conservation specialist Frank Mickan said each year we hear about hay stack fires in sheds and paddocks, and the financial loss of outside haystacks, hay sheds and equipment. “However, not so commonly known, there are also many hay baler fires which start during every hay harvest,” Mr Mickan said. “A recent meeting with CFA and farmers provided many insights that farmers and contractors should be familiar with. “The CFA annually attends several baler fires in Victoria, many of which could have been avoided or at least, ended with reduced damage. “Not only are balers often burned in these fires but sometimes the tractor is also partly or completely destroyed — neither are cheap pieces of machinery. “No doubt there are other unreported costs such as paddock fires caused by the baler

Most baler (and tractor) fires are caused by over-heating of worn out or collapsed bearings and they are often not noticed until the bale and baler are well alight.

It is compulsory by law for all tractors to have a water container with a minimum nine-litre capacity attached to the tractor during the fire restriction period. This can be either a pressurised water extinguisher or a knapsack. “Unfortunately, this law is poorly enforced, but it is a no-brainer when operating hot equipment in hot, dry, windy conditions in dry flammable grass,” Mr Mickan said. “It can potentially save expensive machinery from burning and the fire from spreading. “An additional minimum 2 kg dry powder extinguisher is also useful for electrical and hydraulic oil fires, often starting as a result of the baler fire melting wires or hydraulic hoses. “Burning embers are often blown into nooks and crannies around and under the tractor cabin and other hard-toget-to places and a powder extinguisher will spread further and more effectively extinguish flames in this case than water.”

Some other handy tips are: • If you notice a fire in the bale chamber, or a smoking bearing do not eject the bale from the chamber because it will be suddenly exposed to more air and the loose material inside and around the baler can seemingly explode into flames. • If a fire extinguisher is not available, the first priority is to disconnect the tractor from the baler to at least prevent it being severely damaged or destroyed. • Replace any bearings which are running hotter than normal. Be aware that the latest balers run at higher temperatures than earlier models. • Get a handle on the normal operating temperatures of the bearings once the baler reaches operating temperatures by using a laser point infrared thermometer gun ranging in price from $20 to $80. • Consider changing sets of bearings when one is showing signs of wearing out because replacing bearings is much cheaper than replacing a baler (and tractor). • Clean the tractor each day to minimise build-up of flammable material. • Avoid overloading electrical circuits by using the battery isolation switch whenever the baler is parked. • Take care when driving vehicles with hot exhausts or even hotter catalytic converters over long dry grass or windrows; or when welding and/or grinding metal in the paddock on hot windy day.

OCTOBER 2014 39

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calendar of events

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

Murray Dairy Young Dairy Network Study Tour (Murray Dairy)

Cups on Cups off (NCDEA)

Better Soils for Better Dairy in the North East (Murray Dairy)

Farm and Chemical Users Course (NCDEA)

Focus Farm Open Day (Murray Dairy and Local Land Services)

Farm and Chemical Refresher (NCDEA)

Gippsland — Tuesday, November 18 — Thursday, November 20 Lunchtime Research Session — Nutrient Management (Murray Dairy) Tatura — Tuesday, November 11, noon Upper Gundowring — Monday, December 1 Upper Towong — Tuesday, December 2

Strathmerton — Thursday, November 20 Gundowring — Tuesday, November 25

Artificial Insemination (NCDEA)

Corryong — Wednesday, October 15, 9.30 am to 2.30 pm and Thursday, October 16, 9.30 am to 12.30 pm Cobram — Thursday, October 23, 9.30 am to 2.30 pm and Friday, October 24, 9.30 am to 12.30 pm Corryong — Thursday, November 13, 9.30 am to 3.30 pm and Friday, November 14, 9.30 am to 3.30 pm Kiewa — Thursday, November 20, 9.30 am to 3.30 pm and Friday, November 21, 9.30 am to 3.30 pm Cohuna — Saturday, November 8, 9.30 am to 3.30 pm (free) Corryong — Friday, November 14, 9.30 am to 3.30 pm Kiewa — Friday, November 21, 9.30 am to 3.30 pm

Sunbury — Wednesday, October 8, 10 am to 3 pm and Thursday, October 9 10 am to 3 pm

Murray Dairy www.murraydairy.com.au Phone: 5833 5312 NCDEA www.ncdeagotafe.vic.edu.au Phone: 1300 468 233 DEPI www.depi.vic.gov.au Phone: 136 186

Testing milk for bacteria Students from 10 schools in the Hume region were given a taste of life at University of Melbourne’s Dookie Campus. Students from Years 9 to 12 interested in careers in agriculture and environmental studies were given the opportunity to feed calves, make cheese, test soil and listen to lectures. Campus head Ros Gall said the students had the chance to see the various activities the college offered, with the aim of encouraging tertiary participation of Hume students. She said the college had only 20 students for the one-year Diploma in General Studies this year, but was hoping for up to 50 next year. Ms Gall said the course guaranteed entry to bachelor degrees at University of Melbourne — a pass allowed students to study a Bachelor of Agriculture, but higher scores opened the door to science and commerce degrees. Ms Gall said she spoke to one of the visiting

Ashleigh Jurrjens from Mansfield Secondary College is pictured testing milk for bacteria at the Dookie camp.

students at the university who changed his mind from pursuing a trade to taking up agriculture studies. She said the college could not produce enough graduates for the jobs in agriculture, which range from genetic testing of animals

to working in the agribusiness department of a bank. She said many potential students were under the impression studying agriculture meant they would need to work on a farm, but many went into production roles.

OCTOBER 2014 41

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