DNAFEB2011

Floods take toll on dairy farmers PAGES 4-5

Feed grain hits market PAGE 10

International Dairy Week winners PAGES 13-14 ISSUE 11: FEBRUARY 2011

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Paddock Talk with Wrightson Seeds AR37 endophyte for persistent dairy pastures A

R37 is a novel endophyte that provides significant agronomic advantages over all ryegrass endophytes currently available in Australia.

Maintaining persistent and high producing ryegrass pastures is an issue for many farms, especially in temperate regions of Australia.

Insect pests play a key role in reducing pasture growth and persistence. The recent introduction of novel endophytes has provided

varying degrees of protection against these pests.

A key to ryegrass pasture persistence has been unearthed with AR37 endophyte. AR37, developed by AgResearch and other commercial partners, provides resistance against four of the main pasture pests common to Australian pastures. AR37 endophyte in Extreme and Base perennial ryegrasses deters root insects so pastures remain dense

and productive for longer.

ryegrass plants remain dense and productive for longer Where pasture pests are present AR37 endophyte really is your key to better pasture persistence and productivity.

What is an endophyte?

An endophyte is a fungus found naturally in many grass species such as perennial ryegrass and tall fescue. The endophyte fungus grows between the cells of the host plant, drawing nutrients and in return conferring resistance to insect pests and protection from overgrazing.

Most older ryegrass pastures are infected with a standard endophyte (SE, also called wild-type or high

endophyte). This endophyte is used predominantly where price is a factor in the purchase decision and high animal production is not a driving factor. Stock grazing these pastures are very likely to suffer from ryegrass staggers and have significantly reduced weight gains during the warm part of the year.

In some areas cultivars without endophyte are occasionally used.

Such pastures are animal safe, and will give excellent animal

cont. continued.

performance, however endophyte free ryegrass pastures have been less persistent in the many areas where pasture pests are present.

Ryegrass with AR1 endophyte provides a safer pasture than standard endophyte with excellent animal performance while providing a moderate range of insect protection. Ryegrass with AR1 has demonstrated poor persistence in areas with major insect pests in Australia (primarily due to the presence of Black Beetle and Root Aphid), though persistence is moderately better than ryegrass without endophyte.

Endo5 endophyte (as with AR1) contains no lolitrem B the main cause of ryegrass staggers, but provides good control of adult Black Beetle, Argentine Stem Weevil, Root Aphid and Pasture Mealy Bug. As a result ryegrass with Endo5 persists better than ryegrass with AR1 in areas where those pests are present.

Persistence unearthed.

The key to successful use of endophytes is finding an endophyte that provides excellent pest resistance, while at the same time reducing the risk of compromising stock performance.

Ryegrass with AR37 endophyte AR37 is a novel endophyte that takes pasture pest resistance to a new level.

AR37 provides resistance against four of the main pasture pests in Australian pastures (Argentine Stem Weevil, Pasture Mealy Bug, Root Aphid and Black Beetle). Ryegrasses with AR37 show improved persistence, with higher tiller densities over time, when compared to the same cultivars with nil endophyte or standard endophyte. With the obvious benefits of persistence, there has however been no downside to milk production in trials to date.

AR1

AR37

Endo 5

Figure 1. Above illustrates the difference in persistence of late season tetraploid ryegrasses due to different endophytes in the presence of common ryegrass root pests. Sown April 2008, photograph taken February 2010, Ballarat, Vic. For more technical information on AR37 including information on animal health go to www.ar37.com.au or visit your AR37 accredited pasture seed advisor or call Wrightson Seeds on 1800 619 910.

Extreme速AR37 and Base AR37 perennial ryegrass.

A key to pasture persistence has been unearthed with AR37* endophyte. AR37 protects ryegrass plants against four key pasture insect pests common to Australian pastures including Pasture Root Aphid.

*For more technical information on AR37 including information on animal health go to www.ar37.com.au visit your pasture seed advisor or call Wrightson Seeds on 1800 619 910.

www.wrightsonseeds.com.au

AR37 endophyte in Extreme and Base perennial ryegrasses deters root insects so ryegrass plants remain dense and highly productive for longer.

NEW - Limited availability

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

3

NEWS THIS ISSUE ISSUE 11: FEBRUARY 2011 Tasmania’s Thompson family won Australian Champion at International Dairy Week.

14

Victorian farmer Ben Bennett grows lucerne on formerly stoney ground.

20

MG, Fonterra raise prices MURRAY GOULBURN has increased its prices

by 35c/kg for protein and 14c/kg for butterfat – or $5.25/kg for milksolids – backdated to July 1.

The co-op also advises that its forecast final milk price for the financial year has been maintained at a range of $5.30 to $5.50 per/kg of milksolids.

The is follows price rises by Fonterra of 13c/ kg milksolids (8c/kg fat, 20c/kg protein) backdated to July 1 – lifting its average annual price to $5/kg for milksolids.

Longwarry Food Park also recently lifted its prices by 7c/kg for fat and 17c/kg for protein, backdated to January 1. Its average price for the year is now $5.08kg/milksolids.

Murray Goulburn managing director Stephen O’Rourke says the co-op is increasingly confident of delivering at the upper end of its price target.

“The international market for key dairy products – such as whole milkpowder, cheese and butter – has remained firm during the first half of FY11, based on very strong demand from MG’s long-term customer base.

“The indications are that the market will re-

main solid this financial year.”

Fonterra’s national milk services manager Heather Stacy says its increase reflects conditions in global dairy commodity markets, where prices have held and then strengthened during December and January.

“Whole milkpowder is now trading above US$3700 per tonne internationally and, despite the challenges created by the strong Australian

International demand is underpinning farmgate prices. dollar, we are pleased to be able to pass through the benefit of higher prices to our suppliers,” Stacy says.

Fonterra suppliers are on track for a milk price this season that is one of the highest on record.

“We remain determined to reflect any further significant improvement in market conditions in our farmgate prices,” Stacy says. “One impor-

tant constraint on the returns being generated by international dairy prices is the fact the Australian dollar continues to trade at or above parity with the United States currency.”

LFP also says its increase is a result of improvements in commodity prices – balanced with the strength of the Australian Dollar during past months.

“We have seen some stability in the market place with good demand for our products, giving us confidence in further step-ups to be announced in coming months,” the company says.

“Our Longwarry Plant has performed well during spring with increased milk flow benefitted by an expansion in our supplier base and improved seasonal conditions.”

Strong international demand was reflected in the opening globalDairyTrade auction at the start of the month. All products rose 7.2% to reach the highest level since the online auctions began in July, 2008.

Prices for whole milkpowder rose 5.7% to $US3995 a tonne, skim milkpowder rose 8.5% to $US3913 and anhydrous milkfat rose 9.2% to $US6486.

SA professional calf rearer Annabel Mangal reveals her diverse business.

25

NEWS �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3-15 OPINION �������������������������������������������������������������������������16-17 AGRIBUSINESS ������������������������������������������������18-19 MANAGEMENT �����������������������������������������������20-24 ANIMAL HEALTH ����������������������������������������25-29 MACHINERY & PRODUCTS �������30-33 MOTORING �������������������������������������������������������������������������34

The Thompson family’s herd graze in the foreground of Drys Bluff, the highest peak of The Great Western Tiers in northern Tasmania. P14

4

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

NEWS

Picking up pieces after the flood ALTHOUGH AREAS of northern Victoria may remain under water for months, the amount of damage wreaked by the state’s floods is slowly being assessed.

Flooding was prevalent in Victoria’s Wimmera District and the northern areas following the Murray and Loddon rivers. The flooding was caused by La Nina-influenced rainfall of 100mm to 300mm across two-thirds of the state in a week – unprecedented rainfall for January.

Several towns recorded their highest rainfall totals and many rivers broke their records for highest height. The heavy falls led to flash-flooding followed by major flooding in the Avoca, Loddon, Wimmera and Campaspe Rivers.

The Victorian Department of Primary Industries had surveyed 58% of the area inundated by water at the start of the month. It says about one-third of the state has been affected.

This comprised about 400,000 hectares and the early damage included the

Top: Rochester was inundated by flood water last month.

Left: Graeme Hore helps guide the dairy calves owned by his son, Tim, through rising waters at Horfield. Picture: The Northern Times.

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to share information and destruction of 2000 kiloprioritize activities with metres of fencing, 83,000 state government officials, tonnes of hay and silage, as well as company field more than 51,000 hectares staff, dairy farm leaders, of pasture and 41,000 the dairy representative hectares of field crops.

Early estimates suggest the organizations and Dairy Australia staff. total cost to the Victorian Primary producers in agricultural sector could Victoria can access State be as high as $1.5 to $2 Government grants of billion in lost production, $25,000 and low interest damage to infrastructure loans of up to $200,000 and stock losses. through Rural Finance.

Mastitis and lameness will pose risks for dairy farmers as cows suffer the effects of milk- Early estimates ing delays cows suggest the total and standing in cost to the Victorian wet paddocks.

Dairy farmers agriculture sector could in northern be $2 billion.

Victoria have pulled together and offered disused dairies, fodder The government will and labor in a bid to keep also meet the cost of everyone milking. transporting donated Floods caused by heavy fodder as part of an rains in Tasmania have inemergency fodder drive flicted damage estimated organised by the Bendigo at millions of dollars in the Stock and Station north east and north west Agents Association of the state. in collaboration with Queensland and norththe Victorian Farmers ern NSW are still mopping Federation. up damage from the JanuThe Association has ary floods. established fodder Flood Response Groups depots at Kamarooka and in Queensland, northern Pyramid Hill. Others may NSW and Victoria were be set up at Kerang and established after the Horsham. Landholders in floods by the Queensland north central Victoria can Dairyfarmers’ Organicontact Bendigo Stock and sation and the United Station Agents Association Dairyfarmers of Victoria.

The grower groups held President Richard Leitch regular teleconferences on 0428 351 413.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

5

NEWS

Floods destroy hay, crops FLOODING ACROSS the country will have a severe impact on hay and silage availability this year.

As sweeping flood waters destroyed large quantities of stored hay and crops, Australian Crop Forecasters (ACF) says two main factors have inhibited hay production this year.

Firstly, the large numbers of paddocks that were cut for hay, but abandoned because of persistent wet weather and then opened up to livestock.

Secondly, the hay that was baled – albeit rain damaged – has now been damaged by excessive rain and floodwaters.

ACF managing director Ron Storey says the pressure to supply hay of any quality will be challenging in the coming autumn and winter months.

“Victorian hay stocks are being affected by floods,” Storey says.

“It is conservative to say that square bales stored outside – and typically stacked six high – around one third of these stocks will not be able to be used

for livestock consumption.

“There are many cases of whole stacks falling over due to the sagging of bottom bales, causing the whole stack to be lying in water for many days.”

Storey says it is still too early to determine what demand will emanate from Queensland and northern NSW feedlots. Pasture growth, after the floods have receded, will play a crucial role about the amount of cattle on feed over the coming months.

Storey says many dairy farmers are opening up their silage pits and bales to find that the quality is not as expected and protein levels are historically lower.

“With this in mind it may be worthwhile feed testing pit and baled silage to avoid any unnecessary surprises.

“Planning and, if need be, buying now may well pay dividends compared to being exposed to higher prices for high protein hay later on in the autumn when the scramble is on.”

The Queensland floods and their

Northern Victorian floods shifted this sausage roll silage and broke it into bits.

affect on the hay market are still yet to play out, but ACF says much of the south east summer forage crop production will be depleted.

“This can be offset by importing lucerne from South Australia, which has

been happening for some months now, and should set to continue with substantial yields from southern lucerne crops.

“Hay production from winter crops and pastures across the majority of the

country are in the bale – albeit with extreme variance in quality and nutritional value.

“With high yielding crops along the eastern state there may be a false perception that there is plenty of hay around, but this is not actually the case.

“Hay of any reasonable nutritional value – without weather damage – is in limited supply and producers are happy to store it in shed and see how the autumn and winter hay markets pan out.”

Due to its long growing season, lucerne is becoming a shining light in the hay and dairy industry. While first cuts around the country were generally weather-damaged, subsequent second and third cuts are being produced without damage and good yields.

However, Storey says, with recent flooding many lucerne stands close to northern Victorian river systems will have their production drastically reduced.

Farmers could cop Govt levy Farm production slashed THE QUEENSLAND Farmers’ Federation (QFF) is con-

the situation as it stands and clearly we need to fix it quickly.”

Galligan says farmers have told him they can’t afford cerned about the bureaucratic flaws emerging in how the Federal Government’s Flood Levy will be applied – making to pay the flood levy, which could lead to a blowout in applications for the $1000 Disaster Recovery Payment. “It is it potentially unworkable.

The lobby group is also concerned that many severely a matter of urgency that the government fixes these issues and clears up some of the conflood-affected farmers will be hit fusion.” with the new levy.

Meanwhile, the Victorian “To be exempt from the Flood Farmers Federation (VFF) has Levy, people need to have claimed described the levy as a “tax the $1000 Centrelink Disaster Re- Farmers who have not grab”. covery Payment,” QFF CEO Dan Gal“Farmers are suspicious of ligan says. “Given there are farmers in applied for the $1000 any policy which looks at takQueensland who have suffered multi- Centrelink Disaster Recovery ing more money from taxpayers million dollar losses, it is not surprisbefore significantly reprioritising that many have not bothered with Payment will be hit with the ing the government’s spending claiming these $1000 payments.

Flood Levy. agenda,” VFF president Andrew “$1000 is a drop in the bucket Broad says. “While we underwhen it comes to their losses. Instead, stand that some minor governthey have focused on businesses asment projects will be scrapped sistance, including Category C assistand funds redirected to the reconstruction effort, more cuts ance of up to $25,000 for their businesses.

“If that’s the case – and even if they have had absolute could be made to avoid this new tax.”

“Many Victorians whose businesses have been destroyed flood devastation – they will still be asked to pay this flood will still have to pay this levy when it comes time to submit levy.

Crusader_262x100_Layout 1 1/02/11 9:02 AM Page 1 “I hope the government does not intend this, but that is their personal tax.”

ONGOING FLOODS in Australia’s eastern states are expected to reduce farm production by around $2.5 billion and cut 6% off the value of farm GDP in 2010-11.

This is outlined in National Australia Bank’s (NAB) January Rural Commodities Wrap.

NAB Agribusiness general manager, Khan Horne says food price inflation is expected as Queensland accounts for up to one-third of Australia’s horticultural production.

“As an indication, fruit and vegetable prices rose 30% as a result of Cyclone Larry in 2006 – mainly due to the spike in banana prices,” Horne says.

“With our recent floods, a greater range of fruits and vegetables are being affected so the impact on food price inflation is likely to be broader based.

“Loss of produce and logistical issues caused by flooding may see a spike of up to 30% in consumer fruit and vegetables prices.

“NAB estimates the CPI will rise by 0.75 percentage points above expectations for the March quarter, as a result of the price rises in fruit and vegetables – giving a quarterly growth rate of 1.6 per cent.”

Overall, the impact of the floods and the excess rainfall throughout November and December is likely to see about 1.1 percentage points wiped off Australian GDP growth this year, with the bulk taking place in the December and March quarters.

NAB says cotton, sugar and sorghum will be among the other hardest hit crops, as they are mostly grown in the flood affected areas. Meat prices are also expected to face upward pressure.

Despite this, the bank still forecasts the agriculture sector to grow in 201011 – albeit at a slower rate.

“The full moisture profiles and increased water storages, point to a solid production outlook next season for many farmers across Australia,” Horne says.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

NEWS

Price cuts strip profits from supply chain Coles is selling two litre bottles of house brand milk for $2 and two litre bottles of house brand water for $1.37.

THE RAPID growth of

supermarket house brand milk during the past decade is stripping as much as $407 million annually from higher-priced processor

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an urgent need for Federal branded milk. politicians to review and The Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation implement the recommendations of the recent (QDO) made this claim in Senate Inquiry, released the wake of Coles dropin mid-2010 but so far ping its house brand milk not acted upon, to ensure prices to $1 a litre, which long term viability for the was quickly followed by sector. competitors Woolworths This most recent price and Aldi. cut will place added finanThe QDO says house cial strain and pressure on brand sales accounted for already stressed farming 25% of total supermarket families. milk sales in 1999/2000, “We are now facing the but this had increased to bleak prospect of retail 52% (or about 581 million milk prices reaching a litres) by 2008/09. point that is unsustainable It says the rise can be for the milk value chain.” attributed to price cuts Tessmann says this and aggressive marketing will flow back through campaigns. The differthe processing sector and ence in price between milk ultimately to farmers. processor branded milk “Commodities around and supermarket house the world are rising, and so brand whole milk was 21 are farming costs, but milk cents per litre in 2000/01, prices are under unsusbut by 2008/09 it was 71c/ tainable downward preslitre. sure from the retailers.

QDO president Brian “With the floods we Tessmann says before house brands and supermarket marCuts will flow keting strategies, greater returns back through the flowed to the processor and then processing sector to on to farmers. farmers.

“We know from a recent Senate have seen dramatic price Inquiry that the growing increases in other food trend toward supermarket commodities due to shortbrand milk is putting the ages. However, milk is still squeeze on the value chain and ultimately the farmer,” the same price to consumers – even though cost of Tessmann says. “This latproduction for farmers has est price drop will increase gone through the roof. the price difference be“Major retailers like tween supermarket brand Coles are using cuts in milk and milk processor milk price as advertising branded milk. to chase customers. But “So of course shoppers it is the farmers who are will opt for supermarket ultimately paying for this brand milk and, with that, advertising bill not Coles.” lower returns go to procesTessmann says Coles’ sors and that will flow on attempts to ‘spin’ how its to the farm gate.” latest price drop will not The move has horrified dairy farmers, who fear the affect milk processors and price-war will ultimately dairy farmers are simply lead to a permanent price wrong. cut when the supermarket “There is no doubt that chains negotiate new milk- Coles and the other major supply contracts. retailers are the dominant Farmers in states such force in the milk market. as Western Australia, “It appears they are Queensland and northern using cheap milk to get NSW – who rely almost expeople through their clusively on the liquid milk doors – but there is a very market – fear any price cut high risk that farmers are will decimate their local left carrying the loss. It is industry. a loss they cannot afford, Tessmann says there is especially now.”

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

7

NEWS

Coles starts unsustainable trend WOOLWORTHS HAS

joined Coles in dropping its price of house brand milk to $1 a litre despite declaring it is not a sustainable price level for milk.

Coles announced its decision to drop its house brand milk price – from $2.47 for two litres of full cream milk and $2.99 for two litres of light milk – to $2 each in press advertisements on Australia Day. Woolworths and Aldi quickly followed suit, by dropping its price for three litres of house brand milk to $2.89.

Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) believes the price cut will slash more than $30 million from Coles’ bottom line each year.

Coles says the price cuts will not be passed down the supply chain and onto farmers.

However, ADF VicePresident Chris Griffin says it defies logic that

Coles will “fully absorb” this amount of money.

“It is inevitable that it will be passed on either to consumers through higher prices on other products in Coles’ stores, or on to dairy farmers through lower prices for their milk,” he says.

Griffin says the ADF has challenged Coles to prove its recent milk price cuts will not affect farm gate milk prices for dairy farmers.

“Coles is selling milk at an unsustainable price and it is not only dairy farmers who believe this is the case,” Griffin says.

He says Woolworths was quoted in Victorian daily newspaper, the Herald Sun, as saying “we don’t feel this is a sustainable outcome for the dairy industry”.

“In Brisbane’s Courier Mail, Woolworths also said, ‘this is certainly not a

sustainable price level for milk and it will inevitably lead to pressure at the farm gate’.”

National Association of Retail Grocers of Australia chairman John Cummings says “in the case of milk pricing, the dairy farmer who was getting little will now get nothing”.

“In light of all these ma-

Aldi is now selling three litre milk bottles for $2.89. jor industry players saying the pricing is unsustainable, the ADF challenges Coles to show why they alone believe it is sustain-

able,” Griffin says.

“Why do they alone believe they can absorb the cost?”

House brand milk represents milk volume throughput for milk processors, but profits are derived from their branded milk.

“Coles’ aggressive promotion of home brand milk at the expense of the diverse range of branded milk products represents a threat not only to consumer choice, but to the dairy supply chain.

Griffin believes dairy farmers will feel the squeeze as milk processors lose profits.

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SHADOW MINISTER for Agriculture John Cobb has called on the competition watchdog to investigate supermarkets and milk wholesalers in the wake of Coles and Woolworths slashing their milk prices.

Cobb says the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) should investigate whether the supermarkets have too much market power and if their behaviour is anti-competitive.

He says another Senate inquiry should be held, but with much broader powers than the inquiry into milk pricing held in 2009.

“The information provided by the supermarkets to the previous inquiry conflicts with the statements from Coles,” Cobb says. “At the previous inquiry, supermarkets claimed that their margin was 22%, but now Coles is claiming it can absorb a cost reduction of 30% without passing it onto farmers.

“The figures just do not add up.”

Federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig says he will “look into” the concerns of dairy farmers and “looks forward” to hearing from the industry directly.

Cobb says it is inevitable that the current milk price cut by supermarkets will force many farmers to walk away from the dairy industry.

“Following recent discussions with the dairy industry it is clear that if this price cut is maintained the supermarkets will be renegotiating milk contracts in the next 12 months, forcing producers to supply milk well below the cost of production.

“There is no way this price cut can be sustainable – at least one supermarket chain has recognised this and the other is just kidding itself or just kidding us.

Cobb says that in Victoria the farm gate price of milk needs to be at least 40 cents per litre to cover the costs of production and even higher in other states – which have higher production costs.

“It is likely that the industry outside Victoria will collapse and most states will not have access to fresh milk and become reliant on UHT milk.

“While consumers may benefit in the short term by a price cut, in the long term it will mean that they may not have access to fresh milk and will be reliant on UHT milk.”

Contact your local DeLaval dealer or email auinformation@delaval.com for information on the DeLaval rotary milking systems.

“How can Coles avoid passing the cost of this tricky marketing tactic on to consumers or dairy farmers?

“Which is it to be? Slugging consumers through higher prices on other products in Coles’ stores or gouging dairy farmers by paying them even less for their milk?”

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First across the Tasman from this programme, in 2004, was Matrix.

It quickly found a strong fit on

higher performing dairy, sheep and beef farms in higher rainfall regions or under irrigation, throughout Victoria, lower NSW and Tasmania, and it has been very widely sown over the last few years.

Cropmark’s senior plant breeder Nick Cameron says the inter-species cross gives the fast establishment, high dry matter yields and persistence of the perennial ryegrass

with the high pasture quality and palatability of meadow fescue, “...a species very different to the tall fescue that farmers may be more familiar with.”

“Trials around New Zealand, as well as in Victoria and southern New South Wales, have shown Matrix to be very high-producing across seasons, years and regions, with strong winter and early-spring

growth, providing feed when it is needed most — around calving and lambing.

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Ann and Mark Gardiner, dairy farmers at Bamawm in the Goulburn Valley, have noted Matrix’s strong persistence. And

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especially its fast re-growth when it rains after drought.

“Matrix has given us the flexibility to adapt to the drought conditions. It is very forgiving compared to other permanent ryegrasses we have grown. You don’t need to treat it with kid gloves.

It is so responsive to summer rain that we are able to graze it very quickly after rain without the need to re-sow,” Mark says.

Kevin and Helen Jones of Foster, South Gippsland, won the 2010 Dairy Australia Cow Efficiency Award & Gippsland Award. Matrix is all they grow.

They run five cows to the hectare and produce 22,000 litres per hectare.

“We’ve been using it for six years, now. Because it’s reliable in our high-rainfall area we achieve consistent growth rates, high yields, with easy management and low risk. The cows graze it down hard and it responds well.”

The Jones say they usually get the first graze 4–6 weeks after sowing.

Simon Gleeson, of Brucknell in Western Victoria, has also been impressed with Matrix. He manages Bilyana Grazing, which offers weight-gain contract grazing for replacement heifers. In 2007 he sowed another paddock down because of earlier good results.

“You would have to say that the paddock is a hungry paddock, but the Matrix bolted out of the ground when we sowed it. It was like an annual. Other perennial grasses have died out in this paddock after two years, but the Matrix is thicker now than when it was sown three years ago.

“I like it because you get a long season out of it. I just need to keep on top of it to keep it at its best.

You can see that it’s just so thick that it’s choked out the broadleaf weeds, especially Capeweed, this year. I put yearling heifers on it, and they easily do one kilogram liveweight per day on it.”

Ted & Deborah Bingham, of Lardner in Gippsland, have been using Matrix for a number of years and it’s now the base grass for their farm: “Matrix is a solid performer, consistently yielding 11–12 tonnes of feed as well as silage. We usually get our first grazing off it after 60 days. It always performs well — and the cows love it.”

Stuart Beverly of Poowong, South Gippsland has sown Matrix for seven years now.

“The cows perform very well on it. Palatability is excellent. The cows graze it to the ground and it responds so well — it’s always thicker than other pastures so there’s always more to eat, more kilos per hectare and, because of its density, less trouble with weeds. I can get loads more silage with it and a higher stocking rate as well.”

“And after five years it still looks brand new. The persistence is unreal.”

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

9

NEWS

VFF slams secretive Basin Authority the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) for not making submissions to the Guide to the Murray Darling Basin Plan available to the public.

VFF Water Council chair Richard Anderson says the decision is a disgrace.

Anderson says when he questioned the MDBA it said submissions were not being treated as a formal process and would not be made available to the public.

“The MDBA’s decision to not make publically available the submissions it has received is a disgrace,” Anderson says. “It is standard practice to do so, unless issues of confidentiality arose.

He says making submission public is essential to ensuring that interested parties are able to review submissions and test the statements being made.

“The VFF cannot understand why a record of the public meetings has been placed on the MDBA website, but the enormous amount of work that organisations and individuals conducted in collating information and writing submissions is not being treated with the same respect.

“There can be no confidence in the capacity of the MDBA to prepare a plan in consultation with a community when it behaves as a secret organisation.”

Despite the MDBA efforts, the NSW Irrigators Council has established a website: www.basinplan.com.au to display the submissions.

Anderson says the VFF has been frustrated by the number of times the MDBA has advised that information, upon which they are basing recommendations that will

Positive reaction to new MDBA Chair FORMER NSW Water Minister Craig Knowles has been appointed the new Murray-Darling Basin Authority chairman – following the resignation of Mike Taylor.

Taylor resigned in December after the Guide to the MDBA received a torrid reception from farmers around the country.

The controversial draft plan proposed that 3000 - 4000 gigalitres of water be returned to the rivers, through cuts to irrigator entitlements and infrastructure upgrades.

Although Knowles’ appointment has been criticised by the opposition, it has been applauded by the National Farmers Federation (NFF), the National Irrigators Council (NIC) and the Australian Conservation Foundation.

Knowles was once a member of the MurrayDarling Basin Ministerial Council and NFF President Jock Laurie says he hopes this experience will prepare him for the job ahead.

“He no doubt has a good understanding of the Murray-Darling Basin and management of its water resources,” Laurie says. “Regardless of who chairs the MDBA, it doesn’t change our position.

Laurie says regional communities won’t accept what’s on the table.

“The Guide must change

and change dramatically.

The reaction at regional meetings – held across the Basin – is testimony to this.

“Mr Knowles’ first priority should be the sober re-examination and prioritisation of environmental goals of the Basin Plan.

One that seeks to achieve a mature assessment of what environmental assets are key and what are the tradeoffs.”

Laurie says this must be the starting point of any further discussion.

“Only once we know that focus, can any of us evaluate smart ways to deliver the outcomes which ensure farm production and regional communities are sustainable.”

NIC chief Danny O’Brien says Knowles is known in water circles for his work on the National Water Initiative, an agreement among all governments that ensured equal treatment of environmental, economic and social factors when it comes to water planning.

“We are not opposed to the Basin Plan, but we want to see one that adequately balances the needs of the environment with those of people, food and fibre production and communities.

“One of Mr Knowles’ first jobs should be to scrap the Guide and commit to a new round of genuine engagement with Basin communities to get the Plan right.

The Standing Committee will report back to the Federal Government mid-2011 into the social and economic costs of the proposed cuts to water allocations made in the Guide to the Murray Darling Basin Plan.

Federal Independent MP – and chair of the committee – Tony Windsor, says the inquiry into the MDBA is about giving people a say.

“Many communities have provided us with practical and sustainable management suggestions for the Basin,” Windsor says.

‘decimate rural communities’, cannot be released due to confidentiality or intellectual property reasons.

“It is time the MDBA was sent back to the drawing board to begin the planning for future basin needs by consulting with stakeholders and state authorities – not through some closed, shop arrangement where information is kept from those most affected by the consequences of the Plan.”

The VFF made this point to the House of Representatives Committee on Regional Australia in Bendigo, Vic. Bendigo was part of the Standing Committee’s nine-day tour of the Basin, where they visited farming areas and held 14 public consultations.

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10

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

NEWS

Feed grain dominates market

New drought program reviewed THE FEDERAL govern-

EXTREMELY WET conditions during the sum-

mer will ensure large quantities of feed grain are available this year.

According to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics the amount of feed wheat in the country’s bulk handling system – at the end of December – was 6.9 million tonnes, up from 2.4 million tonnes in December 2009.

Australian Crop Forecasters (ACF) reports harvest as still continuing in southern parts of the country with mainly feed grades coming off. It says the majority of the wheat will have sprouted and the barley cleaved with the excessive moisture that has fallen in November and December.

ACF anticipates that Victoria’s winter crop harvest will not be completed until the middle of February, as rain during late December and early January caused delays with access to already wet and inaccessible paddocks. Grain yields of most crops across the east coast have been above long-term average yields, with some growers recording the highest yields ever.

However, grain quality has been the biggest issue across all crops, with significant downgrading occurring as the harvest draws to a close.

ACF managing director Ron Storey says the final extent of the downgrading of quality of

this year’s winter crop will not be known for several months, as growers now begin to deliver grain stored on farm into the bulk handling system or directly to end users.

A significant amount of grain has been stored on-farm as farm access by trucks was hampered by the wet conditions, a shortage of road transport and the availability of grain silo bagging systems on farms, Storey says.

Weather-damaged grain is not a major issue for dairy cow nutrition so the ample stocks are good news for dairy farmers.

Dairy Australia says most studies in cattle indicate the nutritional value of shot and early sprouted grain equal – or even surpasses – that of sound grain. However, shot and sprouted grain is fermented faster by the bugs in the cow’s rumen, so this may increase the risk of ruminal acidosis in more digestible types of

grain such as wheat.

Dairy Australia says high moisture, shot and sprouted grains are more susceptible to mould growth before harvest of during storage and advises farmers to be wary of grain higher than the maximum GTA standard for moisture of 12.5% Storey says tight global feed grain stocks are providing price support to feed grade wheat which currently would make up a greater than normal proportion of global stocks.

The summer sorghum harvest has kicked off in the Moree district with reports of good quality, while yield indications look very good and are likely to be above previous, due to the favourable growing season. The usually higher yielding eastern area, where flooding will reduce area and yield potential, will still produce good levels to restock empty sorghum bins.

ment has appointed a three-person panel to assess the pilot drought reform program being run in Western Australia.

The pilot is being run in parts of WA as a test case for national drought policy. It aims to encourage farmers to improve business models rather than rely on subsidies and cash payments. The pilot has been running since July 1, 2010 and is set to conclude at the end of the financial year.

WA Farmers Federation (WAFF) President Mike Norton says the ‘Exceptional Circumstances’ system has not served farmers well in the past and the Drought Pilot is a step in the right direction.

“Initial feedback from members suggests that there have been positive elements in the drought pilot, along with aspects

which need further enhancement or refinement,” Norton says. “The fact that Western Australia experienced one of its driest season’s on-record during the pilot program meant that some of weaknesses in the program were highlighted.

“The dry season also lead to a high level of interest in the program, with some elements being oversubscribed.”

WAFF is urging those farmers who have participated in the pilot, as well as those who have just observed it, to provide it with their feedback and suggestions to be incorporated into a submission on the program.

“This is a real opportunity to influence the future direction of Australian drought assistance and preparedness, so let’s make sure we take it,” Norton says.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

11

NEWS

Locusts banding in three states LOCUSTS HAVE reared their ugly heads again in SA, NSW and Victoria, with authorities asking farmers to start spraying the bands of hoppers before they take flight.

In Victoria, second generation locust hoppers – in the arc of land between Horsham and Ararat in the west through to Echuca and Wodonga along the Murray River – should now be sprayed.

In SA, significant bands of locusts have started to group together in the Barossa, Riverland and Mallee, and the Mid North.

In western NSW, irrigation farmers at Bourke are struggling to control an out-

break of spur-throated locusts, which are causing significant damage to cotton and citrus crops.

Victorian State Controller for Locusts, John Balfour, says the hoppers are ready for treatment, even in some areas previously affected by the floods – particularly in the Wimmera around Horsham and Stawell.

“We recognise that some landholders and communities have had a lot to deal with, but we need to treat these hoppers now to capitalise on the locust control efforts last year,” Balfour says. “Without the treatment efforts by farmers and other landholders, last spring, we would be fac-

Dianna Malcolm, crazycow.com.au ©

$32,000 for Holstein

ing a much larger second generation.”

Balfour says the current warmer temperatures are leading to increased hopper activity.

“In some areas – particularly in the Wimmera around Horsham - hoppers are banding together on The spike of locusts is off the ground. This is the best time to target them, the back of high density most have hatched. adult activity late last year. when They’ve massed together and they still can’t fly.”

He expects activity to increase around Horsham, Bendigo, Shepparton, Wangaratta and Wodonga.

“Given the recent wet weather in much of Victoria, landholders must pay particular attention to label directions regarding the use of chemicals near water bodies,” Balfour says.

SA councils have been given chemicals to eradicate the hoppers and curb the threat to autumn sowing. SA farmers have been advised to mix insecticides with herbicides and spray for locusts during their summer weed program.

NSW farmer Steve Buster, Bourke, told ABC radio that locusts are causing real damage on his farm.

“They’re just there en masse. The juveniles came in about three weeks ago and

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The top priced animal in the International Dairy Week Semex Spectacular sale, M-Gee O Silk, sold for $32,000. Pictured in front of auctioneer Brian Leslie (from left) are covendors Vaughn Johnston and Rob Walmsley and Lee Simanton, Canada.

by Canobie Partnership, Drouin West.

Two embryo packages, consigned by New Generation USA, were sold for a total of $9200. These were purchased by the Simpson Family, Deniliquin, NSW and George Malinov, Tongala, Vic. The embryo sales boosted the sale average to $4314 for seven lots.

The top-selling Ayrshire was bought by Jake Mathews, Shady Creek, who paid $5100 Rockvale Jerseys sold to $8100. for Poker Vivienne – offered by M&J Hyland, Sheppar$3805. The second top ton. The ten lots averaged price of $7800 was paid by $2950.

The top-priced Illawarra P&S Branxholme, Tas, for Wallacedale Action Prim- sold for $7000 to Natalie rose – offered by L&M Wal- Cochrane, Nowra, NSW. She purchased Panorama lace, Poowong, Vic. The top price for Brown Angeline 17 – offered by Swiss was $8000 paid by K&A Dorries, Oakey, Qld. Second top-price was Greg Osborne, Dondingalong, NSW, for Benleigh $5000, paid by J.English, Sultan Margret – offered Wondi, Qld, for Kangawarby Max Wake, Singleton, ra Jewel 3212 – offered by the Kangawarra Illawarra NSW. The second top price of Stud, who donated the $5000 was paid by Craig proceeds to the flood relief Whatman, Burrawang, fund.

The 17 females on sale NSW, for Roland Lodge Snicker Sarajevo – offered averaged $3467.

Linsand Aspen Cinnamin, offer by Lindsay, Sandra and Lisa Thompson and Matt Templeton, Bracknell, Tas. Jerseys were the topselling breed in the Protein Breeds Sale, with a top of $8100 paid by W&A Maples, Cobden, Vic, for Fleurieu BB Selly – offered

by GC & SJ Thorn, Fleurieu Jerseys, SA. Overall, the 23 Jersey cattle on offer averaged

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HOLSTEINS SOLD to a high of $32,000 at the International Dairy Week Semex Spectacular Sale.

The first heifer to enter the ring sold for the top price, setting the tone for a successful sale where the 49 lots averaged $8471.

In the breakdown, the 2010 born heifers averaged $8567; the 2009 born heifers averaged $8520; and the cows averaged $6500 – with 245 registered buyers competed strongly for bids.

Cattle went to Tasmania, Victoria, SA, NSW and Queensland, as well as overseas.

The top price was paid

by Roger and Helen Perrett, Kongwak, Vic, and Ashley Guye from southwest Victoria, who bought M-Gee O Silk from the Mountain Syndicate from SA. The imported Canadian embryo was born in June, 2010.

G&M Anderson, Gin Gin, Qld, paid the second top price of $22,000 for Ponderosa Talent Jodie, a 14-month-old Red Holstein, offered by the Giglia family, WA. The third-highest price of $21,000 was paid for

put five cent piece holes in all the leaf of the cotton.

“The big guys came in and they have stripped off every leaf off a lot of the citrus.”

NSW Deputy Plague Locust Commissioner, Suzanne Robinson, says large locust bands of up to 1km long have been found in crops and pastures.

“The spike of locust reports is off the back of high density adult activity late, last year – particularly in the south of the state around Albury, Corowa, Gundagai and Wagga Wagga.

“Some sporadic activity may also occur around Condobolin, Ungarie, Lake Cargelligo, West Wyalong and Young, but as yet there have been few reports.”

Robinson says it’s important farmers get back into paddocks and check for locust activity.

“We now have an opportunity to finish the job by finding and treating the second generation before they attack summer crops and pose a threat to winter crops.”

To support farmers’ monitoring efforts, aerial surveillance resumed yesterday and continues this week in the South West of NSW – including in and around Albury and Deniliquin.

Aerial surveillance targets areas where adult populations were seen last year and where known egg laying took place.

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It is the latest graduate of Cropmark’s innovative programme that cross-breeds perennial ryegrasses with meadow fescue (that’s what the ‘Enhanced’ signifies). The latter is an entirely different species from tall fescue and is noted for its high pasture quality and palatability.

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that most awkward of periods for grass farmers — late winter and early spring when feed is most needed to see stock through lambing and calving — historically a time of feed pinches.

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was borne out. It consistently showed improved yields across seasons, years and regions.

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A mid heading variety at +6 days (cf Nui), Helix is showing exceptional yield across seasons, years and regions, but particularly over late winter and early spring – providing more feed when it is needed most around calving and lambing.

Helix is high in metabolisable energy and digestibility, and is extremely palatable.

Stock love it and eat it readily. Helix is suited to high performance dairy, beef or sheep farms in regions which receive 600+mm rainfall; particularly areas which do not receive reliable late spring rain; or where grass staggers is an issue.

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“Helix has performed really well for me. I have never seen anything as good – it is just so dense. The Helix paddocks on the farm are certainly the best paddocks on the farm.

I have a pasture trial here from a different seed company and Helix stands out in the trial. It is always an inch or two taller than the other perennial ryegrasses. It is the most productive and aggressive of them all. The plant population on the Helix is better than anything else too.”

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Gambier. They’re all on farms rather than research stations, so that we can compare our varieties with others under real farming conditions, and under different farming systems.”

“In every one of these trials the performance of Helix has been exceptional.”

“From a plant breeding point of view, we expect newly-bred varieties to show improvements in parameters such as seasonal yield and quality, over older varieties, but that doesn’t always pan out.”

“With Helix, though, we have seen a consistency in performance through yield increases across trial sites and across seasons. We have also noted strong persistence to date.”

“Another factor to come through for Helix is palatability. The cows consistently graze it preferentially.

We put this down to the meadow fescue in its breeding background.”

“Helix will find a strong fit in higher performing dairy, sheep and beef farms in higher rainfall regions or under irrigation.

However, because it is midheading, it is also highly suitable for areas that don’t receive such reliable spring rains, and perhaps into slightly more marginal areas where some of the other perennial ryegrasses don’t perform.”

Kongwak, South Gippsland, dairy farmers Roger and Helen Perrett, were very happy with their strike of Helix — under wetter than usual conditions — and it boosted their autumn and winter production: “Helix has an excellent response to fertilizer and its turnaround time is as good as any grass I’ve seen. We were as low as a 16-day rotation and the cows struggled to keep up with the growth. Its persistence showed under a wet winter of heavy grazing,” says Roger.

“The cows grazed it evenly, and found it very palatable. You can tell a good grass when they eat it short and even.”

Dairy farmer Mike Shipton of Nar Nar Goon in West Gippsland got his first grazing off Helix after about six weeks: “The germination rate was great and the Helix jumped out of the ground. I’m rapt in the plant density — it really surprised me.

It is quick to respond to grazing, too. I have had nine grazings off it since sowing last autumn, plus one load of silage and we’ll get a second cut. I’m currently on a 1821 day rotation to keep up with its growth.”

Mike has also noted its high palatability: “The cows love it and eat it right to the ground. I’ve noticed they milk really well on it.

“I will use Helix again for sure.”

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

13

NEWS

Eye-catching Jersey named Grand Champion NIRRANDA FARMER Co-

rey Couch has won cricket premierships and enjoyed other sporting achievements – but they all pale in comparison to the success he has achieved with his cow, Riverside Renaissance Ivy II.

WHO:

Corey and Karin Couch WHERE:

Nirranda WHAT:

IDW Supreme Jersey Exhibit

planning for Corey and Karin.

“She was a planned mating to achieve what we have achieved,” Karin says. “We had a dream in mind and we’ve achieved it. Seven years ago after her mother, Riverside Bester Ivy, won we set out to make another one with the idea of winning again.

“There is some luck and hard work with every winner, but not many could say they planned seven years ago to achieve this,” Karin adds.

“We’re pretty proud to be able to say that we’ve bred up one of our own cows and had all this success,” Corey says. “We bred for type. We had a picture in our head of what we wanted to happen and tried to match the bull to the cow to achieve good udders, body depth and production traits.”

The Couches used IVF technology using Hollylane Renaissance doses imported from Canada, resulting in three successful daughters.

“They’ve all been good cows,” Karin says.

“We decided that if we wanted to keep milking cows we wanted a herd we could be proud of and enjoy milking,” Corey adds.

“It is great to be able to show them with the rest of the country and see where they stack up.

“We’ve got high production, high index and high type cows, but overall it’s a great herd which is a pleasure to milk.”

The Couch family farm often plays host to international visitors – who always comment positively about the look of the herd.

Apart from looking good, the herd is also productive with cows

“Nothing else comes close to this feeling. This is our life...this is what we live for,” Corey said after Riverside Renaissance Ivy II was named Grand Champion Jersey cow at International Dairy Week.

That’s not a bad effort for a guy who didn’t have any interest in showing cattle, until he met his wife Karin 14 years ago.

The 2011 award is just the latest in a string of firsts for Australia’s best jersey cow. In 2010, she won the senior championship, adding to her previously held junior and intermediate titles, thus becoming the first cow to ever win all three championships at Dairy Week.

She also comes from a former 2001 International Dairy Week champion, making it the first time a dam and her calf had secured the top title.

And now in 2011, The cow is now back Riverside Renaissance Ivy II has as part of the milking returned to again be herd of 200. named Champion Jersey Cow, the first time a cow has won backaveraging about 7500 litres to-back titles. per year.

The judges particularly Although a third generapraised the cow for her tion dairy farmer and havoverall correctness, her ud- ing spent all his 38 years on der and body depth. the 136 hectare south-west “She’s got a bit of an eyeVictorian farm, Corey had catching style,” Corey says. no interest in showing “It’s hard to describe. cattle until he met Karin in You can have one cow in a her native America. row of 10 that just catches From a stud jersey farm your eye and she’s it.” in upstate New York, Karen Riverside Renaissance had been showing cows Ivy II has never been “since the time I could be beaten in her class in any on the end of a lead strap”. show.

Karin had a lot of sucThe successes haven’t cess in those early days, come by accident; in fact and promptly spread her they mark the culmination passion for showing to of seven years of targeted Corey.

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Fairvale Morty Lady 51, Riverside Renaissance Kendi Spring Blossom, LR, SJ, LA Thompson and Ivy 11, Riverside Jerseys, R&L McCartney, Tatura, M Templeton, Bracknell, Nirranda Vic Tas CHAMPION COW CHAMPION COW

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Roland Lodge Duffus, Canobie Partnership, Drouin West, Vic

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Brookleigh Actions Illinga Revenge Brunch, LF&JM Cleggett, Handsome, Coburn Glencoe, SA family, The Sisters

Roland Lodge Duffus, Canobie Partnership, Drouin West

INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION

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INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION

Brookleigh Fabulous, LF&JM Cleggett, Glencoe, SA

Illinga Advent Topsy, Coburn family, The Sisters

Roland Lodge Queen Bee, Canobie Partnership, Drouin West

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Cairnhill Damian Leader, Zanders family, Kialla, NSW JUNIOR CHAMPION

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Tony and Elle Hayes, Girgarre, Vic

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MJ&LR Hentschke, Glencoe, SA

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Hurford family, Katunga, PREMIER EXHIBITOR Vic Tandara Brown Swiss, Dingee

Brunchill Minister Tammy, B, K & M Goss, Bishopsbourne, Tas

Cairnsdale VF Jasper Candace, Menzies Farms BEST UDDER and Templeton, Nowra, Minstonette Blacks NSW Vickie 60, J&K Sykes, BEST UDDER Ringarooma, Tas Fairvale Morty Lady 51, JERSEY FUTURITY CLASS LR, SJ, LA Thompson and WP Nicholson and M Templeton, Bracknell, family, Jugiong Petunia Tas 5574, Girgarre, Vic PREMIER EXHIBITOR

Bluechip Genetics, Zeerust, Vic PREMIER BREEDER

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Bunchill Jerseys, Finley, NSW

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Sherbrooke Titanium Olga, Three Creeks Partnership, Laceby, Vic BEST UDDER

Roland Lodge Duffus, Canobie Partnership, Drouin West PREMIER BREEDER

Tandara Brown Swiss, Dingee

PREMIER EXHIBITOR

Bushlea Farms, Leongatha, Vic

Corey Couch holds the IDW Supreme Jersey cow, while wife Karin and children Jackson, Ruby, Ethan, Ella and Brody display the spoils.

The couple met at the national jersey show in Kentucky in 1996.

“Corey had never shown before, but I sucked him into it,” Karin says. “Now he’s worse than I am with it.”

Their five children aged two to 11 are following in the family footsteps. Sons Jackson and Brody finished second and fifth in their

respective classes in the youth show at International Dairy Week.

The famous cow is now back as part of the milking herd of 200 at the Couch farm, but they are not discounting a return bid for a hat trick of titles in 2012.

But with some fresh faces!

Ivy’s only task at hand is to live long and give some more daughters with the

help of Embryo transfer.

“We’ll definitely go again next year, it’s our annual holiday,” Karin says.

The Couches also hope to continue the successful breeding line. Riverside Renaissance Ivy II has three daughters, but Corey and Karin haven’t been able to part with them.

“We’d like if she had enough daughters that we

could be prepared to sell some,” Corey says.

Although now enjoying a run of success, Corey and Karin almost parted with the calf.

“Anyone could have had her when she was just two weeks old,” Corey says.

“We offered the pick of the three calves at Dairy Week in 2004, but couldn’t get the reserve.”

The couple thanked fitter Matt Templeton, Lindsay and Sandra Thompson and their family, where Renaissance Ivy II has been living in Tasmania for the past 18 months.

“Without their help we could not have achieved all that we have with Ivy.” [Thompson family shows Australian champion, page 14.]

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14

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

NEWS

Commercial farm value adds through breeding heifers IAN HUBBLE THE OWNERS of this year’s International Dairy Week

Australian Champion were breeding heifers and cows to show as a hobby up until six years ago, when they decided to take it to the next level.

The decision paid off last month when Lindsay and Sandra Thompson, their daughter Lisa and her partner Matt Templeton, won Australian Champion, Supreme Exhibit, Senior Champion and Best Udder with their five-year-old Holstein cow, Fairvale Morty Lady 51.

The Thompson’s ‘Linsand Farms’ operates as a commercial dairy enterprise at Bracknell, southwest of Launceston, Tasmania.

The decision to focus more heavily on breeding and selection of stock for showing was led by Lisa, a Dookie College agribusiness graduate, who worked with the Rural Finance Corporation in Gippsland after graduation before returning to the family farm.

Cattle are prepared by Lisa and Matt, a professional cow fitter who travels around Australia, New Zealand and the United States preparing cows for show.

All 220 cows on the Thompson’s property are registered with Holstein Australia. Any stock with potential are identified early on in their life and monitored for conformation and other attributes.

They are then kept as a separate herd in a small paddock with an open-sided shed – for shelter – at least six months prior to showing. They also receive specialised attention and feeding.

The Thompson farm value-adds by achieving premium grade milk, cropping potatoes, breeding and showing cattle, as well as selling elite stock, progeny and embryos.

Lindsay and Sandra previously farmed at Ringarooma and Longford, before the urban sprawl and an inability to expand saw them move to the current farm seven years ago.

This property was converted from a beef/sheep operation eight years before, with the previous owner having devoted much effort to development of infrastructure.

Their operation comprises 294 hectares, including the home block of 202ha, featuring sandy loam soil.

It is divided into 30 paddocks, enabling three strip feeds in each. Rotations are 25 days in spring and out to 60 days in winter.

A 30 megalitre (ML) storage dam and a bore capable of 1.2 ML per day allows 40ha to be irrigated using a gun and hose irrigator. About 120 ML of water is used each year for crops and some pasture irrigation. Twelve hectares of potatoes are grown on contract for a processing company and about 8ha of maize is grown for pit silage.

A 92ha block, also comprising sandy loam soil, across the road from the house block was bought three years ago and this is used for hay production and running replacements and dry cows. This block comprises five paddocks

Lindsay Thompson on his Bracknell, Tas, property, home of this year’s International Dairy Week Australian Champion.

Reduce cows, lift production THE THOMPSONS are looking to do things better – with less cows and some smart thinking.

Lindsay’s goal is “two million litres from milking 200 cows all year”, which would require producing an additional 400,000 - 500,000 litres from 20 fewer cows.

Lindsay plans to build a 300 cow feed pad, situated next to a 40m by 20m shed, enclosed on two sides,

to shelter the cows at night during winter.

He has researched this through a visit to Nowra, NSW, knowledge of a similar setup in Tasmania and information from New Zealand.

The feed pad and shed is expected to pay for itself in 3-5 years, through reduced feed wastage and increased production.

Lindsay says warmer air temperatures in the shed at night

will result in cows devoting more feed energy to milk production rather than staying warm.

There are also expected benefits from better hoof condition and reduced lameness.

The Thompsons supplied National Foods – where they won a trip to the US for consistent milk quality – until late last year, when they changed to Fonterra due to their wish to expand production.

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of pasture, 20ha of bush and a handy 24ha of stony, hilly ground.

The farm enjoys consistent seasons and a reliable 900 mm rainfall. Winters are often very wet and cold, with the last two years wet up until mid-November, which has impacted production.

Soil tests are performed annually on the cropping ground and every second year for the pasture paddocks.

Pasture fertiliser is applied in split applications to most of the farm each year to provide around 30kg of P and 85kg of K per ha.

About 20ha of crop ground is re-sown each year and two-thirds of the farm has been sown in new pasture species during the last seven years.

WHO: A mix of long rotation, Thompson Family low endophyte, perennial WHERE: ryegrass, Italian ryegrass, Bracknell and white and red clover WHAT: has brought benefits in pasAustralian Champion Cow ture yield and palatability – and milk yield. The newer pastures also “hang on” in drier summers.

The Thompsons milk all year round. Calving is split, with 60% calving in spring and 40% during autumn. The autumn-calving herd is dried off at the beginning of January to calve on March 1, while the spring cows are dried off at the end of June to calve on Sept 1 in an attempt to avoid the wet.

The herd is milked in a 30-unit swingover herringbone that is located in the centre of the home block and has the potential to milk 400 cows. Automatic cup removers were added four years ago, with immediate benefits realised for reduced cell count and mastitis.

Up to 50 calves can be fed through a two-station automatic calf feeder in a drive-through calf shed.

The Thompsons currently achieve 1.5 - 1.6 million litres of milk, with an average production per cow of 284kg milk fat and 242kg protein.

This is achieved from direct pasture intake from grazing and feeding 1.4t grain per cow.

Other feed includes 500t maize made into pit silage, 900 bales of silage made from pasture from re-sown cropping ground, 450 rolls of pasture hay made on the run block, and 300 rolls of purchased grass straw.

Additional to pasture and grain, winter feed, consisting of grass silage and maize silage and straw, is mixed in a feed wagon and fed out to milking cattle.

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Sonik has been scientifically evaluated in 23 on-farm trials throughout Victoria and lower NSW. Cropmark agronomist for Gippsland and Northern Victoria, Adam Sheedy, says the variety really vindicates his company’s breeding focus on tiller density.

“Right from the first trials, it was very obvious that Sonik had significantly higher tiller density than other Italian and annual ryegrasses we compared it with.”

“We undertook a tiller count analysis in six trials and Sonik had 20% higher tiller density than the next highest variety, but up to 50% more tillers than other

varieties tested.”

This might not be immediate obvious from a casual glance, he says.

“Plant growth habit can be deceiving. Some grasses, through their very upright growth habit, may look flashy and impressive, but unless they have high tiller density, the yield

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Cows graze Sonik like no other Italian ryegrass. They leave nothing after grazing it. I am topping other Italian ryegrasses but because the cows like the Sonik so much I haven’t had to top any of the Sonik paddocks. We have tried other ryegrasses but just keep coming back to Sonik - it’s just so lush.

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simply won’t be there.”

“We are seeing this on farms throughout the region. Sonik is showing consistently higher production across autumn, winter and spring – and, where rainfall allows it, it will persist for a good 18 to 24 months or more. Its high metabolisable energy content is also showing up in excellent livestock performance, be it liveweight gain in lambs or milk in the vat.”

Farmer feedback is bearing this out.

Merv Koch, a dairy farmer at Tongala in the Goulburn Valley, was impressed with Sonik’s plant density: “I see it as a big improvement on past varieties I’ve sown. Even though it was a very wet winter, the Sonik handled the wet well. It also grew after each drop of rain we had. The grazings have been short rounds of 20-25 days on average and the Sonik recovers quickly after a hard grazing.”

“I was very happy with the way the stock performed on it, too. I will definitely be sowing Sonik again.”

Lionel Woods, dairy farmer at Colac in the Western Districts, is a strong advocate of Sonik under his farming system.

“Sonik is an amazing grass.

It just blows me away how well it performs. I have grown lots of other Italian ryegrasses but this is definitely the best. I have had more grazings off it than I can believe.”

In spring, Lionel shut up the Sonik for silage. “In one 2 hectare paddock, we bailed 45 rolls of silage weighing about 500kg each. At 60% dry matter per roll, that’s 6.8 tonnes of dry matter per hectare in silage alone! We have had two grazings off it since cutting it for silage this spring. The Sonik also hangs on for so long at the end of the season. I am just so impressed with it.”

Tyson Sinclair was very impressed with the pasture quality and palatability of Sonik on his dairy farm dairy farmer at Cooriemungle in the Western Districts.

“My cows graze Sonik like no other Italian ryegrass. They leave nothing after grazing it. I am topping other Italian ryegrasses, but because the cows like the Sonik so much I haven’t had to top any of the Sonik paddocks. We have tried other ryegrasses but just keep coming back to Sonik - it’s just so lush.”

16

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

OPINION RUMINATING

EDITORIAL

Government must act on supermarket power EVERYONE ASSOCIATED with the dairy industry will have choked

MILKING IT...

Not again THE NAMES of civil servants and former members of parliament leapt out of this year’s Australia Day honours list.

Former treasurer Peter Costello received a top gong for services to the national economy. Hang on a minute, wasn’t that his job? The job he was paid to do! Are these accolades really necessary?

We’d like to see more gongs go to the thousands of volunteers across the country who spend their weekends, and even annual leave, working for charities and community groups. That would be an award well-worth celebrating.

Helping hand THUMBS UP to the six dairy organisations that have contributed $50,000 each to the Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation’s flood appeal.

The $300,000 will be used to support around 350 dairy farmers and their families who have been impacted by the devastating Queensland floods.

The organisations are: Bega Cheese; Tatura Milk Industries Limited; Warrnambool Cheese and Butter; Fonterra; Murray Goulburn Cooperative Co. Ltd and The Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation.

No BS WE HAVE always liked the distinct lack of BS from new Victorian deputy pre-

Nice pair of shanks READERS WILL know our feelings about the need for more promotion of milk.

Whether it’s promotion for generic milk, or for branded milk, we don’t care – but we’d like to see some sports stars promoting the health benefits of the product.

The New Zealand red meat board has regularly sponsored its best athletes and has “won gold” by choosing good, wholesome types who have won at major international events, including the Olympics.

Beef & Lamb NZ has recently hitched its wagon to Kiwi cyclist Alison Shanks, who will judge its industry event, The Glammies – aka The Golden Lamb Awards.

Shanks has even landed herself a new nickname: Lamb! It has been good promotion and something that would be good for our dairy industry. Now I hear that Thorpie has announced he’s competing at the London Olympics in 2012...

mier and Nationals leader Peter Ryan.

He gave the wider community a taste of this recently when the media tried to take him to task for speeding in December – only days after being sworn in as Police Minister.

“I was going too fast. I have got to slow down,” he told reporters, matter of factly. No spin, no BS, just the facts.

When the reporters tried to pin him on whether it was a fixed or mobile speed camera (we’re not sure why that matters either), he told them: “I don’t know. What I know is...I have to slow down.”

Let’s hope he retains the same candour throughout his reign as deputy premier.

on their brekkie when they opened the newspaper and saw Coles trumpeting its house brand milk for $1 a litre.

“Because we all buy milk, we’ve brought the price of Coles Brand Milk down. Down and staying down, every day!”

Coles knows milk is a staple product that families in particular go through litres and litres of a week and it wants their custom. It will take a loss on that milk just to attract mothers into their stores to complete the week’s shopping.

It’s the rest of the items on the shopping list that will enable Coles to make money, particularly if they raise the prices of these items to offset the cost of milk.

Woolworths and Aldi both said the price drop was unsustainable, before promptly slashing their own milk prices to match Coles.

Coles says its decision to slash the price of a two litre bottle of full cream milk by 47 cents (and light milk by 99 cents) won’t affect the farmgate price. However, testimony at the 2009 Senate inquiry into competition and pricing in the Australian dairy industry clearly states otherwise.

National Association of Retail Grocers of Australia (NARGA) chairman John Cummings told the Senate Economics Committee handling that inquiry that processors supplying milk for house brands would be doing so at a loss – threatening their private brands.

As the supermarket share increases, and more milk goes into their house brands, there will be less return back down the value chain to the processor and thus back to the farm gate.

Supermarkets are appealing to consumers who have less money in the budget after rising electricity, gas and water costs.

The Federal Government has been quiet on the issue, but it must act. It has not yet issued a response to the report from the Senate inquiry, released last May. The report’s findings have the potential to deliver greater fairness across the supply chain, particularly when it came to the viability of dairy farmers.

The inquiry’s recommendations seek to overcome the current imbalance of power between the supermarkets and dairy farmers.

The Government has to act before the impact of these decisions drive farmers to the wall.

The price cut on light milk is 33%. How many other businesses could remain competitive if the price for their end product was slashed by that amount overnight?

Advertising: Hyde Media Pty Ltd Suite 1, 11 Unsworth Road, Ringwood North, VIC 3134 Phone: 03.9870 4161 Fax: 03.9870 4163 Agency sales: Max Hyde 03.9870 4161 or 0408.558 938 max@hydemedia.com.au Direct sales: Trish Millington: 03 9870 4161 trish@hydemedia.com.au Liz Casey: 0408 558 571 liz@hydemedia.com.au Dairy News Australia is published by RNG Publishing Limited. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the staff, management or directors of RNG Publishing Limited.

Editor: Stephen Cooke 03.9478 9779 0427.124 437 editor@dairynewsaustralia.com.au Publisher: Brian Hight Managing Editor: Adam Fricker Production: Lewis Hurst Dave Ferguson Nadia Wickliffe Published by RNG Publishing Ltd Printed by PMP Print

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

17

OPINION

Don’t just rebuild, chart a true vision for Australia REGIONAL AUSTRALIA

JOCK LAURIE Regional development must not be seen through the limitations of current regional population.

But with the population potential, developing new commercial hubs and alleviating our choking cities.

Genuine tax incentives – and the commercial opportunities they drive – are essential to major businesses setting up substantial and longstanding operations in regional areas. With businesses come more jobs, prosperity, and growing communities.

Governments can’t make people move to regional areas, but by creating the case for businesses to start-up or relocate operations off the back of innovative and worthwhile tax advantages, people will follow the employment opportunities.

It’s an investment long overdue, but it’s also a solution to Australia’s unsustainable coastal city-centric population headache. Our major cities

Photo: QDO

is central to the nationbuilding opportunities ahead for the country.

Genuine regional development must be a Government priority in 2011 and beyond – not just to rebuild what we’ve lost – but to make it better and spur genuine opportunities for future growth.

At the same time, we can finally tackle Australia’s population explosion that has our major capital cities perpetually squeezed, while the regions cry out for people, services, infrastructure, businesses and employees.

That’s the commitment needed from the Prime Minister, who has the scope to chart a true vision for Australia.

Our priority right now is naturally with those communities across the country counting the costs of the recent floods.

Their immediate needs are paramount.

However, looking ahead, we have a once-in-ageneration opportunity.

Debate over the longterm sustainability of Australia’s population has had scant attention since the 2010 Federal Election.

The Government’s Inter-Generational Report projecting an Australian population of 36 million by 2050 is as valid today as when it was released on February 1, 2010. Nothing has changed!

Mounting congestion in Australian cities will only compound unless governments, at all levels, recognise and act on regional development and the role it must play in relieving this stress.

Government reviews and studies of long-term ponderings on population have a place, but gabfests are no substitute for political decision-making and action. The obvious solution has been neglected for too long – build and develop regional Australia.

Mountains of studies have identified massive job vacancies in regional Australia, but people in our crowded cities are understandably reluctant to grasp the opportunities because relocating to regional areas means putting up with sub-par services.

The NFF has proposed a series of solutions – including tax breaks, domestic relocation, immigration and infrastructure – that are now more pertinent than ever.

Genuine regional development must be a priority - not just to rebuild what we’ve lost with the floods.

approaches.

• Infrastructure – both soft and hard upgrades (not mere replacement of what flood waters stripped away) are vital.

These will give people confidence in essential services for themselves and their families.

• Tying migrants to regional locations – that is, requiring new

migrants to live and work in regional areas.

• 457 visa rethink – the Rudd Government axed the regional concessions for migrants temporarily working in Australia. This move must be reversed.

Australians will not be encouraged to move to regional Australia if there is a view that governments

are acting in a way that is counter-productive to regional growth.

That is why, for example, it is critical that the Murray-Darling Basin Plan must be considered in light of social, economic and environmental impacts.

It is why, with regional Australia’s infrastructure having languished in disrepair for decades,

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Gabfests are no substitute for political decision-making and action. already suffocating from under the weight of a national population of only 22 million people.

Previously we calculated that over 100,000 jobs – 80,000 for skilled labour and 22,000 entry-level positions – need to be filled in agriculture for farms to return to full production.

Once flood-recovery is fully underway, work needed in regional Australia will see those numbers grow exponentially.

As part of a major shakeup in population strategy, the NFF is calling on government to commit to: • Domestic relocation – the bulk of unemployed Australians are in capital cities. Therefore, policies must attract them to regional areas via a combination of carrot and stick

our basic obligation is to make flood-affected areas accessible once more.

Then we can undertake a national audit of transport and freight infrastructure needs – now and into the future – to map out and drive greater efficiencies, growth and prosperity.

Jock Laurie is president of the National Farmers Federation.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

AGRIBUSINESS

A2 builds Sydney plant A2 CORPORATION plans to build a $10 million

processing plant in Australia after receiving $4 million via a share placement.

The specialist milk products manufacturer has received the money from its cornerstone investors AMP Capital Investors (New Zealand) and Freedom Foods Group.

AMP Capital agreed to buy 30 million ordinary shares – at 10 cents apiece – an investment of $3 million. Meanwhile, Freedom Foods is exercising a capital raising right to subscribe to 9.1 million shares – or $910,000 – to maintain its 23% holding in the company.

The remainder of the $7.5 million project will be funded by an asset finance facility provided by the company’s bankers.

The company says it is pleased with the endorsement of the milk processing facility and

support from its two cornerstone shareholders.

The processing and packaging plant is being purpose-built, to supply demand in New South Wales and will be leased under a long-term

A2 Corp is pleased with the support of its two cornerstone share holders. arrangement with an option to purchase.

Production is expected to come on-line later this year.

A2 Corporation produces dairy products

that only contains the A2 type of beta casein protein, which it claims reduces the risk of several health conditions including heart disease, digestion problems and childhood diabetes. Standard milk contains both A1 and A2 beta casein proteins.

Product for markets in other Australian states will continue to be sourced from existing external processors.

Freedom Foods became a shareholder in May 2010, after A2 bought out its 50% stake in joint venture A2 Dairy Products in exchange for shares. This happened after the two companies called off merger talks, which would have created a $62 million ASX-listed company.

A2 shares were unchanged at NZ 8 cents on the NZAX and have traded infrequently in a tight range for much of the year.

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These heifers currently being raised at Fonterra's Tangshan farm in China will transfer to the new Chinese property in November.

Fonterra looks to India PETER BURKE

winter elements.

Moore says the foundations at its new $A32 million farm are in and some of the external walls have also been erected. Work will begin in earnest in the spring.

The Yutian farm will house about 5500 animals, including 3200 milkers.

Some of these animals will come from New Zealand and others will come from young stock bred at Fonterra’s farm at Hangu, close to the nearby city of Tangshan. The milking parlour will be different at Tangshan and include some new technology.

FONTERRA IS conducting a feasibility study into establishing a dairy farm in India, similar to its operations in China.

Peter Moore, Fonterra’s general manager international milk sourcing and operations, says the study is in the early stages and it will be some time before a decision is made.

“We’re just having a very preliminary look as to whether there’s an opportunity for us there or not,” he told Dairy News Australia. “It would be a similar operation to what we have in China. Obviously The second Chinese it has a different climate and dif- farm should be ferent challenges, finished by December. but a similar type of operation.”

Moore says deMoore says improving termining what breed or crossbreed would perform cow comfort means using best in the Indian environ- sand instead of wood shavment is one of the factors ings, where the cows can lay down when they are not being investigated.

“We can’t give you these feeding or being milked.

Attention is also being answers because we don’t have them ourselves,” he paid to improving the quality of the walk-ways, which says.

Moore says it will take take the cows from their some time to fully under- feeding area to the milking stand the operating envi- parlour.

Moore says a lot of effort ronment – no different to the way the China decision has gone into improving waste management syswas made.

“A great deal of work tems on the new farm and was done on China before this will lessen its environa decision was made to mental footprint.

There are no problems build our first pilot farm.

We need to understand the sourcing feed for the cows opportunity and the chal- at Yutian, as a lot of maize lenge – as well as the risks is grown in the area and of undertaking such a ven- contracts have been negotiated with local farmers ture.”

Meanwhile, work on de- to supply this. The Yutian veloping Fonterra’s second farm is scheduled for comfarm in China is progress- pletion at the end of the ing – despite the freezing year.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

19

AGRIBUSINESS

Domestic consumption rises THE PAST dec-

cantly reduced provide manufactured product the proportion of and export product has moved ade has seen milk available for to those regions with the lowmany changes in the export sector. est milk production costs – most the Australian This is down notably Victoria. The same dairy industry from around trend has also occurred in both and none more 60% in 2000 Western Australia and New significant than to 45% in 2010. South Wales, but to a lesser exin the way milk is Hence drinking tent at this point in time. used in the variOne can see this trend conmilk and manuous states of AusGLOBAL IMPACT factured product tinuing in the west, although tralia.

PETER WILSON for the domestic perhaps not quite to the extent After being market has now as seen in Queensland – due to fully opened to the logistics challenges of altermarket forces, the industry has become much more important.

In Queensland, – now very native supply at those times of responded in a way that economists would have suggested much a “drinking milk” state – the year when it can be particustructural adjustment would the industry has adjusted to be- larly difficult to balance supply to market demand. occur.

The situation in The ‘Changing milk utilisaNew South Wales is tion’ chart clearly shows the A growing domestic one of a very diverse impacts of these developments state. The northern in how milk is used across the market has reduced and central regions states over the past decade. the proportion of milk are focussed on supLooking firstly at the Australplying fresh prodian picture, one can see how the available for export. uct to the domestic combination of a steadily growmarket. Meanwhile, ing domestic market - in both population numbers and per come one which basically sup- its southern regions are more capita consumption terms - and plies fresh product as drinking closely aligned with the southern “export” states. drought-affected total milk pro- milk to the local market.

In South Australia, the doThe productive capacity to duction volumes have signifi-

Changing milk utilisation

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0% 2000

2010

QLD

2000

2010

NSW

2000

VIC

Drinking milk

mestic market has become relatively more important to milk produced in that state; while the use of milk in producing manufactured product in Victoria has lifted significantly with the steady concentration of productive capacity in that state over the last decade.

Nevertheless, the absolute volume of milk produced in

2010

2000

2010

2000

SA

2010

WA

Manufactured product

Victoria – at nearly two-thirds of Australia’s total milk production – together with the significant distances, and therefore costs, in providing fresh dairy products to the urban centres in the other states, means that Victoria remains very much involved in supplying the export sector.

Tasmania is the only state

2000

2010

TAS

2000

2010

AUST

Exports

where the mix of milk utilisation has remained virtually unchanged over the past decade.

The combination of a small domestic population and generally very conducive climatic conditions for dairying; means Tasmania also remains an “export” state.

Peter Wilson is Dairy Australia’s Industry Analyst.

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mind us.”

The report adds that volatility in agripected to rise this year and underpin attractive margins over input costs for farm- commodity markets is set to increase in ers in dairy export regions, according to 2011, due to the current tight state of global Rabobank’s latest Australian Agriculture markets, along with heightened activity of investment funds and potential trade rein Focus report.

The annual report says the outlook indi- strictions.

“Tightness in global markets, coupled cates a period of sustained profitability for most Australian dairy producers, although with low stocks, leaves little scope to absorb supply-side shocks – like the recent managing volatility will remain an issue.

It predicts Russia will emerge as a key drought in Russia which caused prices to export market for dairy this year, and Chi- jump markedly,” Sherrard says. “Investment funds have also flowed back into nese demand will continue.

Rabobank says the outlook for Austral- agri-commodity markets, mainly in reian agriculture is generally optimistic. sponse to the bullish fundamentals.

“In addition, there is the potential for However, it warns that several challenges will need to be effectively managed in or- trade restrictions, such as export bans, import limits and der to turn “positive tariffs, being put in signs into a profitplace by developing able year”. countries to proRabobank’s Food The Australian dollar mote domestic food & Agribusiness Reproduction and ensearch and Advisory will remain at near food is affordGeneral Manager, parity with the US dollar, sure able locally.”

Justin Sherrard, Rabobank expects says a mix of higher weakening by year’s end. the Australian dolprices across most lar to remain at near agricultural comparity with the US modities and ongoing volatility is set to characterise the year dollar, with potential for weakening by the ahead in the global food and agribusiness year’s end.

“In Rabobank’s view, the fundamentals sector.

“Last year saw a strengthening of glo- that have driven the Australian dollar in bal demand for agricultural commodities, the past 12 months will reassert themalong with frequent supply shocks, and selves in 2011,” the report says.

“Strong domestic growth, robust terms subsequent tightening of the balance beof trade, a widening interest rate differtween supply and demand.

“This year looks, on balance, a year of ential and a structurally weak US dollar robust support to agri-commodity prices are likely to keep the Australian dollar at at elevated levels,” Sherrard says “How- around the parity mark.”

The most important response to a high ever, there is the prospect of greater volatility, along with unexpected shocks, as Australian dollar is for the food and agrithe extensive flooding in Queensland and business sector to focus on increasing proVictoria at the start of the year should re- ductivity, Sherrard says.

20

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

MANAGEMENT

Crushing rocks reveals prime country we saw the potential. We were behind the eight ball from the start – there was no real pasture, just weeds,” Ben adds.

They also had to endure three years THE STONY Rises, near Colac, are aptly of drought and a bushfire, which burnt named.

While the soil is rich with nutrients a third of their land.

“But after a lot of heartache we can and the rainfall consistently good, the land is disrupted by a vast number of see a light at the end of the tunnel,” Ben basalt rocks caused by volcanic activity told Dairy News.

He says that low cost from thousands of years farming was essential ago. and good pasture was Some of the hilly, the key to achieving that. heavily wooded land “We’ve now got 90% efremains impossible to fective land. Most of it clear, but the outskirts of wasn’t arable when we the Stony Rises is prime started. dairying country – if “We aimed to get the the rocks don’t get in the farm to its critical mass. way.

We don’t want to be buyIn years gone by some WHO: ing in imports. We feed of the rocks were turned Ben Bennett grain for six months of into the region’s famous WHERE: the year now, but aim to dry-stone walls. HowPomborneit reduce that to five. ever, at nearby PomborWHAT: “It is critical to get neit, dairy farmer Ben Rock Crushing support from your bank, Bennett is one of those which we did,” Ben adds. who has cleared his land “A mortgage is a real wake-up call to improve productivity. The property is surrounded by 18 kilometres of stone and necessity is the mother of invenwall fences, a remnant of a trade all-but tion so you do what you have to, to make it work. They say there’s no gain lost in the modern era.

But when Ben took over the farm, without pain. Hopefully we’re through much of it was too rocky to grow good the worst of the pain.”

Ben Bennett used a rock crusher to crush basalt rocks and grow lucerne for his dairy herd.

The Bennetts believe a gradual clearcrops. He describes the decision to clear ing of their land, using a rock crushing his paddocks as a “no brainer”.

“Why wouldn’t you do it? I’m stand- machine and planting of good pastures, helped. Although silage came off about cash flow improves. very good land,” he says.

Millicent-based Garry Davies – who ing now in a paddock where I’ve had a with a particular focus on Lucerne, was two months later than usual, the farm The rock crushing business got uncalls himself the ‘Stone Killer’ – has derway when Garry was visiting a client is now flush with good yields. four-tonne Lucerne yield. I wouldn’t the best way to develop their farm.

“Last year we used about a third of been in the bulldozing business for 15 who owned a vineyard in south-west “We had the rock crusher in over have got anywhere near that without four seasons, doing a bit at a time. We’d the silage we produced and this year years. During that time he’s developed South Australia, near his home base of clearing the rocks.”

Ben’s 300-hectare property is in an crush the rocks and convert them into we’ve made three times as much and his own method of helping landown- Millicent. ers to deal with troublesome rocks and counting,” Ben adds. area previously closely-associated with the land and then plant the pasture.”

“He was picking the stone up and boulders. dairying, although that has diminished moving it. He was on a hiding to nothHis 90-tonne roller does the bulk of ing. I said why don’t you smash it and in recent decades. the work.

“The history of the area is in dairy crush it and leave it there. We got the big farming – we’ve brought it into the 21st “We’ve now got 90% effective land. Most of it “It’s pretty simple really,” he says. roller and started breaking it up.” century,” he says.

Garry says the crusher would work “We just roll the material and mix the wasn’t arable when we started.”

The Bennett family purchased the for a variety of industries, but was parcrushed stones into the soil.” property nearly six years ago after movThe bulk of his work comes from ticularly well-suited to dairying in aring from New Zealand and spending dairy farms and he works on properties eas of rocky terrain.

“We’ve got so much hay we’re going across south-east South Australia and The farm is now heading in the right a year working in the meat industry, “Every place and paddock is differto have to sell some. This goes against Western Victoria. He has seen thou- ent, but it can break through anything. while looking for a suitable property. At direction.

“I always say you have to farm for a my principles, but helps the cash flow.” the time, it was heavily overgrown with sands of hectares of previously unpro- You can do the limestone in South AusIdeally, Ben would like to increase his ductive land transformed into prime tralia or the volcanic rocks in Victoria weeds with mainly a day and night pad- drought, but if it’s not your creditors herd of 400 cross-breed cows, but that dairying country. will be happy.” dock in use for farming.

– you can find two or three different The wet season during 2010 has has taken a back-seat until the farm’s “There’s no money in cape weed, but “We turn very ordinary country into types of stones in one paddock.”

RICK BAYNE

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For Scott McKillop, a reliable source of winter feed is essential to his pasture renovation programme.

“I look to annual ryegrass for quality winter feed, before going into a perennial pasture

the following autumn.”

Scott milks 335 cows on 500 hectares at Dederang in North East Victoria. When it comes to choosing suitable pasture varieties, he has a bit of ‘inside running’ — he was an

agronomist for well-known Victorian forage seed company, Smyth Seeds of Benalla.

“My seed industry background makes me very aware of the importance of selecting the right variety.

Sowing a high performance variety over a cheap variety pays for itself through extra production and quality,” Scott says.

“When I was at Smyth Seeds, we put a lot of effort into evaluating pasture and forage varieties to ensure those we sold

Zoom – the king of annual ryegrasses TM

were actually adding value to farming systems. ZoomTM was an annual ryegrass that impressed me with its performance and quality.”

“When I came back to the family farm, which is dryland with a 900mm rainfall, I was convinced Zoom would fit well here. I have sown it for the past three years now. Last season I got eight grazings off it.”

“This year the Zoom had fantastic autumn growth. I have grazed it five times and I will graze it again. It bounces back quickly in the winter months and gives valuable feed.”

Scott McKillop – dairy farmer, Dederang

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“It has a great dense canopy, too. The cows always milk well on it and they graze it down to the ground. Being a latematuring annual, you get greater quality than the cheaper, shorter varieties. I will continue to sow Zoom in the future.”

ZoomTM tetraploid annual ryegrass is the latest release from Cropmark Seeds. It is a specialized winter feed. Sown in the autumn, it is an ideal winter feed crop for farmers wanting bulk feed for 6–10 months before ploughing up for a summer crop.

We l l n a m e d , Z o o m establishes rapidly, and goes on to exhibit exceptional coolseason performance. In trials conducted by Cropmark throughout Victoria, it has outperformed traditional Westerwolds annual ryegrass varieties in autumn, winter and spring.

It is later-heading than many of the traditional annual ryegrasses, +17 days relative to Nui. It stays vegetative for longer, carrying its quality longer into spring than the cheaper annual ryegrasses.

Farmers say they are getting multiple grazings off their Zoom paddocks over the autumn, winter, and early spring before shutting up for silage or hay.

22

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

MANAGEMENT

Sifting through employment awards DURING THE past month,

I have received many calls regarding employment – the majority seeking clarification from people on whether they are employing or being employed correctly.

It is not hard to see why there is so much confusion about employment in the dairy industry. We have different rules for different states and for different operating structures. We work variable hours – often seven days a week.

We also have several levels of award. And – to top it all off – dairy operators are often time poor when it comes to keeping up with their business

administration.

So where do we start to get things right?

My first suggestion is to ensure - as employers and employees - we are familiar with ‘The People in Dairy’ website and its ‘People Advisors’ at www. thepeopleindairy.org.au . This site is targeted at helping with the answers to people questions and managing our people resource to develop long-term success in our businesses.

Let’s start with some of the basics, even though this will only scratch the surface.

Employers need to ensure their employees

FARMING FOCUS GAVIN MCCLAY are recording the hours worked in an accurate and regular fashion. This will provides the detail needed to ensure employees are being paid correctly for their efforts.

As a basic snapshot, employees are paid at normal rates for their first 152 hours worked over four weeks, then paid at

overtime rates for any hours worked over 152 during a four week period.

They are paid double time for overtime worked on a Sunday, while any public holidays are paid at double time or by way of a day in lieu.

To manage this correctly, employees’ wages and rates of pay need to be calculated and reviewed on a monthly basis – even if they are paid weekly or fortnightly. Of course there are some exceptions which relate to ‘Managers’, but the discipline of recording hours should still be applied.

Employers and employees should also be

or you can find a link to it on my website.

Both employers and employees should also be au fait with the correct classification of permanent, part time and casual employees and the There are resources respective available to help employers requirements of and employees. each. Permanent is classified as 38 hours or greater per week correctly. The Federal and part-time is less than Pastoral Award can be 38 hours. Meanwhile, found by following the casual is classified as on links to Awards on the an as-needed basis and ‘Fair Work Australia’ has different loadings website www.fwa.gov.au familiar with the Federal Pastoral Award 2010 and how this relates to the dairy industry. This sets the platform on how we engage employees

compared with a part time or permanent work.

As we start the new calendar year, make a decision to become an employer of choice by learning more about this part of your business. There are a number of resources out there to help those willing to put the effort in.

As I was told recently by a large employer: “People aren’t the problem they are the solution!”

Gavin McClay is a dairy based business consultant based in Victoria. He can be contacted on 0425 825 288, gavin@gavinmcclay. com.au or through his website: www.gavinmcclay. com.au

Priming your pastures pays off Late summer and early autumn is the time when pastures are at their weakest.

Grazing pastures too short (<5 cm) or too soon (<2 leaves) during late spring - summer results in greatly reduced root density and depth, leading to more plant-pulling the following autumn.

Autumn is about rebuilding ryegrass density and setting up pasture production potential for the year.

It is important to refrain from letting cows eat pasture as soon as it grows to reduce autumn supplement use. This will restrict pasture growth for several rotations and possibly until the spring flush. Ultimately more supplements will be needed over the year, increasing the cost of milk production.

Take a long term view and feed supplements when pasture is in short supply, it helps set up pastures for the season ahead.

Here are tips on maximising ryegrass pasture performance in autumn: 1. High-density pastures produce more feed.

Walk your paddocks before the autumn break and identify pastures that do not have adequate plant density. Restore the density by either direct-drilling perennial ryegrass or a carry out a full renovation (spray, cultivate and re-sow). Full renovation gives a more reliable result but could result in these paddocks being off-limits during winter if it is wet, so should be restricted to a limited portion of the farm to manage risk.

2. Ensure the existing plants are able to perform at their best. Begin autumn with a long rotation (say 60 days initially). Two

factors are involved – pasture cover and grazing intensity. Pasture growth rate is dependent on the amount of green leaf area turning sunlight into plant growth, so building up pasture mass will provide higher growth and more feed in the long run.

Plants weakened by summer growing conditions will be further weakened by repeated hard grazing and will grow less feed in the long run.

Once the target pasture cover is achieved, the rotation is altered as required to maintain this mass on the next pasture to be grazed.

3. Consider a sacrifice paddock. While pastures in a sacrifice paddock will be further weakened, those not grazed will be strengthened. Most pastures will grow faster, compared to paddocks grazed before they achieve ideal cover. When choosing a sacrifice paddock, look for ones relatively unproductive and/or due for renovation.

4. Use supplements to optimise re-growth.

The importance of pasture residue is often overlooked. A residue after grazing of 5-6cm between the clumps will give highest ryegrass performance. If cows graze shorter than 5 cm, increase the level of supplement feeding. Decrease supplements if leaving more than 5 cm.

5. Control broad-leafed weeds. Competition from other species will limit the performance of ryegrass pasture. Strategic control of broad-leafed weeds can be easily achieved through spray-grazing at about six weeks after germination.

This is one of the many examples of the dairy service levy at work. Farmers receive a benefit of $3 for each $1 invested by Dairy Australia on their behalf. For more information on this and other levy investments visit www.dairyaustralia.com.au

Deeper roots lifts profit EVAN MCINTYRE THE LIFESPAN of recently established

pasture is disappointing many farmers.

Within three to five years the older, lower fertility pasture species usually reestablish, leading to the conclusion there is a deficiency of other than the standard NPK, too much of which is usually applied.

A key to the answer lies in the subsoil, through which plant roots need access to the valuable and necessary nutrients in them, particularly for clovers to thrive.

Many farmers will have noticed the strong clover growth occurring around recently dug posthole or trenches that have been backfilled. This effect is somewhat similar to applying the rock or quarry dust some organic farmers buy and spread at a fairly high cost.

Ryegrass and clover roots should be reaching down 30 cm and more to the much needed nutrients in the subsoil, but on most farms 10 cm would be the norm and the roots often show a horizontal spread indicating a pan effect.

This shallow rooting of some plants, especially ryegrasses, is caused by the toxicity of aluminium (Al) which is antagonistic to Ca and P and visa versa.

Many plants are sensitive to Al, which occurs in most soils, but its bad effects on plants is worse in soils needing more lime and/or phosphate.

Al has no known benefit for plants and

deficiencies don’t occur. If pasture levels are below 100 ppm it is a good sign. If levels are higher it will be shown by shallow rooting of ryegrass, which increases ryegrass pulling. Lime reduces Al availability.

Encouraging earthworm populations through correct liming and trace element applications is the best long term way to provide a porous friable soil structure in which plant roots can penetrate easily to lower subsoils. Earthworms bring deposits of valuable nutrients to the soil surface in the form of vermicast, on which plants thrive.

To fast track this effect and where the soil is low in earthworm numbers and cultivation is an option, chisel ploughing together with a optimum lime application will give the best of both worlds.

Cultivation by chisel ploughing deeply (30-40 cm), brings up valuable subsoil and creates deeper topsoils which build and hold more humus, allow deeper plant roots, better moisture retention and grow higher yielding plants. See grazinginfo.com > soils and cultivation Deeper roots, into the subsoil, access the unknown and important minerals from below the top 15 cm of soil that have been mined of minerals by pasture and animals and, conversely, shallow roots grow less pasture and are more vulnerable to heat and drought stress, lowering production.

Evan McIntyre is an independent agricultural consultant based in New Zealand.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

23

MANAGEMENT

Managing lameness after floods, rain EXTREMELY WET condi-

tions can lead to higher rates of lameness in dairy cows.

As heavy rain and floods wash away the fine materials in farm tracks or laneways it exposes larger stones and gravel pieces, which have the potential to damage a cow’s hoof.

Prolonged exposure to moisture causes the hoof to soften, making bruising, penetration injuries and white-line disease more prevalent.

The skin between the toes and around the foot also softens and mashesup leaving it more prone to infections such as footrot.

The overall cost of each case of lameness is estimated at $200-$300 a head – as it decreases the cow’s ability to graze, causes loss of milk production, leads to lowered reproductive performance.

It also increases the chance

The overall cost of lameness is $200$300 per head. of a cow being culled and causes lost income through the additional cost of treatment.

Dairy Australia says the most common causes of lameness in extremely wet conditions or floods are: • Cows that stand in water for days at a time. They will have their hoof walls and soles softened by the constant contact with moisture.

• Inter-digital skin.

The usually hard skin between the claws – becomes soft, macerates (mashes up) – and forms cracks after long exposure to wet conditions.

This skin is then prone to injury from any sharp object such as buckshot, gravel or even crop stubble.

• Soft hooves. These are more prone to developing fine cracks along the white line, especially if they are turning on abrasive concrete.

• Mud coating the feet and lower legs. This can conceal many other problems.

Dairy Australia says there are a number of strategies to help prevent lameness.

Patience in handling

stock is critical and the herd should be allowed to move slowly and given as much time as possible to choose where they place their feet. If there are sections of track washed away then allow the cows to work out their preferred alternative route even though this may take longer.

Minimise the use of the backing gate in the yard and let cows move into the shed at their own speed.

Cows pushed up tight may result in sole injuries and loss of hoof sole as cows pivot on the concrete surface. Soft hooves are easily worn away by twisting and turning on abrasive concrete.

Protect cows’ hooves from rough surfaces by topping damaged tracks with sawdust, woodchips or limestone as a temporary fix in areas that have deteriorated during wet conditions. This is particularly important for the last 20-30 meters in the lead up to the concrete holding yards.

Similarly, areas of concrete that pose a danger to hooves, including the entry on to the concrete cow turning areas, can be covered with carpet or matting in the short term.

A foot wash at yard entry will wash sand and small stones from the feet before they reach the concrete. Tracks should never be topped with road screenings, rough screed, broken concrete, large river stones or builder’s rubble.

If flooding and debris have created particularly muddy or rough areas, these should be removed or fenced off to prevent stock from accessing these hazards.

Any cow showing lameness should be removed from the herd and placed in a paddock near the milking shed. Farmers should also consider milking affected cows once a day.

Early examination and treatment of lame cows not only improves welfare, but also limits the financial losses from a loss of body condition, milk production and the culling of affected cows.

Using a mix of 5% formalin or 5% copper sulphate foot-baths or treated hoofmats may also be effective in preventing and treating large outbreaks of footrot and bacterial infections.

Footbath chemicals can be dangerous and should be handled with care.

Footbaths should be at

least 2.5m long, only used once-daily and the raceway through them should allow cows to go through in single file. They Treated hoofmats can be placed on the way into the dairy to increase the time cows are standing on them. They should be recharged regularly and used at every milking.

Heavy rain and floods wash away the fine material on farm tracks, exposing larger stones.

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24

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

MANAGEMENT

Cockchafers under attack A NEW scanning device fitted to a four-wheel mo-

torbike could revolutionise the way landholders plan their attacks on red-headed cockchafers.

The pest costs affected-Gippsland farmers an estimated $115,500 each a year – adding up to millions of dollars for the Victorian dairy industry.

However, a specifically-designed remote sensing unit – fitted onto a quad bike – can now detect changes in electrical conductivity in grasses, and researchers believe these changes could indicate heavy infestations of red-headed cockchafers in the soil.

GippsDairy executive officer Danielle Auldist says early detection of infestation will allow farmers to break the breeding and development cycle of the insect.

“Up until now, the only way to tell if you had an infestation was to grab a shovel and start digging,” Auldist says. “If this trial is successful, it will allow farmers to identify where heavy infestations are and deal with the problem by ripping up the ground and destroying the grubs.”

DPI entomologist Dr Kevin Powell, who is leading the research project, hopes to identify traits in pasture that indicate cockchafers are present.

The Rutherglen scientist says the first stage of trials, which were conducted recently on Gippsland farms, would be followed-up this month to check how accurate the data is.

Researchers are investigating soil properties in

relation to the distribution of cockchafers.

Rohan Marriott, who farms on irrigated and dry land at Modella near Drouin, says early identification of infestations will need to be coupled with effective techniques of dealing with red- headed cockchafers.

Marriott says a heavy cockchafer attack two years ago, left him devastated financially and tested his resolve.

Red-headed cockchafers cost the dairy industry millions of dollars annually.

“Two years ago, they were across the whole farm, they didn’t discriminate between irrigated and non-irrigated paddocks – the whole farm basically copped it,” he says.

“The milk price had dropped, and we had to over-sow the whole farm; so we lost production and the cost of bringing in feed hurt.”

The project has been a GippsDairy initiative, using dairy levy funds to utilise scientists from CSIRO, Dairy Australia, DPI, Melbourne University, Latrobe University and Australian National University.

Part of the project involves farmers packaging and posting cockchafers to researchers for further

John Medway from Terrabyte is at the controls of the quad bike.

examination.

GippsDairy is asking Gippsland farmers to dig up a small patch of soil where they believe a redheaded cockchafer infestation has occurred.

If grubs or adult beetles are present in the soil sample, they should be dug out and placed in a plastic container with a mixture of 70 per cent methylated spirits and 30 per cent water for at least two days. The liquid can then be drained and

the specimen can be wrapped in tissue paper.

Samples can be posted to GippsDairy at PO Box 1059, Warragul, 3820, with details of when and where the cockchafers were collected.

A survey is also being conducted – with information being sought from farmers – on the extent and severity of cockchafer problems on their land.

Details of the survey are available at www.gippsdairy.com.au

Blood test reveals feed efficient calves MELISSA SPAIN BLOOD TESTING calves to work out their feed conversion efficiency may become common practice for dairy farmers.

New research into feed efficiency has revealed significant differences between the most efficient and least efficient groups of heifers.

This research has shown that the most efficient calves eat 1.6kg of dry matter (DM) less than the least efficient calves for the same amount of live weight gain.

In the future, farmers will be

able to blood test calves at birth – or a few days old – to genetically determine if they have the DNA markers for high feed conversion efficiency.

This will enable farmers to make better informed decisions about which replacement heifers they should invest money in.

The research is currently being conducted by the Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Biosciences and Future Farming Systems Research Divisions at Rutherglen, Victoria.

Some animals are more efficient at converting feed (kilograms of dry matter intake)

into live weight (kilograms), meaning they require less feed for maintenance and production compared to the rest of the population.

sion efficiency is based on a measure known as the Residual Feed Intake (RFI). The RFI is the difference between the predicted feed intake for an animal

Research shows the most efficient calves eat 1.6kg less dry matter than the least efficient calves for the same weight gain.

The project focuses on metabolic feed efficiency, which is the net feed an animal consumes adjusted for its requirements for maintenance and production.

The metabolic feed conver-

–based on its body size and production level – and the amount that the animal actually consumes.

Over 900 calves, in three batches, have been weighed on

a regular basis and daily, dry matter intake for each has been recorded via an electronic feed recording system.

The animals containing a higher RFI (10%) and lower RFI (10%) of the sample population have been selected for further study.

Calves with the lowest RFI values are the most efficient at converting feed into live weight; they consumed 1.6 kilograms DM less than the 10% of calves with the highest RFI values for the same amount of live weight gain.

All animals that participated in this study will now have their

DNA mapped to investigate the differences between their DNA sequences.

Once the DNA markers are mapped, in the next stage of the trial, the link between feed conversion efficiency and milk production will be explored through a milking cow trial.

The research has shown that RFI genes for feed conversion efficiency are inheritable, which suggests that in the future bulls will be able to be selected based on this trait – provided its economic value is large enough to impact on sire rankings.

Melissa Spain works with DPI, Echuca.



$5000 cash giveaway Avalon perennial ryegrass is Australian bred for persistence, excellent winter and spring production, Avalon is available with wild type endophyte or the safe AR1 endophyte, Avalon suits all grazing enterprises How to enter: Just purchase one or more 25 kg bags of Avalon or Avalon AR1 certified perennial ryegrass, remove the complete certified tags and mail together with your name, address and contact details to “Vicseeds Cash Giveaway” PO Box 1544 Geelong 3220.

Terms and Conditions: 1. This competition is being run by Vicseeds Production Pty Ltd (ABN 48 102 920 552), 1/3 Dowsett St, South Geelong. 2. This competition commences on the 1st February 2011 and closes at the close of business on the 17th June 2011. 3. The draw will take place in the Vicseeds office on the 20th June 2011 at 3.00 p.m. 4. Prize: There will be one prize draw with the first drawn tag being the winner of $5,000 CASH. 5. For full terms and conditions please visit the Vicseeds website www.vicseeds.com.au. NSW Permit No. LTPS/11/00338.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

25

ANIMAL HEALTH

Hygiene underpins calf rearing program LIZ COTTON AFTER MOVING home to the family farm, following time spent living and working in the Caribbean, Annabel Mangal began rearing and selling calves to local hobby farmers in the Adelaide Hills.

The business was initially developed as a means to work on-farm at Nairne, SA, and not have to put her then one year old daughter, Alex, into full time day care. However, it soon grew into an extensive and diverse intensive farming operation.

A proponent of “you have to diversify to stay alive,” Mangal’s business – trading as Southern Trades Management (STM) – now encompasses contract calf rearing, cattle and sheep breeding, a wholesale meat business and a developing overseas venture.

In 2003, Mangal was approached by Dairy Beef Alliance (DBA) to contract rear calves.

As a Regional Manager, she has sourced from over 30 dairies throughout the major dairy regions in South Australia and rears between 500 and 1000 Wagyu-cross calves a year.

Calves are reared from three days to around 200kg at six months, before they are sent to Victorian feedlots and subsequent slaughter for export internationally.

In addition, STM – in conjunction with DBA – works with dairies from the Barossa to Victor Harbor and the Adelaide Hills to Meningie, inseminating low-producing cows and heifers with DBA Wagyu by artificial insemination.

This generates a valueadded calf and an extra source of revenue for dairy farmers.

“The calves are run on their mothers and enter the DBA feedlots at 10 months, where they pay a premium of 30% above the eastern young cattle index.”

As a result of working closely with dairy operations in South Australia, STM buys and rears around 300 Murray Grey and Angus-cross calves a year for sale to hobby farmers.

Mangal has also developed a paddock-to-plate style wholesale meat business – selling farm-direct Wagyu/ Murray Grey cross beef to local butchers, hotels, restaurants and private consumers,

Annabel Mangal and daughter Alex with two to six-week-old calves.

The 360ha property has the capacity to rear 3000 calves a year.

“This part of the business involves a dairy putting a Wagyu bull over Friesian heifers and producing around 70 calves,” she says. “I pick these up at 3 days old and slaughter at 10 months locally.”

To date, STM has raised more than 2000 Holstein Friesian bull calves for sale, 1000 beef-dairy cross calves sold locally, 10,000 Wagyu-Holstein calves under contract and 300 replacement dairy heifers.

The 360ha property has the capacity to rear 3000 calves a year – with room for expansion. At any given time, it houses 200 calves under two-weeks-old in separate pens (5 per pen), 200 2-8 week-old calves in weaner pens in groups of 10-15, 160 in weaner pens holding up to 80 8-12-week-old calves per pen and 300 in backgrounding lots for calves 90kg (3 months) to 250kg.

Having learnt the challenging science and art of calf rearing through “trial and error”, training and support from DBA and advice from other calf rearers – along with a good deal of hard work and perseverance – Mangal believes one of the major secrets to success is a good understanding and practice of hygiene and disease control, “Hygiene is the most important aspect of calf

rearing. It’s really a case of divide and conquer as calves adjust to people, place and feed changes.

“The first ten days are spent in small yards to acclimatise them to their new environment, get used to being without their mums, settle their digestive balance and, of course,

prevent any diseases spreading among the different herds.”

Calves are fed on milk powder, probiotics and electrolytes with bentonite in grain and kaelin in milk powder to bind and help with fluid retention.

Before they leave the property, calves are also vaccinated, de-horned, castrated, wormed, treated against flies and pink eye.

Much of the operation’s work has been done solely

by Mangal with seasonal

WHO:

Annabel Mangal WHERE:

Nairne WHAT:

Calf rearing

workers brought in for busy times, particularly autumn and spring. However, in 2008 an injury to her neck and lower back forced her to scale back some of the more physi-

cally demanding jobs.

“At the moment I have three part-time workers and a school-based trainee two days a week.

“We have adapted the operation to reduce the

physical workload and streamline the procedures; we bought better tractors and introduced better systems for cleaning the pens and so on.”

Despite the adoption of some new practices, Mangal does not believe that a machine can ever do as good a job as a person on the ground. Therefore, she will never opt for a fully automatic system.

“Calf rearing really requires a person to be able to look at the calf and assess its behaviour.

Is it coming up to feed or hanging back? Is it moving around actively or keeping to itself? These are things a machine can never do and make a huge difference to success or otherwise of calf rearing.”

In South Australia, there are relatively few calf rearers that are not attached to dairies.

“It is hard work – you need to be willing to go the extra mile, which may mean being prepared to get up at 2am to give electrolytes if a calf needs it.

“You also need a good understanding of animal husbandry, have skills in animal health and a sound knowledge of the overarching themes of the industry, market and trends.

“Having good friends in the calf rearing industry is very important; you can share ideas, knowledge and help each other,” she says.

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26

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

ANIMAL HEALTH

Wading through the murky depths of Pestivirus AT THIS time of the year,

in seasonal dairy practices, we are starting to get into pregnancy testing.

Often, the results are not what was hoped for – or anticipated. It is natural for farmers to want answers when pregnancy rates are worse than expected.

Bovine Pestivirus Disease is potentially one of the most significant viral diseases affecting reproduction in cattle and it has received a lot of press recently.

Pestivirus infection is a potential time bomb ticking away in many dairy

ance – have blood tested herds. It has the potential or milk tested and found to devastate the reproducantibodies to Pestivirus in tive performance of herds the milking herd and been all over Australia. convinced they have found Herds that have had no previous exposure to the virus are at the The most dangerous greatest risk time for an animal to be of a reproducinfected is at joining. tive disaster.

However, those herds which are the “answer” to their woes. endemically infected with However, after vaccinatthe virus can also suffer ing their herd, they have losses in many different experienced a similarly forms. poor reproductive perI have heard of farmers formance the following who – faced with poor year. reproductive perform-

Why does this happen?

Because the mere presence of Pestivirus antibodies only tells the cattle have been exposed to the virus at some time during their life.

The presence of antibodies in the herd may indicate chronic infection, which is less likely to cause catastrophic reproductive losses. Or a recent infection – which could explain pregnancy loss, stillbirth, congenital deformities and the birth of Persistently Infected (PI) calves.

The virus can cause early embryonic deaths –

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with any delayed returns to oestrus infecting the developing foetus causing birth defects or abortion.

When a foetus is infected – before it has developed its own immune system and survives – the phenomenon of a Persistently Infected (PI) calf can occur.

This happens because as the immune system of the growing foetus develops, it never identifies the virus as being “foreign” and so never produces an antibody response to it.

Therefore, PI cattle will usually test negative on an antibody test, turning them into a likely “sleeper agent” of destruction.

The “ear notch” is the best test for identifying PI calves, and eliminating them from the herd.

Whenever I am asked to investigate a possible Pestivirus “outbreak”, I usually start with a history of the reproductive problem. In order to rule Pestivirus – in or out – as a potential cause of the reproductive loss, it is important to determine at what age the infection is occurring in the herd.

By testing groups of weaners, yearlings, springing two-year-olds as well as the cow herd, it is possible to determine whether there is a recent Pestivirus infection, or if the virus may be endemic in the herd.

The most dangerous time for a heifer or cow to become infected is at – or

soon after – joining. That is why whenever I identify a herd that has no antibodies – especially in the young stock – I shudder at the potential for disaster should the virus be introduced to the herd at a vulnerable time.

The two main strategies for reducing this risk is to either undertake a comprehensive vaccination program, which must be ongoing, or redouble the efforts to maintain a completely closed herd.

PI calves are often poor doing calves, and many die when young.

However, some appear perfectly normal but they are like walking virus machines, infecting others that they come into contact with.

It is usually by buying in, or the straying of a transiently (recently) infected or PI animal into a negative herd, which can cause catastrophic losses I could never hope to cover what is one of the most complex diseases that cattle veterinarians deal with in such a short article.

If you are looking for any information on Pestivirus disease, prevention strategies or advice on farm biosecurity, contact your local dairy veterinarian for unbiased scientific advice Rob Bonanno is president of the Australian Cattle Veterinarians Association and a director of the Shepparton Veterinary Clinic.

Latest dairy trends THE LATEST genetic trends and production statistics

for Australia’s national dairy herd have just been released in the 2010 Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Report.

This new data collected, through herd-recording, reveals the following insights into herd-recorded dairy cows in 2009/10: • Protein production by Victorian cows is almost 20% higher now than it was in 1990.

• Almost half (43%) Australian dairy cows calve in the months of July/August/September.

• Most dairy cows are bred via artificial insemination (72% of herd-recorded Holsteins, 69% of herd-recorded Jerseys and 90% of herd-recorded Australian Red Breeds).

• On-average an AI cow is $53 more profitable than a naturally bred counterpart.

• About half (45%) of Australia’s 1.6 million milking cows were herd-recorded in 2009/10.

• On average, herd-recorded cows produced 30% more milk than non-herd recorded cows (Dairy Australia in Focus 2010 and ADHIS 10).

• Over the past decade, about 30% of dairy’s productivity gains have been the result of genetic improvement.

This report was published jointly by the Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme (ADHIS) and the National Herd Improvement Association of Australia (NHIA).

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

27

ANIMAL HEALTH

Think nutrition now for better production FARMERS SHOULD be think-

Dr Barry Zimmermann

What bug is that?

KNOWING WHAT bug is causing mastitis in your dairy herd is the first step towards containing an outbreak and managing it in the long-term.

That’s the view of Dairy Australia Countdown Downunder project leader Dr John Penry, who says almost all mastitis is caused by bacteria entering the udder through the teat canal.

“It is worth collecting milk samples from all clinical cases, before you treat them, and putting samples in the freezer,” Penry says. “Then if you start getting more than two cases per 100 cows a month, you can send them to the lab to find out what bug is involved.”

There are two main types of mastitis in dairy herds. Each involves different bacteria and different approaches to treatment and management: cow associated or contagious mastitis, and environmental mastitis.

Cow-associated or contagious mastitis spreads from cow to cow and is commonly caused by Staph aureus or Strep agalactiae.

Penry says Strep agalactiae is sensitive to penicillin, so this treatment has a fairly high cure rate.

“The trouble is it spreads very rapidly and doing things to stop this spread should be the focus for herds infect with this bacteria.”

This involves a fairly intense review of the way things are done; including milking hygiene and treating clinical cases, ways of segregating the clean

and infected cows and the herd’s introduction policy.

“In contrast, Staph aureus is more difficult to cure. This is especially the case during lactation, so prevention is essential,” Penry explains.

“New infections can by reduced by 50%, by ensuring teat disinfection is being used at the right concentration and making sure the whole teat surface is covered after milking.”

Environmental mastitis is caused by bacteria that are widespread in a cow’s surroundings – soil, manure, bedding, calving pads and water. The main bacteria involved are Strep Uberis, E. coli and pseudomonas.

“These bacteria are mainly picked up by the cow at calving time, resulting in clinical mastitis at calving or early lactation,” Penry says. “It is important to review your dry cow strategy, if these bacteria are causing a problem in your herd.

He says the first step to finding out which bacteria is involved is to collect milk samples. Farmers should ask their vet for the sample tubes.

“Milk samples can be frozen and stored for up to four weeks; or sent directly to the lab for testing,” Penry adds. “The lab can also check which antibiotics are likely to be effective against the bacteria present (sensitivity testing).

“It is important to follow the correct milk sampling and transport procedure to ensure you get meaningful results from the lab.”

tion, consider improving their diet between now and drying off by allocating more highquality pasture or supplement.

“The ideal body condition

ing now about dairy nutrition to set their herds up for better milk production and fertility during the next lactation, says InCalf’s Dr Barry Zimmermann.

“Late lactation is the best opportunity to review body condition and adjust nutritional management to have cows calving in the ideal condition, which sets them up for the coming lactation and joining period,” Zimmermann explains.

InCalf recommends assessing herd body condition about eight weeks before drying off.

“Aim to have dry-off cows in ideal condition for calving.

“If they are below ideal condi-

Zimmermann says farmers should also be planning their herd’s nutrition during the dry period.

“Don’t fall for the mistake of

Assess body condition about eight weeks before drying off. score at calving is 4.5-5.5, based on the Condition Magician scale of 1-8.

“If most of the herd is in ideal condition, a lower cost option may be to separate the thin cows out for preferential feeding with a supplement.”

under-feeding dry cows. You don’t want them to lose weight at this time,” he says.

“Cows require extra energy and protein in the final two to four weeks of pregnancy to meet the higher demands of the developing calf.

“A 550kg dry cow needs about 90-100 megajoules of metabilisable energy a day and 11-12% crude protein – so poor quality pasture and hay will not be enough.”

Zimmermann says farmers could consider gradually introducing a grain supplement in the two weeks leading up to calving. This will help meet the extra requirements of the developing calf and also help prepare the rumen for concentrate feeding after calving, reducing the risk of grain poisoning.

InCalf is Dairy Australia’s national project to help improve herd fertility.

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60 day recharge Do you want to bring your autumn calvers back fresh and ready to go after calving?

Management at drying off and length of the dry period are increasingly being recognised as the keys to preparing for a healthy, productive lactation, with evidence showing a 60 day dry period can maximise milk production in subsequent lactations.

Research is showing that the opportunity to “recharge” during a 60 day dry period pays dividends, optimising milk production.

Coopers Veterinarian Dr Damian O’Brien said that while farmers typically expected the slightly shorter milking period after a 60 day dry period to result in less milk over the total lactation, evidence showed otherwise.

“A well planned dry-off and dry period can be the chance to reset the clock and allow cows to fully recharge before the next lactation,” Dr O’Brien said.

“Use of a broad spectrum, long acting dry cow preparation and a 60 day dry period allows the opportunity for any infection to be cleaned out thoroughly, allowing cows to go into the new lactation clean.

It gives the best opportunity for milkproducing cells in the udder lost during the previous lactation to regenerate and ensure optimal production in the next lactation.”

“This can ultimately result in more milk and lower cell counts in the subsequent lactation.”

Dr O’Brien said that a wetter than usual spring and summer, with flooding in many areas, had heightened mastitis and the overall stress on many milking herds.

“Environmental mastitis is a big issue at the moment – dairy farmers need to talk to their vets to tailor a control programme.

Broad spectrum intramammaries (whether they be lactating or dry cow formulations) that target these pathogens are essential in control programmes. For lactating cow preparations, you want broad spectrum, with rapid clearance from the udder, to reduce time out of the vat. For dry cow preparations, broad spectrum with long duration of action is what many cows will require,” he said.

Hoof health and ruminal function are also vital contributors to a cows’ production.

“A 60 day dry period gives the cow enough time to generate an entirely new sole and for the rumen’s microbial population and the ruminal epithelium to fully recover from any incidents of acidosis during lactation,” Dr O’Brien said.

At Coopers, we know how busy dairy farmers are, that’s why we encourage you to talk to your vets to ensure you are making the most of drying off and optimising the dry period length.

For further information on drying off and dry cow or milking herd management, call Coopers Animal Health on 1800 885 576 or talk to you local vet. ® Registered Trademark

Dehorning pain can be relieved through using local anaesthetic and non-steroidial anti-inflammatory drugs.

Dehorning anaesthetic wait time slashed MHAIRI SUTHERLAND DEHORNING IS a routine animal husbandry practice carried out to lessen the risk of injury to stock, people and other animals during handling and transport of stock.

It is commonly performed without pain relief – even though it causes extensive tissue damage and is known to cause pain.

There are two major components to the pain caused by dehorning. Firstly, the initial pain caused by dehorning and secondly that caused by inflammation of the wound.

Studies – conducted at Massey University and AgResearch – have shown that the combination of using a local anaesthetic and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) prior to dehorning can eliminate any pain caused by this practice.

Administrating a local anaesthetic and NSAIDs at least 10 minutes prior to dehorning or castration will give ample time for these drugs to take full effect.

However, this is impractical – from the stock person’s and the animal’s point of view – because the animal has to be handled twice (once to administer the drugs and secondly to perform the procedure) or restrained for the whole 10 minutes.

Therefore, the aim of the study was to find out if giving pain relief (local anaesthetic and a NSAID)

The study used calves three months of age.

Research shows giving pain relief immediately prior to dehorning is effective. immediately prior to dehorning would still provide effective pain relief for calves.

The calves used in this study were about three months of age and were either handled only or dehorned using a scoop dehorner.

Half the calves were dehorned without pain relief, while the others were injected with local anaes-

thetic just prior to dehorning and then given an NSAID intramuscularly immediately after the procedure was performed.

Blood samples were taken (prior to and up to 72 hours after dehorning) to measure cortisol and acute phase protein concentrations. Cortisol is a common measure of the stress response

in animals and acute phase proteins are a measure of tissue damage and inflammation.

Calf behaviour was observed while the calves were in their home pens for up to 180 minutes after the procedures were performed. Finally, body weight was measured before and then 24 hours after handling and dehorning.

Cortisol concentrations increased in dehorned calves for up to six hours after having their horns removed. But, the concentrations were similar among calves that received pain relief at the time of dehorning and calves that were only handled.

Acute phase protein concentrations were higher in calves 24 and 72 hours after dehorning and this response was eliminated in calves given pain relief.

Calves that were dehorned spent more time wagging their tails and less time eating compared to those that received pain relief.

Lastly, calves that were dehorned lost weight during the 24-hours after losing their horns.

Whereas the calves that were given pain relief at dehorning did not suffer any loss of body weight.

This study showed that dehorning does cause physiological and behavioural changes in calves indicative of pain. However, this can be mitigated by providing pain relief to the animals when dehorning is carried out.

Mhairi Sutherland is a scientist at AgResearch, NZ.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

29

ANIMAL HEALTH

‘Partial insertion’ helps dry-cow therapy SCOTT MCDOUGALL ONE OF the tools available

Third, full-depth insertion may temporarily stretch the teat canal, making it easier for bacteria to enter.

In contrast, partial insertion leaves a trace of antibiotic in the teat canal, preventing bacteria growing into the teat canal, the first step to infection deeper into the udder.

Practically, partial insertion is easy to do. The tip of the tube is simply partly inserted in the teat canal and the thumb and forefinger of the opposite hand used to clamp the tube tip gently at the teat end. The syringe is then gently plunged so as to prevent any back flow

to dairy farmers to manage mastitis is ‘dry cow therapy’ – intramammary infusion of antibiotics at the end of lactation.

This increases the cure rate of existing infections and reduces the risk of acquiring new infections during the dry period.

Dry cow therapy is a big investment and there are some things that improve its efficacy.

Research work has shown “partial insertion”, i.e. advancing the tip of the dry cow therapy tube only 3mm into the teat canal (rather than Partial insertion right though the teat canal), results leaves a trace of in a better cure rate antibiotic actually of existing infecin the teat canal, tions.

Additionally, a preventing bacteria survey by the writer growing. showed that herds in which ‘partial insertion’ is practised have of antibiotic from the teat lower BTSCC in the follow- end.

Products that have a ‘coling lactation, most likely due to getting fewer new lar’ or ‘two-stage cap’ on the tip – these allow the opinfections.

How does partial inser- tion of either doing part or tion work? Probably in sev- full insertion – may make the job of partial insertion eral ways.

First, the teat canal is easier by having only a few lined with keratin, which millimeters of the tip exis part of the first line of posed, hence preventing defence against invading the tip being inserted too bacteria. By fully insert- far.

To get the best out of dry ing the tip of the antibiotic tube, the keratin layer may cow therapy, plan to have enough trained people on be physically removed.

Second, if the teat ends hand to do the job.

People should be are not properly cleaned and bacteria are carried in designated to undertake on the tip of the tube, these each task. For example, bacteria may be carried one person might do the all the way through to the teat cleaning (i.e. scrub cistern, thus bypassing the the teat end with a cotton wool ball moistened with defences of the teat canal.

Beat the heat DAIRY AUSTRALIA’S Cool Cows program has released

a white board poster to help prevent heat stress this summer.

“Many dairy farms have different heat stress practices, depending on the level of risk,” Cool Cows leader Dr Steve Little says.

“So staff need to know the day’s level of risk and who needs to do what.”

A good way to start is to sit down with everyone involved and discuss the farm’s approach to different levels of stress. The decisions can be written on the white board.

It also contains a dial which can be adjusted to show the day’s heat stress risk, according to the weather forecast on the Cool Cows website.

To subscribe, visit website www.coolcows.com.au

70% meths), the second might do the dry cow therapy infusion and the third apply teat spray, mark the cows and record the treatments.

Doing the job carefully and consistently will reduce the risk of missing cows, double-treating cows, carrying bacteria into the gland and damaging teats, with the result

that the dry cow therapy is more effective.

Don’t rush the job, dry off the herd in groups and budget on doing about 25 cows/person/hour.

Scott McDougall, BVSc, PhD, is a registered specialist in bovine reproduction, is a researcher at Cognosco, the research division of Animal Health Centre, Morrinsville, New Zealand.

Scott McDougall

30

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

$5000 prize for sustainable farm A NEW sustainability award for farmers will provide a $5000 prize – in cash and product – to the most outstanding example of on-farm sustainable practice during 2011.

The initiative to provide this award has been taken by Tapex, suppliers of crop protection plastics to the fodder industry, in conjunction with the Australian Fodder Industry Association.

The new award follows Tapex’s launch of its Plasback farm plastics recycling program. The Plasback program is currently available to farmers in most rural areas of Victoria and is expanding this year into parts of NSW, SA and Tasmania.

AFIA chairman Bill Gough says the award will help build a more sustainable approach to fodder conservation.

“With an annual production around eight million tonnes, the hay and silage industry is a large consumer of inputs including crop packaging, fertilizer and fuel,” he explains. “Fodder production, like all agricultural activities, will come under increasing environmental pressure to reduce these inputs.”

Hay exporters such as SP Hay in South Australia and Wilsons Stockfeeds at Tocumwal, NSW –

Plasback offers businesses, such as Wilson’s, a cost and time-effective method of dealing with a perennial problem - disposal of fodder packaging plastics.

Tapex environmental manager Ed George says all twine collected through the Plasback scheme is reprocessed in Australia through partner recyclers in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

“We give the waste plastic new life by converting it into products like Tuffdeck, our non“Fodder production will slip, wet area modular grate system and come under increasing Tuffboard, an indeenvironmental pressure to structible plywood substitute. reduce inputs.”

“At Tapex we believe our business model must be susdemand, but the price fluctuates tainable if we are to continue to be from year to year and it’s just not Australia’s only twine manufacworth the trouble,” Rod Wilson turer. This means helping our customers recycle our products again says.

“Our business is exporting hay, after use.”

The 2011 Plasback Sustainable not twine. So unfortunately the twine has been going straight into Farming Award will be decided by an independent panel of judges the landfill skip.”

Not any more, as Wilson has be- and awarded at the AFIA’s National come one of the first hay exporters Fodder Conference at Maroochyto join the Plasback product stew- dore in August.

For details, visit www.afia.org.au ardship scheme. who are currently recycling their baling twine via the Plasback program – demonstrate the value of these measures.

Wilson Stockfeeds in Tocumwal have been in the hay export business for over 20 years and disposing of up to 30 tonnes of twine a year from big square bales has always presented an issue.

“We have pressed it and sold it occasionally when there has been

Rod Wilson, Wilson Stockfeeds, Tocumwal, says disposing of up to 30 tonnes per year of large square bale twine has always presented a problem. He is one of the first hay exporters to join the Plasback product stewardship scheme.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

31

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Lely chief visits newly installed robots in Queensland LELY INTERNATIONAL chief Alexander van der Lely is no stranger to Australian soils.

On his most recent visit, he made an on-farm visit to a southern Queensland dairy farm. As part of his twice-annual Australian trip, van der Lely visited the Dennis family, Tamrookum, Qld – who have just installed the first Lely Astronaut A3 robotic dairy in south east Queensland.

“Australian farming conditions are totally different to both the European and North American ways, which are more intensive,” van der Lely says. “I am very impressed as there is a lot more grazing.”

Van der Lely says he enjoys talking to the farmers to see what motivates them into making decisions to buy equipment such as the Lely Astronaut.

“In robotic milking, it really is

CLAAS powers on post-recession INTERNATIONAL MACHINERY giant CLAAS

is well underway to leaving the global financial crisis in its wake, according to its 2010 annual report and financial performance highlights.

While world sales were down around 15% – in line with the post recession global industry Richard Wilson performance – market share and gross margins world population grows.” rose.

Wilson sees a strong Highlights for the family-owned CLAAS to 30 sales year ahead for CLAAS in Australia and September 2010 include: New Zealand both of • International sales which are playing an AU$3.3 billion.

• Gross margins improved increasingly important role in satisfying growing to 23.4%. new consumer demand • Profit before tax on from Asia. income AU$103 million.

• Free cash flow AU$288.4 million – previous year AU$354 million.

CLAAS will trial CLAAS’ farm and introduce machinery range – which includes high new machinery in capacity advanced Australia this year. technology combine harvesters, new “We are performing generation tractors and strongly in our transfodder conservation Tasman market despite equipment is distributed tragic floods and crop throughout Australasia losses in Australia and

by NZ-based Landpower tough harvest conditions Holdings Limited.

Landpower CEO Richard in New Zealand,” he says.

“The resilience of our Wilson says the German producers and commodity manufacturer is planning markets is maintaining to trial and introduce machinery demand at high new combines, tractors levels. and fodder machinery in Wilson says there’s a Australia and New Zealand strong push in Australia to during this year. take advantage of the once “We have new in a quarter century record generation tractors and soil moisture levels in the fodder equipment being summer crop production trialled in the southern belts across the eastern hemisphere. CLAAS states. invested $288.5 million in “All the indicators are R&D last financial year, that winter cropping will which really underscores be at record levels also as its commitment to and producers seek to catch up, acknowledgement of the once again, after a decade growing importance of of drought.” food production as the

an emerging market in Australia and Lely is the clear market leader worldwide.

He says Lely would have 60% of the world market, with more than 10,000 robot units in North America and Europe. Van der Lely believes his regular Australian visits keep him in touch with the needs of Australian farmers.

“It is very important for us to gauge the Australian conditions

Australian farming conditions are totally different to both Europe and North America.

as they are different due to the fact there is more focus on pasture grazing of cows.”

Over the years, Lely has developed and streamlined grazing systems such as the ABC grazing which was developed in Australia to suit our conditions.

As part of his visit to Australia, van der Lely also visited farming clients, dealers, and staff in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

32

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Robots help re-spark farmer’s dairy interests FOURTH

GENERATION dairy farmer Greg Dennis’s decision to re-enter the dairy industry two years ago was motivated by improved farm-gate prices and an interest in robotic milking machines.

Dennis’s family had earlier stopped dairying on their Tamrookum farm, south of Beaudesert, Queensland, in 2003 – due to a combination of the on-going drought and deregulation.

“We sold our milkers and utilized the 370 acre farm, comprising Logan River flats, to grow hay on a large scale basis, as well as working off-farm,” Dennis says.

However, in 2007 milk prices jumped from their unproductive low of 35c/l to 55c and there was a welcome break in the season – so the Dennis family returned to the industry.

They sourced their milking herd from as far north as the Atherton

Tablelands and southern NSW. Now the family is milking 160 Holstein cows, producing 1.4m litres annually for Parmalat – utilizing a three-unit Lely Astronaut robotic milking system.

“When I returned to the industry just over two years ago, I briefly looked at the latest in robotic milking,” Dennis says.

“However in April last year, I really got serious and started researching milking robots and was confident it was the way of the future.”

In May, Greg and his father Darrell, together with their dairy advisor Derek Acheson, of Tekno Dairy, Jimboomba, travelled to Victoria to see the Lely Astronaut system first hand.

“We travelled to two Victorian farms in the Gippsland district, as I knew my father needed to see the robots in operation, to be able to

Win cash with Avalon VICSEEDS IS giving farm-

Beaudesert dairy farmer Greg Dennis with his new Lely Astronaut.

fully appreciate them.

“We placed our order for three Lely Astronaut units in June and milked our first cows through the system on October 31.”

The system took seven days to install and Greg says it handles the family’s 160 cows with ease.

“It is the productive efficiency and the technological information that really impresses me,” he says.

“It cuts down the time I spend in the dairy, allowing me more time to manage other aspects of the farm.”

Dennis says the labour saving is also an attraction and makes his farm-time more flexible.

The cows are milked two and a half times on average over a 24-

hour period. The cows are rotated on a grazing pattern known as ABC strip grazing and are enticed through the dairy by the need to feed.

Hygiene is automatically managed, with teats washed down and the lines rinsed after every 10 cows.

Each cow’s daily production is registered by the computer, via scanning of a neck collar. The computer also records a health check, weighs the cows, and gives a heat detection reading.

Milk quality is monitored and production from any cows showing health problems is kept separate from the mainstream vat.

Tel. (03) 5484 4000

ers an opportunity to win $5000 cash if they buy Avalon or Avalon AR1 perennial ryegrass.

Vicseeds is a farmerowned company which specialises in growing and supplying Australianbred perennial ryegrasses.

Its flagship product, Avalon, is well known for its persistence and overall dry matter production and is a mid to late maturing variety suited to all grazing enterprises.

The variety is now available as both Avalon – with wild type endophyte – and Avalon AR1 – with safe endophyte – that will not cause staggers or any other animal health issues related to high levels of wild type endophyte.

With Avalon being bred from Australian based material, plant genetics play a major role in plant

persistence.

Vicseeds sales manager Alan Gowers says endophyte does play some role in persistence, but believes plant genetics plays a big role.

“The early NZ varieties that came out with high levels of wild type endophyte did not persist, which indicates plant genetics is extremely important in plant persistence,” he says.

“We really want farmers to give Australianbred Avalon or Avalon AR1 a go. I think, when they try it, they will be really impressed with its performance and persistence.

“That’s why we are offering the incentive of giving a farming family the chance to win $5000 cash just for giving it a go.”

For more details, visit www.vicseeds.com.au or tel. (03) 5521 7577.

Yamaha unveils new Grizzly YAMAHA IS set to release a new model, the YFM-

450FAP Grizzly, this year.

The key enhancements include a lighter, one-piece frame, redesigned wet brake system, higher AC generator output and a more durable rear gear assembly.

Yamaha says these changes result in an overall weight reduction, and improved ergonomics for a more comfortable and agile riding experience.

The company claims the Grizzly 450 has been a popular choice for professional and recreational riders since its introduction in 2005 – because it combines the versatility, durability and pulling power of a utility ATV with the handling and comfort that trail riding demands.

Yamaha says its engineers have made several en-

hancements to the chassis to give the Grizzly 450 a sportier feel, without compromising durability.

The new one-piece frame increases rigidity and strength while reducing weight by 2.7kg. The stabiliser bar has been shortened and its stiffness has been increased by 20% to match the new frame dynamics.

The rear gear assembly has been completely redesigned, switching from a two-point mounting system to a three-point system – which adds extra structural strength to the rear chassis, as well as improving force deployment while accelerating, riding over rough terrain or braking.

The recommended retail price is $12,999 for the YFM450FAP Grizzly Auto 4x4 (with electronic power steering) and $12,599 for the standard YFM450FA

Grizzly Auto 4x4.

Yamaha is providing free power-steering upgrades for its Grizzly range of ATVs. Customers who pay for a standard steer model will receive a power-steering model, equating to savings of $700 for the YFM700FAP Grizzly, $550 for the YFM550FAP Grizzly and $400 for the YFM450FAP Grizzly, for free.

Yamaha is also offering savings of up to $1000 on nine other models.

These promos run until February 24.

Yamaha’s engineers have made several enhancements to the chassis that give the Grizzly 450 a sportier feel without compromising durability.

Specialist livestock agency servicing Australia’s Dairy Industry

Daryl Thompson with his Claas Xerion tractor.

Xerion provides ample brawn for big mowing unit THERE’S NO doubting

Daryl Thompson’s new Claas Xerion tractor has an imposing physical presence.

But the Southland, New Zealand, contractor says there is much more to the machine than just muscle.

Thompson’s business offers pit silage, ground work and effluent disposal services. His operation runs about ten tractors of the same brand, but the new Xerion – which arrived in November 2010 – is the first Claas tractor he has owned.

Sitting on four equalsize tyres, the Xerion

Thompson says the Xerion has made a massive difference to mowing efficiency.

Incorporating a 50kph transmission, it is driven to the client’s farm with the cab in the standard position.

“Then, when you get to the paddock, the cab is hydraulically lifted and swung around so that it is sitting over the top of the mowers to give you an excellent view of the mowing unit.”

Thompson says another advantage of this configuration is that the tractor’s radiator unit is

The Xerion 3300 VC model generates about 330hp and features a reversible cab.

3300 VC model generates about 330hp and features a reversible cab.

Along with its high horsepower and front linkage, the reversible cab makes the Xerion a perfect match for Thompson’s big Claas 9300 mower unit. Pit silage is a major part of the business and the ability to mow large areas quickly is crucial.

Thompson and his team run a Claas Jag 870 harvester through the entire season, adding a second harvester, a Claas Jag 820, during the peak November-December months.

“So we needed a tractor that would keep our mower running at full capacity in front of two harvesters.”

at the rear of the machine and this protects it from dust and debris while mowing.

He says the mowing unit has a good suspension system of its own, and this – combined with the Xerion’s exceptional suspension and stability – means mowing on uneven terrain is a breeze.

“It just floats across the paddock and you certainly don’t feel the bumps. The Xerion is an amazing machine to operate. Visibility is fantastic, all the controls are just where you’d want them to be and the fourwheel steering is great for quick turns at the end of a row.”

Its TRAC system distributes weight evenly across

the front and rear axles to provide good traction and enormous lugging power.

An infinitely variable and fully reversible gearbox optimises engine power and the Xerion 3300’s transmission system offers four driving modes to suit various conditions.

Thompson says he likes to use automotive mode while mowing because speed and gear changes are controlled through the accelerator pedal – much like an automatic car.

“It’s nice and simple.

You use your left hand for steering and this leaves your right hand free for operating the other mower controls.”

Cruise control mode can also be activated from the fingertip lever and this is ideal for road travel.

Thompson says it is great to drive on the road and carries the big mower unit with complete ease.

While the Xerion is likely to be his main mowing workhorse for many years to come, the versatile tractor will also be utilised for other jobs, including cultivation work and effluent spreading.

His slurry tanker holds 14,000 litres and weighs 18-19 tonnes fully loaded, but the Xerion will tow this spreader “no problems at all”. He says it has the power and functionality to handle a wide range of tasks.

“We might also use it as a stack tractor if the need arose during whole crop harvesting.”

Tel. Paul Holdaway 0419 243 888

Located in Geelong, Vicstock has a strong history in the dairy and livestock industry. Recently acquired by Will Crozier (former General Manager and now Managing Director) and Richard Kerr (Western District Livestock – Kerr Bros.), Vicstock is in the process of expanding its current services to include every facet of dairying and livestock agency services.

Vicstock with its head office located in Geelong has an impressive client base of 3,500 businesses, located in the dairying districts of Gippsland, Western and Northern Victoria, NSW Riverina, Tasmania and South East of South Australia.

With a current turnover of approximately $14 million per annum, the biggest component being in Bobby Calf sales. Vicstock is highly renowned for its excellent standard of service, strict regulatory protocols and modern, forward thinking philosophy.

After one year of privatisation, the core business (supplying various domestic and export abattoirs with dairy cows and calves) of Vicstock has strengthened and continues to grow.

Opportunities in the export heifer market and private cattle sales continue to expand and supplying a complete service for the Dairy Beef industry explored through developing markets throughout South East Asia.

Your Vicstock representatives include: Will Crozier ( Director)

Geelong

0429 672 372

Richard Kerr (Director)

Western Victoria

0437 577 363

Head Office

Geelong

(03) 5222 5688

Bernard Atkins

Tasmania

0417 593 158

Frank Steers

Tasmania

0418 141 081

Lou Seuren

Gippsland

0417 329 503

Brett Lunghusen

Northern Victoria 0409 401 085

Ian Headon

NSW Riverina

0427 931 338

www.vicstock.com.au

34

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // FEBRUARY 2011

MOTORING New Grand Cherokee a smoother ride NEARLY TWO decades ago, Jeep reinvented the premium sportutility vehicle (SUV) segment with the introduction of the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

More than 4 million sales later, Jeep says it has made improvements to provide a balance between 4x4 capability and on-road refinement with its all-new Grand Cherokee, which is now on sale in Australia from $45,000.

“The Jeep Grand Cherokee delivers premium on-road performance while maintaining the Jeep brand’s legendary four-wheel-drive capability, delivered

through a torque-on-demand twospeed transfer case.”

It also features an improved interior cabin and new power trains delivering improved fuel consumption and tow capability. The new Quadra-Lift air suspension system is a first for Jeep, delivering both off-road and on-road capability.

This provides a total of 104mm of lift adjustment and operates automatically or may be controlled manually via console controls. Quadra-Lift is supported by four-corner air springs featuring five height settings for

improving ride performance.

“With the front air dam removed and the available Quadra-Lift air suspension set to Off Road 2 mode, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee features a 34.3-degree approach angle, a 27.3-degree (to rear recovery tow hook) departure angle and a 23.1-degree breakover angle” In addition, the Selec-Terrain control dial allows the driver to choose from five driving conditions. This feature electronically coordinates up to 12 different power train, braking and suspension systems, including throttle control, transmission shift, transfer

case, Traction Control and Electronic Stability Control (ESC).

New front and rear independent suspension systems also help deliver better on-road handling and comfort.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee comes with a choice of two 4x4 systems: QuadraTrac II and Quadra-Drive II. Quadra-Trac II’s two-speed transfer case uses input from a variety of sensors in order to determine tyre slip at the earliest possible moment and take corrective action.

The system uses Throttle Anticipate to sense quick movement in the throttle

from a stop and maximises traction before slippage occurs. When tyre slippage is detected, as much as 100 percent of available torque is instantly routed to the axle with the most traction.

Quadra-Drive II, with a rear Electronic Limited-slip Differential (ELSD), delivers tractive capability. The system instantly detects tyre slip and distributes engine torque to tyres with traction. In some cases, the vehicle will anticipate low traction and adjust in order to proactively limit or eliminate slip.

BMW Touring Aust roads BMW SAYS its new, fourth genera-

Volvo unveils V60 Plug-In Hybrid VOLVO CARS will unveil

its new V60 Plug-in Hybrid at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.

It says this is a virtually production-ready car with carbon dioxide emissions below 50 g/km and boasting an average fuel consumption of just 1.9 l/100 km.

In 2012, Volvo Cars plans to be the first manufacturer on the market with the new breed of hybrid, which is

the result of close cooperation with the Swedish energy supplier Vattenfall.

Volvo claims the hybrid features the best properties from three different car types in the body of a sports wagon.

This includes the option to drive for up to 50 kilometres on electricity. The front wheels will be driven by a five-cylinder 2.4-litre D5 turbodiesel, which produces 160 kW and maxi-

mum torque of 440 Nm. The rear axle features Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD) in the form of an electric motor producing 52 kW – which receives its power from a 12 kW lithium-ion battery pack.

The car also features a six-speed automatic transmission.

Volvo says the V60 Plugin Hybrid will be revealed at a press conference in Geneva on March 1.

tion BMW 5 Series Touring is now available in Australia.

The 5 Series Touring is offered in two models. The entry-level 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel 520d Touring priced at $92,800. While the high-performance, 3-litre TwinPower Turbo straight six cylinder petrol engine – the top-of-therange 535i Touring – is priced from $138,900.

Both models feature an eightspeed automatic transmission as standard. In the case of the 535i Touring, this takes the form of an eight-speed sports automatic transmission.

“With the longest wheelbase in its class measuring 2968mm and an overall length of 4907mm, the BMW 5 Series Touring offers a vast amount of interior space with flexible seating for five occupants and a large carpeted rear luggage space,” BMW claims.

In order to offer versatility in its carrying capacity, the rear seat back splits and folds individually in three 40/20/40 sections providing a luggage capacity that ranges from 560 litres to 1670 litres.

The rear seat backs can also be adjusted through 11 degrees in seven separate increments, which increases luggage capacity by 30 litres. While the rear tailgate with its low-loading sill offers a separately opening rear window to allow quick and easy access to the luggage compartment.

The window and tailgate can both be opened using the remote control

and on the 535i Touring, the tailgate is fully electrically operated.

The 5 Series Touring is available in Black or Alpine White or a choice of 11 other metallic exterior colours (non-cost option for 535i).

Inside, the leather interior upholstery is offered in a choice of six colours, with the optional Nappa leather with extended contents available in a choice of Black or Oyster/Black.

Control and utilise dairy effluent today | Design, mixing, pumping and separation equipment All provided by RP Rural Engineering | Specialist in effluent management

Contact Philip Thompson

02 4473 7276

philip@rpruralengineering.com.au

www.rpruralengineering.com.au

THE NEW GENERATION BY AITCHISON SOWING HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER Grassfarmer Tine Drills Grassfarmer Disc Drills • 2.1m or 2.7m sowing width with larger seedbox

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For further information IN on theDRILL ‘Reese Greenfarmer’ range contact: RAISING THE BENCHMARK PERFORMANCE YET AGAIN! Brendan Prentice on 0400 540 300 or ring freephone 1800 140 196

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• 2.1m or 2.7m sowing width > Compact transport dimensions: with larger seedbox W 2.7m H 3.5m L 6.8m > 4.8m sowing width > Rejuvenate existing pasture or handle any arable seeding job with ease > Disc coulters as standard > Unrivalled contour following ability > Seed, Fert and optional 3rd box > Rear rollers close seed slots & control seeding debt are standard > Ground pressure spread between rear rollers, disc coulters and wheels (better soft ground ability)

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