NDF0223 001 270683323 (Page 1) -...

THE NORTHERN DAIRYFARMER February/March 2012

DAIRYFARMERS have had afew weeks to digest the draftBasin Plan for water use in theMurray-Darling, and the initialverdict is that it will have a neg-ative impact on the industryacross four states.

Most notably, the MurrayDarling Basin Authority(MDBA) has recognised that thedairy industry in northernVictoria will be among the hard-est hit, with production droppingto drought-like levels of 1.6 bil-lion litres, if the sustainablediversion limits being proposedare enacted.

However, the impact inQueensland is substantial aswell. About 30% of Queenslanddairy farms operate in the

Condamine and Border Riverscatchments, and that percentageis likely to increase given thetrend of the industry consolidat-ing in this part of the state.

There are about 170 dairyfarms in the Queensland regionsof the Basin, operating on about51,000 hectares. This is splitbetween 72 farms on the north-ern Darling Downs and 97 on thesouthern Downs.

There are three differentfarming systems: grazing, partialmixed ration and total mixedration.

All of these farms to onedegree or another rely on theBasin’s water resources as a vitalinput to maintain operations.Many use surface and ground

water allocations for irrigationpurposes for forage crops andpastures.

Even the less irrigation ori-ented farms rely on the Basinwater for stock and domesticpurposes, or indirectly via thefeed they purchase for theirdairies.

Dairies also have stock anddomestic water use needs, whichare essential to their dairy herd’swelfare and dairy hygiene andmust be considered in the contextof water planning in the Basin.

It is worth remembering justhow much dairy cows need todrink. Victorian research hasfound that cows drink between

Draft Basin Plan a risk for Qld dairy industry

The Northern

DairyfarmerFEBRUARY-MARCH 2012

■ Disasterassistance deadlineextended

PAGE 5■ Milk waranniversary nothingto celebrate

PAGE 6■ Kick startingsuccessfulsuccession

PAGE 9■ Reef Rescuegrant aids wetseasonmanagement

PAGE 12

■ Improvingnutrient useefficiency

PAGE 14■ Understand thebasics of peoplemanagement

PAGE 17

INSIDE

■ Continued on p4

Stock anddomesticwater supplyis crucial forthe viability ofQueensland'sdairy farms.

KEY POINTS■ Murray Darling

Basin impact inQld in Condamineand Border Rivers

■ Stock and domesticwater needs mustbe protected

■ Groundwaterreductions forecast

By Ross McInnesQDO vice-president

Simple to use - Easy to see Heat Detection.

ESTROTECT HEAT DETECTOR - indicates optimum joining time.

Differentiates between standing heat and when a cow is mounted for just a few seconds

Indicates optimum insemination time to improve conception rates

Robust and reliable – withstands multiple mountings

Stays in place for 6 weeks or longer when properly applied

Easily visible in low light – avoid missing cows on heat

Clean and simple to apply – no glue on your hands, or your clothes, or the cow

Estrotect Heat Detectors are available from your Herd Improvement Supplier or contact Genetics Australia on Freecall 1800 039 047

www.genaust.com.au

2008

0300

ND

F114

0707

www.agricom.com.au

Atom Prairie Grass fills valuable seasonal feed supply gaps and has excellent heat tolerance which allows for longer growth periods into summer.

Crusader Italian Ryegrass is a densely tillered diploid that establishes quickly and provides a bulk of quality feed.

it pays to have a pastureyou can rely on

The extra feed that Crusader and Atom produce, puts you ahead of the game.

For further information contact one of our Territory Managers

Sven Koljo m.0427 772 488

Victoria, Tasmania and Southern NSW

[email protected]

Jacob O’Brien m.0428 469 363

Northern and North Coast NSW

[email protected] ND

F114

0706

Strengthening industryBY THE time you are reading this, our executive officer and I, as well as other Subtropical boardmembers, will have completed the 12 Dairy Poll 2012 roadshow events from Malanda in thenorth to Macksville in the south. The events have included speakers from Australian DairyFarmers, Dairy Australia, the relevant State dairyfarmer organisations, farmers and ourselves out-lining the value and relevance of the expenditure of Dairy Australia funds within the Subtropicalregion for the benefit of you, the levy payers.

In early February, levy payers will be sent voting forms for the ballot on the level of the dairy levyfor the next five years. The recommended vote is for a 10% increase to ensure that the services youreceive will continue into the future. Dairy Australia funds are invested for specific industry projectswith QDO, DEEDI, NSW Ag and Subtropical Dairy to deliver essential information, workshops,field days and farm walks across our entire region to provide you with the most appropriate and rel-evant tools in your dairy business. In the past 12 months, Subtropical was able to raise an additional$7 for every $1 of Dairy Australia funds provided to our region, in collaboration with our partners

Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation and Department of Employment,Economic Development and Innovation as well as other funders and sponsors.

We wish all the best to the 45 travellers undertaking the Young DairyNetwork tour to Tasmania in early February and look forward to their feedbackon the learnings gained, which can be applied to our region. We look forwardto working with you, through our regionalteams, in the coming 12 months as we build

a resilient and sustainable dairy indus-try into the future.

Ross McInnesChairSubtropical Dairy

WELCOME 3


EditorialEditors: Carlene and Alastair DowiePO Box 59, Carisbrook,Vic, 3464Email: <[email protected]>Phone/fax: (03) 5464 1542Mobile: 0418 553 282

AdvertisingAdvertising manager: Peter RoachPO Box 2544, Gladstone Park,Vic, 3043Email: <[email protected]>Phone: (03) 9344 9906Fax: (03) 9338 1044Mobile: 0417 371 364

Queensland Dairyfarmers’Organisation LtdAdrian Peake, Executive OfficerPO Box 13061, George Street Post Shop,Brisbane, Qld, 4003Phone: (07) 3236 2955Fax: (07) 3236 2956Email: <[email protected]>

Subtropical DairyNeale Price, Executive OfficerPhone: (07) 3396 6229Mobile: 0400 022 843Fax: (07) 3396 6628Email: <[email protected]>

Mailing and distributionThe Northern Dairyfarmer is distributed todairyfarmers throughout Queensland andnorthern NSW. If you are a dairyfarmer andare not receiving a copy, contact:Queensland Dairyfarmers’ OrganisationPO Box 13061, George Street Post Shop,Brisbane, Qld, 4003Phone: (07) 3236 2955Fax: (07) 3236 2956Email: <[email protected]>

CopyrightAll material in The Northern Dairyfarmer iscopyright. Reproduction in whole or part isnot permitted without written permissionof the publisher.

Editorial contributionsEditorial contributions are welcome, but noresponsibility can be taken for their loss.Copy is preferred by email in Word or text-only format with pictures and graphics as300dpi JPGs. Deadline is two months beforepublication.

PrintingHarris Print

Published by:Agricultural Publishers Pty LtdABN 55 000 560 430

ISSN 1833-8887

The Northern Dairyfarmer magazine is ajoint industry owned and operatedpublication targeted at delivering the latestresearch and development information andindustry news to dairyfarmers and industrystakeholders of the northern dairyindustry.The Northern Dairyfarmer ispublished on about the 13th of everysecond month in February,April, June,August, October and December.

The Northern

DairyfarmerHAPPY New Year and welcome to 2012, a year that could be many things, but one thing weknow is that here in Queensland, 2012 will be an election year. In the lead-up to and over theChristmas/New Year break I talked to a number of people in different places who were ponder-ing a couple of basic political questions.

Firstly, some farmers in a number of regional areas questioned why it seemed that the centreleft of Australian politics took little interest in chasing votes in farming and regional areas anddriving their issues. Secondly, some I spoke to in Brisbane wondered why many farmers and peo-ple in a number of regional areas seemed so willing to vote for independents or what they con-sidered to be more ideologically extreme smaller parties.

These two questions are, of course, closely linked and they reflect the often-lamented lack ofpolitical power in the bush. There has always been the old chicken-and-egg question when ruralpeople say “Why should we vote for a centre left party if they do not have policies that reflectour concerns?” and politicians in this political sector say “Why should we put your rural con-cerns high in our policy-making when at the end of the day you won’t vote for us anyway?”.

This lack of a contest for the rural vote is the real reason for the lack of political power in the bush,much more than the lower population in the regions. My father often told me this problem was just asbad 50 years ago when the city/country population ratio in Australia was much better than it is now.

This lack of a board-spectrum political interest in the rural vote is not exactly the same worldwide,though. The Democratic Party in the United States has a considerable rural lobby and constituencythat exerts influence and is pursued in policy-making by the party’s congressmen and senators.

Clearly the problem of getting candidates from across the political spectrum in Australia totake more interest in rural issues and chase the rural vote will not be solved quickly or easily.

The problem is that when it comes to issues such as mining and gas extraction it can be hardto see who in the political spectrum is taking the farmers’ concerns and interests seriously. Thisis even more the case when you look at what is known as the ‘supermarket duopoly’. In both

these issues farmers often have been left with only the independents and thesmaller parties offering any real assistance.

For their part, the voter in the bush needs to question the candidates well andsearch for practical plans and clear commitments on the issues and concerns ofthe rural and regional areas. They need to make sure that if the only response theyget from a candidate is the old lines such as how good an issue is for a differentsector of the economy or how they do not want prevent someone dropping prices

or “if you don’t vote for us then you will just get the other guysin government”, then they, therural voter, must find someoneelse for whom to vote.

Brian TessmannPresidentQueensland Dairyfarmers’Organisation

Consider election carefully


4 NEWS

120 and 150 litres of water perday when producing 20 litres ofmilk, but this could increase asmuch as 80% on hot days.

The Queensland Dairyfarmers’Organisation (QDO) continues toremind government that stock anddomestic water is a different use ofwater than that of irrigation, and itmust continue to be treated assuch.

The water consumption needsof a cow are largely static – theycan’t be gleaned for efficienciesas are possible from modern irri-gation systems.

Therefore, the biggest con-cern for dairyfarmers in theQueensland catchments is aroundgroundwater allocations (giventhat most of the surface watercuts appear to be targeted at theBalonne catchment, downstreamof dairying regions).

The draft Basin Plan indicatesthat groundwater in the UpperCondamine will have to be cut byabout 50%. A reduction of thismagnitude is a large risk for whatis one of the most importantmilk-producing regions for thestate, and especially for the long-term ability to produce milk forthe growing population ofQueensland consumers.

Queensland farmers alreadycontend with higher-cost produc-tion systems than other statesand have been at the punishingend of the supermarket milkprice war. Milk production lastyear has been less than demand –and even in average productionyears it can’t be taken for grant-ed.

Therefore, farmers are look-ing for detailed environmentalwatering plans to show thatwater acquired for the environ-ment is being used efficiently.

They also want reassurancethat groundwater acquired viathis process will be bought fromwilling sellers, as is the case withsurface water.

They also want to see stockand domestic permanentlyexempt from these cuts.

The dairy industry is a majorindustry and employer in theregion. Therefore, it is vital thatthis reform is enacted in a waythat ensures the industry has along-term future.

THE dairy industry’s peak bod-ies have endorsed the recom-mended 10% increase in thedairy service levy in this year’sDairy Poll.

The Australian Dairy IndustryCouncil (ADIC,) Australian DairyFarmers (ADF) and the AustralianDairy Products Federation(ADPF) were all represented onthe Dairy Poll AdvisoryCommittee, led by ADIC chair-man and ADF president ChrisGriffin, which conducted a reviewof industry needs and the levyspend by Dairy Australia as out-lined in its five-year strategic plan.

Mr Griffin said it was essen-tial to continue this scale ofinvestment to ensure the level ofservices and research, develop-ment and extension (RD&E)provided by Dairy Australia con-tinued into the future.

The 24-member committeeconsisted of representatives fromall dairying regions and sectorsfrom across the entire nationaldairy industry.

“Over the past six months weconsidered a range of votingoptions, based on the level offunding needed to deliver pro-grams and services in the indus-try agreed strategic plan, and wedetermined that an increase inthe levy was required to executethe plan,” Mr Griffin said.

The committee recommendedtwo options: a 15% increase,which would allow DairyAustralia to execute the plan andprovide significant scope to fundnew activities and meet unfore-

seen challenges, and a 10%increase, which would allow thecompany to execute the plan,which is essentially a continua-tion of the current level of servic-es and RD&E, but limits its abil-ity to take on new activities. Thethird option for zero levy isrequired by legislation.

“Since 1997 there has notbeen a levy increase,” Mr Griffinsaid. “In that time the ConsumerPrice Index has risen by 36%,therefore a 10% in the levy iswell below the correspondingCPI increase.

“Keeping the levy at the cur-rent rate would not be in theindustry’s best interests for thefuture and the committee deter-mined that an increase in the levywas the responsible way forward.”

Dairy Poll 2012 voting willopen in early February, whenfarmers will receive their votingpack containing a ballot paper. Itcloses on March 16.

■ From p1

KEY POINTS■ 10% levy increase

recommended■ Allows current

level of research tocontinue

■ No increase since1997

Soil science panel will ensure robustStrategic Cropping Land

Levy safeguards dairy future

THE Queensland Farmers’Federation (QFF) has welcomedthe State Government’sannouncement of members of theStrategic Cropping Land (SCL)soil science committee.

The four-person committeeconsists of four professional soilscientists: two nominated by theAustralian Society of SoilScience (Professor Clive Belland Simon Buchanan), one byQFF (David Hamilton) and oneby the Queensland ResourcesCouncil (Terry Short).

QFF chief executive officerDan Galligan said the panelwould play an important role in

seeing the legislation enacted inthe spirit of the policy intent –which is to preserve and protectfinite agricultural soil resourcesand ensure sustainable coexis-tence between the mining andagricultural sectors.

“Getting the science right isjust as important as getting the leg-islation right,” Mr Galligan said.“In our view this committeeshould go about its work unen-cumbered from industry or gov-ernment intervention, and we putfaith in Minister Nolan’s com-ments that this is what will happen.

“The committee and its workwill give all stakeholders confi-

dence that SCL is based on sci-ence and can stand up to the mostrigorous independent scrutiny.”

Mr Galligan said support hadalready been given for a two-yearreview of Strategic CroppingLand.

“The advice that this commit-tee will bring to the table regard-ing the effectiveness of SCL, andthe job it will do identifying thecorrect land as SCL, will be para-mount to that review,” he said.

“This is an important part of theprocess of finding pragmatic waysof protecting agricultural soils forthe long term and ensuring sustain-able development takes place.”

THE recent discovery of anantibiotic residue in Russiathreatens trade to Australia’sfourth largest meat export part-ner.

The meat industry responsethrough the Safemeat Partner-ship has been to introduce aprovisional 90-day Export

Slaughter Interval (ESI) on arange of antibiotic products, andto require farmers selling cattleto explicitly write the words“Russian Eligible” on NationalVendor Declaration (NVD)forms in order for productsfrom the slaughtered cattle tobe eligible for export to Russia.

Products with an ESI are list-ed on the Australian Pesticideand Veterinary MedicineAuthority (APVMA) website<www.apvma.gov.au>, includingmost products containing oxy-tetracycline and chlortetracy-cline, which is a commonly usedantibiotic on dairy farms.

Managing export slaughter intervals

DISASTER RECOVERY 5

EVERY business has its criticalneeds and functions that itrequires to continue operating. Anatural disaster can put thosecritical systems in jeopardy.

For farmers it is worth con-sidering in advance:• the must-haves for their busi-ness;• those things that they cannotlive without; and• the things that are absolutelycritical for the business to con-tinue.

Millaa Millaa, Queensland,dairyfarmer, Colin Daley, knowsthat an auxiliary power system iscrucial for keeping his dairyoperating and being able to keepmilk cold for the processingtanker.

In 2000, he installed the back-up power supply and it hasproven extremely useful not just

during Cyclone Larry andCyclone Yasi, but also duringcountless other storms andblack-outs.

The generator is frequentlyserviced and given test runsevery two months, so it’s readywhen required.

Mr Daley keeps the track to itmowed so that the tractor canaccess it and drive the powersupply, and also ensures that thediesel tank is topped up whenthe summer approaches so thereis sufficient fuel for the tractor.

Not having this in place canmean the difference betweensending milk to the factory forprocessing or being forced todispose of it.

Straight after Cyclone Yasilast year, while there was signifi-cant damage and ongoing cowhealth management issues, theDaley family was able to contin-ue supplying milk as soon asdowned trees were cleared fromthe roads.

Mr Daley said it was impor-tant to have the power connectedto the house. “If you can’t livelife normally that certainlybecomes an extra hassle,” hesaid. “You need to be able tocook a meal and have a wash.And after a cyclone when youhaven’t got power, there has been

a situation when we have hadlots of people using our place assomewhere where they can havea shower or dry some clothes orjust a few of the comforts ofhome.”

Mr Daley also has plans inplace for other parts of the busi-ness, and is always thinkingahead about the welfare of hiscows.

He keeps a large supply offeed in store. After Yasi, whenroads were cut from places suchas Emerald, this also proved alifeline and valuable forwardplanning.

He said it is waswise to tackle herdhealth issues at theoutset, and try to pre-vent problems asmuch as possible.

“If we are going tobe in a position to beprofitable when theseason changes weneed to keep thosecows well looked after

and as free of mastitis as possi-ble,” he said.

“The important thing is toknow your farm and know theway you want to farm and to havea strategy in place. Don’t try andmanage it on the run. You need tobe planning for it, because if youdon’t plan for it, then I guess youhave got to plan to fail.”

• Colin Daley will be fea-tured in a DVD on CycloneYasi recovery being distributedto farmers later this year. Formore information visit website<www.qff.org.au> or phone(07) 3837 4747.

Planning ahead delivers in FNQKEY POINTS■ Plan ahead and

prepare fordisasters

■ On-farm generatorinvaluable aftercyclone

■ Farm and family lifecould continue

Atherton Tablelandfarmer ColinDaley says an on-farm generator hasbeen a worthwhileinvestment.

By Brad Pfeffer

Disaster relief extension welcomedTHE Queensland Farmers’Federation (QFF) has welcomedthe extended deadline for farm-ers seeking disaster assistancefrom last summer’s floods andcyclones.

The Queensland Governmentannounced in December that itwas extending the NaturalDisaster Relief and RecoveryArrangements (NDRRA) assis-tance measures, which includesgrants and concessional loans, toJune 30. The cut-off had previ-ously been January 31.

QFF chief executive officerDan Galligan said the sheer scaleof the destruction wrought byCyclone Yasi and the floodsmeant that the recovery was longand ongoing for many farmers.

“This deadline extension will

ensure the NDRRA grants andloans are rolled out to their fullextent across Queensland andthat they are accessed by all eli-gible primary producers andsmall businesses,” Mr Galligansaid.

“This assistance consequentlysupports regional communities,the economy and employment.Agriculture is the backbone ofmany Queensland communities,and these measures are importantfor ensuring that remains thecase.

“We urge farmers to actquickly on getting access to thisassistance if they haven’t alreadydone so. It’s not something to beleft to the last minute.

“In Far North Queensland(FNQ) areas affected by Yasi,

farmers can contact industryrecovery officers (IRO) for assis-tance. In flooded areas, farmerscan contact their industry organi-sation for guidance.”

To date, the agency handlingthe NDRRA, QRAA, hasapproved more than $263 millionin funding to more than 14,800primary producers, businessesand non-profit organisationsdirectly affected by theQueensland floods (November2010-January 2011) andTropical Cyclone Yasi.

NDRRA assistance includes:• Special Disaster Assistancegrants up to $25,000;• Natural Disaster Assistanceloans up to $250,000 (primaryproducers and small business)and loan/grant packages up to

$105,000 (non-profit organisa-tions); and• Exceptional DisasterAssistance loan/grant packagesup to $650,000.

The loans offer an initial lowinterest rate of 4% and no feesand charges for the life of theloan.

MORE INFOQRAAWebsite:<www.qraa.qld.gov.au>Phone: 1800 623 946FNQ IROLyn O'ConnorPhone: (07) 4096 7213Flood assistanceQDOPhone: (07) 3236 2955



6 MILK PRICE WAR

Milk war anniversary nothingto celebrate

WHILE Queenslanders remem-ber the devastating impacts ofnatural disasters of last summer,the dairy industry has the dreadof remembering the impacts ofman-made disasters that hit theindustry on Australia Day, 2011.

Unlike the impacts of thefloods and Cyclone Yasi, the dis-astrous effects to the state’s dairyindustry of the Coles-led milkprice war are growing by the day.

To use the ANZAC Day quote“lest we forget”, it is time to lookback at last January 26 and whatwas said at the time and in theperiod since that terrible dayregarding this assault on thedomestic dairy industry.

At the time Coles stated in itspromotional campaign: “Coles isnot reducing the price it pays toits milk processors either so thismove will not impact them or thedairyfarmers who supply them ...Coles is fully absorbing the pricecut, bringing great value to cus-tomers whilst supportingAustralian dairyfarmers.”

With this great fanfare Coles

announced price cuts of up to33% to Coles brand milk.

Despite the assurances fromColes, every dairyfarmer inQueensland knew that thiswould affect farm-gate priceeither immediately or in the nearfuture as contracts came due forrenegotiation.

Professor Stephen King fromMonash University was thenrolled out to tell us that oceansof extra milk would be con-sumed because of the discount-ing, despite repeated industryassertions of milk’s largelyinelastic nature.

Since then we have seen milkconsumption per head increaseby about 1.5% – with theincrease in sales coming frompopulation growth that wouldhave occurred, milk war or not.

So apparently the ocean ofmilk sales we were promised wasat a permanent low tide.

Then when the Senate Inquirywas initiated, and the sensitivi-ties of the situation had surfaced,Coles was at pains to explain theprice cuts were actually only 4%and questioned how could thissmall reduction cause any prob-lem.

Coles successfully down-played their influence on themarketplace to a majority ofSenators, who either didn’tunderstand the milk pricing sys-tem or simply didn’t want toacknowledge the problem, whileconsumers were getting cheapmilk and Coles was helping theGovernment with the crusade

against inflation in a sensitivepolitical poll environment.

Coles’s strategy has had anextremely familiar look to theTesco model that has been inplace in Britain where they dis-counted product, built up marketshare of their own supermarketbrands, discounted again, builtup market share again and thenincreased their margin, with con-sumers being left with no and lit-tle choice on the shelf – followthe pattern?

While Woolworths and otherretailers have publicly acknowl-edged milk at $1 per litre isunsustainable and Woolworthshas stated that it would not haveundertaken such a strategy, allsupermarkets have entered the

war and as suchthe downwardpressure on pricesdown the supplychain is thereregardless ofwhich supermar-ket brand name ison the bottle.

At the farmgate the past year has seen milkprices drop further in real termsacross the board with somedairyfarmers who are renewingcontracts for 2012 receivingprices considerably down on lastyear.

This, of course, raises onefundamental question that needsto be asked of our politicians, theAustralian Competition andConsumer Commission (ACCC),and Coles itself: if the discount-ing of milk has not caused thedrop in farm-gate price we haveseen and are continuing to see,then what has?

Retailers, vendors, proces-sors and dairyfarmers all havean important role to play in thewhole milk supply chain and

KEY POINTS■ Coles discounting

impacts farm-gatemilk price

■ Follows Tescoexample to gainmarket share

■ Federal Govt mustact

By Brian TessmannQDO president

Coles has hurtdairyfarmers inliquid milkmarket statessuch asQueenslandwith its housebrand milkpricediscounting.

NDF1140711

SCENIC Rim district dairy-farmers – like others in south-east Queensland and northernNew South Wales – were hitwith a Christmas present theycould do without: new milk sup-ply contracts that will cost themmillions of dollars in the nextthree years.

With no end in sight to theongoing retail war betweenColes and Woolworths, milkand dairy products supplierParmalat, the manufacturer ofPauls Milk, moved to renegoti-ate the contracts it had with allof its dairyfarmers in south-east Queensland and northernNSW.

All contracts betweenParmalat and its suppliers weredue to expire at the end of 2012.However, the company contact-ed farmers late last year toinform them it wanted to bringforward renegotiation talks byone year.

The end result was that farm-ers were given two choices: theycould continue with their cur-rent contract conditions at the

same price per litre until the endof 2012 but have no guaranteethat another contract would beoffered, or they could sign a newthree-year contract byDecember 20, effective fromJanuary 1, that would see themreceive three cents per litre lessthan the current rate.

The collective result for justthree farmers – Tim Deeran,Bromelton, Qld; Ivan Teese,Gleneagle, Qld, and Greg Teese,Veresdale Scrub, Qld – will be aloss of about $212,000 per yearor nearly $650,000 for the termof the new contracts.

While all three are bitterlydisappointed with the Parmalatoffer, they did not blame thecompany for the dire financialsituation in which they suddenlyfound themselves.

Instead they said it was Colesand Woolworths that werethreatening the future of theentire dairy industry inQueensland.

“We are not angry withParmalat; they are caught in thesystem the same as we are,”Ivan Teese said. “It is the super-markets that are screwing the

system. They are sending every-one to the wall.”

All three farmers agreed theyvirtually had no choice but thanto sign the new contract.

“We will survive but therewon’t be anything left over forinfrastructure improvements. Itwill be a bare-bones operation,”Ivan Teese said.

“The businesses in town willcop it immediately. From thecontractor who cuts our crops tothe dealer who sells us machin-ery, everyone will be affected.”

Parmalat supply chain gener-al manager Vince Houlihan saidthe new contracts offered todairyfarmers provided contin-ued certainty of price and vol-ume until 2014.

He said 2011 prices were setin 2007 during the drought andhad been held firm for the pastfour years.

“The new contracts are aboutthree cents per litre lower onaverage, reflecting improvedfarm conditions (no longer indrought),” he said.

“The new contracts werenegotiated with Premium Milk(the farmers’ collective autho-

rised by the AustralianCompetition and ConsumerCommission), which acknowl-edged that the terms offeredwere both viable and sustainablefor current conditions.”

– Article courtesy of TheBeaudesert Times.


MILK PRICE WAR 7

when one sector takes a short-term decision in its own inter-est alone, the long-term nega-tive outcomes for other supplychain stakeholders can be dev-astating.

Relationships within the sup-ply chain have always had theirchallenges but this latest pricewar has moved the whole valuechain into a whole new ball parkthat is simply not sustainable inthe medium to long-term.

It often seems other sectors of

the value chain have been, duringthe year, reluctant to publiclycriticise their powerful customeron whom they rely for such alarge chunks of their business inoffering their products toAustralian consumers.

Unfortunately it seems mostpeople will take the maximumadvantage of a situation if theyare able to, without caring forthe consequences of theiractions on others and the nationas a whole.

Unfortunately it seems thatmany consumers do not under-stand the consequences of theirdaily purchase choices on theirfuture, others’ futures and ournation’s future. However themajor supermarkets understandthis all too well.

That is why we have a gov-ernment to make laws for thegreater good of the nation andthe whole community but at thisstage most of the politicians intwo major parties have shirked

their responsibility in this regard.As a result, all Australiansincluding the small retailers,milk processors, dairyfarmersand particularly the consumersthat the ACCC ironically says itis concerned about, will pay theprice for the lack of governmentaction and the larger supermarketprofits and growing dominancethat follows.

The question now for theFederal Government is: will itact?

WHILE various governments inAustralia continue to indulge intheir love affair with the miningindustry, the words ‘food secu-rity’ keep bobbing up to put a

dampener on the party. Foodsecurity is the responsibility ofa nation that lies beyond themining party hangover.

As reported in the press inQueensland recently, peanutgrowers in this state are look-ing at high prices for the crop

being planted, as peanuts are inshort supply on the world mar-ket, while Australia will pro-duce only a small percentageof its expected domesticdemand.

The problem as conveyed tome by some peanut processors

is that peanut growers andpeanut farms have, after a num-ber of tough years, become fewand far between. Competitionfor the land and the labourforce from industries such asmining have meant not onlyfewer farmers but a much high-

Taking farmers for granted could come back to biteBy Brian TessmannQDO president

New milk contracts to cost Scenic Rim farmers millions

Ivan Teese: price cuts willforce operation back tobare bones.

By Gary Corbett

▲


8 MILK PRICE WAR

er average age of the remainingfarmers.

What this may mean is thatthere may be a great marketopportunity in peanuts thatQueensland will struggle togain any advantage from andthis may impact consumersdown the track.

This situation reminded meto a large extent of the positionthe Queensland dairy industryfinds itself in, and while muchof the peanut issue may be aresult to some extent of thevagaries of the world market,the dairy issue is one totally ofAustralia’s own making.

Much of the domestic dairy

industry has lost a big chunk ofits supply base, particularlyfrom Australia’s regional areas,and in doing so has been losingthe best and the cheapest sourceof milk for those regions andtheir consumers in thoseregions.

Unlike other industries thatrely on exports, this domesticmilk price issue has been total-ly within Australia’s controland this country has the ability,not to mention the duty, toensure a fair and functioningmilk market.

With the recentlyannounced further reductionsin farm-gate milk prices for

domestic milk suppliers, itshould be clear to everyoneincluding the politicians andthe Australian Competition andConsumer Commission(ACCC) that impacts from theColes-led milk price war arecontinuing to flow through tothe farm gate.

If the government continuesto close its eyes to the unevenpower and lack of a supply anddemand function in the domes-tic milk market then it will beclear to everyone who is toblame for the higher retailprices and the lack of choiceand access for consumers thatwill follow.

The experience in the UnitedKingdom is clear – in the long-term, consumers have lostchoice and are now payingmore for dairy products to thebenefit of the major retailers.

The New Zealand compari-son shows the true value offresh milk to New Zealand con-sumers with the average retailprice of about $1.88/litre andsupermarket brands at about$1.38/litre, which is far higherthen the current price inAustralia.

New Zealand exports themajority of its dairy productioninto the world market so theprice of dairy products to NewZealand consumers is a truereflection of internationalprices.

The Australian Governmentneeds to think how Australiawill not only feed itself but howwill it take advantage of thegrowing world need for foodincluding dairy products.

Therefore, it is in the bestinterest of the government toact now to protect consumersand the supply of fresh milkfrom all the disastrous scenariosthat were described during therecent Senate Inquiry.

That’s why QueenslandDairyfarmers’ Organisation(QDO), along with other indus-try groups, is continuing tolobby politicians in Canberrato bring back fairness to theretail milk industry and supplychain.

All that will be achieved bythe current policy is that a largeproportion of the milk that isnow exported will need to bediverted to supply Australia’sdomestic need for milk innorthern and western states.

At the same time, milk trans-porters will be burning up largeamounts of fossil fuel transport-ing the milk to these regionalareas and consumers will beburning up even more fuel trav-elling to the reduced number ofoutlets that will stock this pre-cious dietary staple of our soci-ety: fresh milk.

It is exactly the type of per-verse situation that govern-ments should be acting to avoid– but is a real possibility iffarmers, and the dairy industry,are simply taken for granted.

▲

FOR A PEACE OF MIND ATCALVING...

B vitamin supplement specifically formulatedto meet the needs of transition cows.

RIBOFLAVINE (B2)

CHOLINE

FOLIC ACID (B9)

Contact your nutritionist and add VICOMB™ to your transition cow rations today !

jefo.com | [email protected]

VICOMB™N

DF1

1407

16


NEWS 9

FARM family succession is oftensold as too hard, challenging andmessy. And it’s this perceptionthat often dissuades familiesfrom engaging in the processuntil well past the ideal time.

The Young Dairy Network ishoping to dispel this myth withits Mooving Forward SuccessionStarter Kit, which is being devel-oped through funding from theDepartment of Agriculture,Fisheries and Forestry’sNextGen program.

The purpose of the starter kitis to support the younger genera-tion in getting the successionprocess on the table and talkedabout.

Jo Eady of Rural Scope isdeveloping the succession starterkit package.

“Succession is very similar to

any other planning that is donewithin a farming business,” MsEady said.

It was about having conversa-tions, and the package beingdeveloped assisted by puttingstructure around these conversa-tions, she said.

“Succession is about a rangeof things, not just asset transfer,”Ms Eady said. “A majority of thetime the process comes unstucklong before a family is ready totalk at this level, normally at thelabour/roles and responsibilitiesand remuneration stage.”

The model being developedthrough this program has threestages to support successful farmbusiness succession. Not all fam-ilies need to address all stages atonce; however, it is important toknow what each stage is and toaddress it in order.

The three stages are:• labour management; • decision making and farmmanagement; and • finally asset transfer.

Having a staged processmeans that succession planningcan be broken down into bite-size chunks with everybodypreparing for and contributing to

whole-of-family conversations. “The fact remains that deci-

sions around these three areas arenot recognised as being easy,” MsEady said. “However, the soonerthese areas can be talked aboutthe more options there will be forall members of the family and thegreater the chance of long-termfamily unity and harmony.”

The package has two compo-nents to it. The first component isa series of information sheetsthat will provide knowledge andsupport to the younger genera-tion about what succession looks

like and empower them to startthe conversations within the fam-ily.

For those families who areready for the ‘rubber to hit theroad’, the program has developeda series of family meetings towork through the model with theassistance of a facilitator.

The package will be launchedduring this year’s Young DairyNetwork Tour, which is beingrun from February 12 to 17. Thetour is also supported by theNextGen program and will visita number of farms in Tasmanialooking at intergenerational busi-ness transfer, including theoption of share-farming.

The Young Dairy Network iskeen to hear from farmers whowould like to receive the infor-mation sheets when they arelaunched in February.

Kick starting successful succession

Jo Eady of Rural Scope isdeveloping a successionstarter kit to assist youngdairy producers kick-startsuccession in their farmfamily.

KEY POINTS■ Succession planning

aboutconversations infamilies

■ New project todevelop kit to helpyoung farmers

■ Staged process

MORE INFOBelinda Haddow Phone: (07) 4646 4463 Mobile: 0423 003 638 Email:<[email protected]>

HEADING toward this year’sstate election, the QueenslandGovernment and Oppositionhave been vocal about electricityprices in the context of house-hold budgets and cost-of-livingfor families.

But more concerning forfarmers is what increasing elec-tricity costs, year-on-year, meanfor the ongoing viability of theiroperations, and also those ofmany major agricultural-pro-cessing facilities in Queensland.

Recent years have seen elec-tricity prices soar well above theConsumer Price Index. This yearthe Queensland CompetitionAuthority (QCA) recommendedan increase in the BenchmarkRetail Cost Index (BRCI) of 6%.

The 2009 recommendation wasfor 14%.

The simple fact is that elec-tricity is a major component ofcosts for many Queensland farmsand farmers cannot continue toabsorb these costs indefinitely,and nor can they achieve endlessefficiencies without impedimentsto their productivity.

Our members have estimatedthat an average cane growerwould spend $5000 per year onelectricity, while for irrigatedgrowers the cost would be about$10,000 and for some as high as$20,000.

Fruit and vegetable growersface similar costs, and for dairiesthe average yearly electricity billis about $9000.

For poultry producers, thecosts are upwards of $50,000 andfor prawn farms the costs are

$10,000/hectare or about 9% ofannual production costs.

The government must alsoremember that some of our mostefficient and environmentallyfriendly production systems –such as modern irrigation infra-structure – are also the mostenergy intensive.

Likewise, commodity pricesare not increasing at anywherenear the rate required to matchthe myriad increasing costs tofarm margins.

Electricity costs are also ahigh proportion of costs for pro-cessing facilities such as packingsheds, cotton gins, and milk fac-tories.

Against this backdrop, thegovernment is removing theBRCI methodology for electrici-ty prices and is introducing anew method of establishing regu-

lated retail electricity prices.QFF provided a submission to

this Queensland CompetitionAuthority (QCA) review, and hasoutlined the concerns facing thefarm sector. We are concerned atthe potential loss of tariff optionsfor farmers. There has been sig-nificant choice in tariff options,which allowed farmers to choosethe tariff that best suited theirindividual need.

To restrict this choice is notdesirable especially since mostof our farmers are outside south-east Queensland and thus unableto take advantage of electricitycompetition.

Many farmers have also setup their farms to take advantageof off-peak tariffs.

• Footnote: QCA is expectedto release draft tariffs at theend of March.

By Joanne GraingerQFF president

Efficient farming costs time, money and energy


10 NEWS

Dairyfarmersbiggest carbon taxlosersAUSTRALIA’S commodityforecaster says the average dairyfarm will lose $4200 in the firstyear of the carbon tax.

The Australian Bureau ofAgricultural and ResourceEconomics and Sciences hasstudied the short-term impact ofthe carbon-pricing scheme on sixmajor agricultural sectors. It hascalculated that dairying will behardest hit due to the high elec-tricity cost of processing milk.

Australian Farm Institutedirector Mick Keogh said unlikeAustralia’s major dairy competi-tor, New Zealand, which hadhydro power, Australia was heav-ily reliant on coal-fired power.

“No doubt the dairy processorswill try to implement efficiencygains through their plants but ulti-mately the bit they can’t get moreefficient about will be passed backto dairyfarmers in lower milkprices,” Mr Keogh said.

Read the labelRECENT changes in pricing ofteat disinfectants have seen somedairyfarmers considering movingaway from the traditional iodine-based products. Dairy Australia’sCountdown project leader, DrJohn Penry, explained that the keyissue was not which product wasused but ensuring the teat spraywas made up according to thelabel instructions.

“Due to some follow-oneffects of the Japanese tsunami inearly 2011, there has been areduction in the supply of iodine-based test disinfectants with aresultant effect on price,” DrPenry said. There are alternatives

to iodine-based teat disinfectants. A number of products are reg-

istered for use in Australia withdifferent active ingredients.Active ingredients in registeredproducts include chlorhexidine,acid anionic compounds (such asalkyl benzenes sulphonic acid)and iodine.

“Always use a registered teatdisinfectant,” Dr Penry said.“The registration process givesus confidence it is an effectiveproduct.

“Once you’ve chosen a regis-tered product, it is critical to fol-low the label directions meticu-lously. Teat disinfection is one ofthe most effective ways to con-trol cell count and mastitis but itonly works to its full potential ifit’s done correctly.”

Milk wars messagegets through tothe publicTHE Coles-led $1-a-litre home-brand milk war has beenrevealed in a recent survey as themost significant food industrymedia story in 2011. FoodForward 2012 revealed the senti-ment about Australian food cul-ture of more than 1000 con-sumers and leading taste-makersfrom around the country, includ-ing food editors, chefs, foodbloggers and nutritionists.

Survey participants were askedto share their insights and predic-tions about the food culture ofAustralia. As part of the survey,Australians were asked to choosethe most significant food story of2011, and nominated the impactof the milk wars betweenWoolworths and Coles as numberone.

It is testament to the work of

the collective dairy industry lob-bying on this issue during therecent Senate Inquiry and in themedia that the issue has generat-ed such a high level of concernamong metropolitan shoppers.

Clearly, there is a strong casefor action to protect not onlyfarmers but also consumers, whohave legitimate and serious con-cerns about the dominance of thesupermarket duopoly.

Dietary guidelinescall for increaseddairy consumptionTHE National Health andMedical Research Council(NHMRC) has released itsguidelines for healthy diets forAustralians. Among its manyrecommendations is forAustralians to lift their game interms of eating healthy foods.

It recommended that peopleincrease milk consumption (par-ticularly reduced-fat products).

The dairy industry will wel-come this news, and it is areminder for all parts of govern-ment of the important role theindustry plays in producing freshmilk and delivering significanthealth outcomes for the country.

Eating dairy couldsave AustraliabillionsAT LEAST $2 billion could beslashed from the annual health-care budget if Australiansincreased their dairy intake,according to a new study.Researchers from the HealthEconomics and Social Policygroup at the University of SouthAustralia reviewed the healthbenefits of dairy consumption

and calculated the healthcareexpenditure in Australia due tolow dairy consumption.

Co-author Professor LeonieSegal said the potential healthcaresavings associated with consum-ing the recommended amount ofdairy were significant – a sumcomparable with the entire publichealth budget. “The largesthealthcare savings were associat-ed with the maintenance of ahealthy body weight,” Prof Segalsaid. “Other calculated healthcaresavings came from dairy’s benefi-cial effects on type 2 diabetes,heart disease, stroke, hyperten-sion and osteoporosis.”

Independent panelto review landaccess lawsAN INDEPENDENT panel hasbeen appointed to reviewQueensland’s land access laws.The review panel will consultwith key industry and communitystakeholders to assess the day-to-day workings and effectiveness ofthe land-access framework.

The panel will also consultwith nominated landholders andresource companies that havebeen directly affected by theframework and have gonethrough the conduct and com-pensation agreement process.

The five-person panel willprovide a final report, includingany recommendations to the gov-ernment, in February. It will bechaired by Dr David Watson, aQueensland CompetitionAuthority board member andformer parliamentary leader ofthe Queensland Liberal Party in1998-2001. He will be joined byGary Sansom, John Cotter, AliceClark, and Geoff Dickie.

ND

F114

0710

BETTER COWS | BETTER LIFE

OFFICE 2/22 Garden Drive | Tullamarine VIC 3043 | P: 03 9335 3499 F: 03 9335 4199 E: [email protected] | W: www.crv4all.com.au

Stewart Mancer Nth Victoria/South Australia/NSW 0409 000 069

‘BETTER COWS BETTER LIFE - DUTCH TOUR’

Prices are for Purchases of 50 doses or more of combined product. Semen to be delivered prior to March 30, 2012. Every 50 doses purchased will receive 1 entry into the ‘Dutch Tour’

MATES RATE SEXED SEMEN

ND

F114

0719


12 NRM UPDATE

DAIRYFARMERS were chal-lenged to answer the questionwould they spend $400 to makean extra $1200 at Cool Cowsworkshops in November.

The question was put to farm-ers by Jarrod Lees from theUniversity of Queensland (UQ).Mr Lees is investigating theeffects of heat load on dairy cowsin the subtropical region as partof his PhD studies.

Farmers in the regions ofGatton, Beaudesert, Kilcoy andEungella attended workshops inNovember on the effects of heatloading on dairy herds.

Mr Lees used the workshopsto explain his current research atGatton and also highlighted theimpacts, both physical and finan-cial, that heat stress and heatloading has on a dairy herd.

Mr Lees summarised somekey messages from his research: • Day two and three effectsafter high TemperatureHumidity Index (THI) days.The effect of hot weather is notseen in the vat on the same day.Recent research at UQ found thatthe effect on milk productionshows a strong relationship withthe average daily THI from twoand three days prior. This meansthat farmers need to take anactive approach to heat-stressmanagement. Once the cow ishot, the farm is losing milk.• Conception rates. Conceptionrates will also be adverselyaffected by heat load. Oocyte(egg) maturation in the uterus iscompromised, and blood hor-mone levels change; which leadsto a failure of the oocyte toimplant. Blood flow to the uterusis also decreased as it is redirect-ed to the skin surface for cooling.• Herd Health/immune system.Herd health is also affected whencows are under heat load. The

reason for this is that the cowsare already under the stress ofmilk production. If that is cou-pled with heat stress, they thenhave two stressors to cope withand as such become run down.They are like finely tuned ath-letes. Once a stress is imposedthey come unstuck. High pro-duction cows (more than 27 kilo-grams/day) are more adverselyaffected under extreme condi-tions.• Adaption strategies. Farmerscan take measures to reduce theeffect of heat load include milk-ing earlier in the morning andlater in the afternoon, so cowsare being moved in the coolerpart of the day. Cows should befed higher quality pastures atnight time when they are morelikely to eat.• Sprinklers. Sprinkler systemsin the dairy are one of the moreeffective ways to cool cows andare cheap. Cows must be wetthrough to the skin so a largedroplet is required, much thesame as that produced by a regu-lar garden sprinkler. By incorpo-rating air flow as well, heat lossis increased three-fold. Wettingthe concrete before bringing thecows up will also help to reducefurther heat load as concreteholds a large amount of heat. Butif there is limited or no airflowwithin the holding yard, sprin-klers can cause a yard to becomehumid, which will only exacer-bate the problem.• Shade. Shade over the milkingparlour and holding yard, as wellas a structure or trees in a loafingarea is another effective way toreduce the effect of heat load. Ifthe effect of direct solar radiationis removed, a large source of heatfor the cows is removed.• Fans. Fans allow for forced airmovement over the cows. Thishelps to remove the hot air fromaround the cow and replaces itwith cooler air from the sur-rounding environment.• Water points. Increasing thenumber of water points is a keyfeature that will help to maintainmilk production. Having cleanand cool drinking water availableat the dairy for cows, especially

as they leave after milking isextremely important.

Kym and Neil Harrison farmat Mt Kilcoy, Queensland, andhave had a sprinkler system inplace over their covered yard forthe past few seasons.

“It cost about $300 to installand, along with the naturalbreeze that flows across the yard,it works well at cooling thecows,” Mr Harrison said.

“Our shed has a low roof andwith two rows of cows in beingmilked, it can get very humid andunpleasant. I think after whatJarrod Lees has explained today,we will be installing extractorfans above the pit to remove thishumidity and aid extra air flowover the cows.”

Veresdale, Qld, dairyfarmer

Craig Teese, who hosted one ofthe workshops, said his farm wasaided in mid-afternoon by the‘Veresdale Doctor’ a gentlebreeze that comes through thevalley, giving the cows a naturalcooling aid.

“I also want to erect a solidshade structure at the back of theyard to achieve further benefitfor the cows being out of thedirect heat of the sun while wait-ing to be milked,” Mr Teese said.

Farmers were shown the CoolCows website and farm datafrom participating farmers wasentered into a cost:benefit calcu-lator to see the potential incomeloss from heat stress on theirherd.

Adaption strategies wereadded to this, and the payback

Big returns from cooling cows

Craig Teese explaining the ‘Veresdale Doctor’.

KEY POINTS■ Hot cows costly to

farms■ Effective adaption

strategies,sprinklers, shade,fans can cool cows

Kilcoy farmers discuss shade with Neil Harrison.


NRM UPDATE 13

time for each given strategyhighlighted the great benefit tothe farm.

Many farmers agreed thattheir return on investment waswell worth further investigation.

“Farmers should apply theirfigures and situation to the calcu-lator and work out what is thebest situation for their businessas an aid to improve cow com-fort, increase production andmaintain herd health during thesummer months,” Mr Lees said.

Grains2Milk program leaderfor Dairy Australia, Steve Little,said that the latest message fromthe Cool Cows program was thatthe dairy holding yard could bean effective cooling centre onfarm if well set up with shade,sprinklers and fans. However,without these aids, the holdingyard could also add considerablyto cows’ heat load (direct solarradiation, reflected radiationfrom concrete, and body heatfrom other cows), undoing thegood work done elsewhere onthe farm with shade and evapora-tive cooling to manage cows’heat load.

Many cows in Australia standin a dairy holding yard beforemilking for three to four hours aday or even longer. The aimshould be to get cows throughthe holding yard in less than 60minutes per milking.

Dr Little said Cool Cows wasencouraging farmers to thinkabout grouping their cows toshorten time in the holding yard.Cows should also have access todrinking water immediately afterthey exit the dairy parlour.

This project is supported byfunding from the AustralianGovernment Department ofAgriculture, Fisheries andForestry under FarmReady, partof Australia’s Farming Future.

WITH the wet season here again,the memories of elevated cellcounts and boggy conditions areonce again fresh in the minds ofQueensland dairyfarmers.

Cruising around his farm onhis quad-bike, North Queenslanddairyfarmer Bryan Andersonbreathes a sigh of relief. Thisyear promises to be different,thanks to a Reef Rescue WaterQuality Grant that enabled theinstallation of a concrete creekcrossing on his main laneway.

Running through the middleof his farm is Butcher’s Creek –a watercourse that his cattle musttraverse almost daily to accesspasture paddocks.

“Before the installation of theconcrete crossing, the herd couldcross at various points on thecreek, which made musteringmore labour- and time-intensive– not to mention the havoc it wasplaying on their feet and inci-dence levels of mastitis,” MrAnderson said.

It wasn’t a surprise to MrAnderson when DairySAT, aself-assessment tool used toimprove productivity and on-farm management practices,identified this as an area forimprovement.

The Reef Rescue WaterQuality Grants provided himwith an excellent opportunity tominimise water quality risk andimprove cow comfort levels.

“I have no control over theweather but I can make manage-ment and infrastructure decisionsthat reduce my cell count andimprove my environmental man-agement,” he said.

Mr Anderson decided toupgrade an existing crossingpoint by reinforcing it with largerocks and concrete.

He then fenced off the creek toconfine the cattle to the crossingand installed off-stream wateringtroughs to facilitate the supply ofstock water away from the creek.

“Although there is bound to

still be a few headaches this wetseason, thanks to the ReefRescue Grant, boggy conditionswill be significantly reduced,” hesaid. “I expect to see better cowmovement and improved herdhealth as a result.”

Reef Rescue Water QualityGrants in the Tablelands Regionhas provided financial assistanceto 26 Wet Tropics dairyfarmers.

These projects aim toimprove water quality in thecatchments entering the GreatBarrier Reef Lagoon. Year fiveof the Water Quality Grants pro-gram will be opening in lateJanuary and closing on March16. Information is available onthe Queensland Dairyfarmers’Organisation website <www.dairypage.com.au>.

The project is supported bythe Dairying Better ‘n Betterprogram and Terrain NRM,through funding from theAustralian Government’s Caringfor Our Country initiative.

Reef Rescue grants aid wet season management

FOUR new Dairying Better ‘nBetter (DBnB) groups will beformed this year in the SouthBurnett and Northern DarlingDowns regions.

Farmers from Wondai,Crows Nest, Maclagan andOakey will have the opportunityto join these groups and beinvolved in the From Dung toDirt program, which is fundedthrough the Caring for ourCountry Program, run by theAustralian Government.

The From Dung to Dirt proj-ect is designed to improve thesoil health and carbon of thesedairying areas while also allowingfarmers to assess their manage-ment practices and improve themfor the betterment of the envi-ronment and farm profitability.

DBnB group members willundertake assessment of currentpractices using the DairySAT tooland from this each group willidentify farming practices that areconsidered high priorities.

A number of farmers whoare in this group will receivesupport from industry special-ists to development farm-specif-ic Soil and Nutrient Manage-ment Plans (SNMPs).

The SNMP gives a compre-hensive management plan thatincludes farm mapping, riskassessment, nutrient analysis,soil carbon levels and practicalrecommendations for farmersto improve soil health, nutrientmanagement and highlightingpotential nutrient losses acrossthe farm.

Soil and Nutrient manage-ment workshops hosted bymember farmers will deliver theskills and knowledge to under-stand topics such as soil rela-tionships, physical characteris-tics, soil biology, soil nutrientsand management options avail-able to improve soil health,through an interactive work-shop and paddock walk.

These workshops will be

delivered by soil experts and area great learning tool to helpdevelop best practice with soiland nutrient management.

Each DBnB group will alsohave funds available to help con-tribute to on-farm trial work incutting-edge technology thatwill improve soil health and car-bon levels. Groups, with techni-cal advice, will identify theregions needs and select prac-tices that have the greatestpotential to improve theseneeds.

Farmers in these areas whoare interested in joining the newDBnB groups should contactthe Queensland Dairy NaturalResource Management (NRM)team, phone (07) 3236 2955.

The Dairying Better ‘n BetterProgram is a partnershipbetween the QueenslandDairyfarmers’ Organisation(QDO) and Subtropical Dairyand supported by DairyAustralia.

From Dung to Dirt: chance to get involved

MORE INFOCool Cows Website<www.coolcows.com.au>Dairy Australiawebsite <http://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Animals-feed-and-environment/Animal-health/Heat-stress.aspx>


14 NRM UPDATE

AN ON-FARM nutrient use effi-ciency research project is nowunder way with sites establishedon Thefs’ Gympie dairy farmand the Ravenshoe State HighSchool dairy farm.

The QueenslandDairyfarmers’ Organisation(QDO) has partnered with theQueensland University ofTechnology (QUT) and JamesCook University (JCU) to assessthe efficiency of nitrogen andphosphorus fertilisers usingstate-of-the-art technology tomeasure losses from leaching,run-off and gaseous emissions.

This research will answersome critical questions about themovement of nutrients used ondairy pastures, particularly nitro-gen fertiliser. It is well knownthat nitrogen efficiency in agri-culture (the percentage of nitro-gen brought onto farms that endsup in saleable products – forexample, milk, hay, grain andcattle) is generally low.

The Accounting for Nutrientson Australian Dairy Farms proj-ect found the median efficiencyfor nitrogen and phosphorus on41 Australian dairy farms was26% and 35% respectively. Thisis in line with results in othercountries, but small changes inefficiency have the potential tovastly improve sustainability andprofitability for dairyfarmers.

This research will quantifythe amount of phosphorus andnitrogen lost through the variouspathways (run-off, leaching andgaseous emissions) under inten-sive irrigated dairyfarming sys-tems.

Research leaders, ProfessorPeter Grace (QUT) and Dr PaulNelson (JCU), will use urea con-taining a harmless naturally

occurring isotope of nitrogen(N15) to trace exactly where thenitrogen applied goes.

Automated equipment willcapture gaseous emissions, run-off and water leaching throughthe soil profile. The uptake ofN15 in the pastures will also bemeasured.

By combining this informa-tion with comprehensive soilprofile nutrient analysis and datafrom soil solution samplers, theresearch will help to solve themystery of where the nitrogenand phosphorus ends up after ithas been broadcast onto the pad-dock.

The research will also deter-mine whether a slow-releaseform of urea treated with a nitri-fication inhibitor can improveproduction and reduce nitrogenlosses, and a cost-benefit analy-sis on the practice will show ifthe treatment has potential tohelp dairyfarmers to become

more profitable and sustainablein the future.

Farmers will have the oppor-tunity to visit the research sitesand to find out more about theproject directly from theresearchers at the field days to beheld in May this year.

The research is part of theDairying Better ‘n Better pro-gram, which is a partnership

between QDO and SubtropicalDairy. It is funded by theAustralian Government’s Caringfor Our Country Reef RescueProgram and Incitec PivotFertilisers Limited.

Nutrient use efficiency research underway

LEFT: DaveRowlings,QueenslandUniversity ofTechnology,conducts a soilsurvey at thenutrient-useefficiencyresearch site onThefs' dairy farm,Gympie, Qld.

BELOW: DavidRowlings,QueenslandUniversity ofTechnology; JeffTitmarsh,NinderryAssociates,Toowoomba; andLee Waller,QueenslandUniversity ofTechnology, installrun-off flumes atthe nutrient-useefficiencyresearch site onThefs' dairy farm,Gympie, Qld.

KEY POINTS■ Project to look at

fertiliser use onfarm

■ Will track nitrogenthrough to variouspoints

MORE INFOQDO Phone (07) 3236 2955

NRM UPDATE 15

THE Q2 Coasts & Country pro-gram, which focused on assistingdairyfarmers operating in GreatBarrier Reef catchments, con-cluded at the end of 2011.

The project saw farmersinvolved in the Dairying Better‘n Better for Tomorrow (DBnB)groups improve on-farm man-agement practices. They did thisthrough skills and knowledgedevelopment, which had the out-come of improving water qualityentering the Great Barrier Reefcatchments.

Dairyfarmers from theBurnett Mary, Fitzroy Basin,Burdekin Dry Tropics and theWet Tropics regions wereinvolved in the project.

Funding through the projectwent toward delivering:• water quality grants for projectsthat address high water qualityrisk practices;• Soil and Nutrient ManagementPlans (SNMP);• Soil and nutrient workshops;and• property mapping.

Nine water quality grantswere approved to farmers, whichresulted in better managementpractices being applied to 788hectares of dairying land.

Projects included permanentcreek crossings, nutrient reuse,minimising nutrient loss througherosion and run off and mini-mum tillage practices.

A total of $104,500 was spentby farmers to complete theirprojects, of which $37,400 camefrom funding.

Ben Fredrickson, who milks145 cows at Eungella,Queensland, was one of those

successful in his project work.Mr Fredrickson upgraded his

sump and distribution area foreffluent for the 145-hectare dairyunit.

The project also saw a weep-ing wall installed that will helpremove any debris interferencein the application process.

“My aim was to minimise theeffluent run off by increasing thearea I applied the liquid to,” MrFrederickson said. “I now havebetter utilisation of my effluentas a fertiliser and this will reducethe amount of purchased fertilis-er.

“With the current situation,the project would not have beenable to happen without the fund-ing I received, so I am verygrateful of that.”

Another major part of theproject was to develop total farmSoil and Nutrient ManagementPlans (SNMP).

A total of 31 farmers receivedthese plans which covered2213ha of dairying land. Eachfarm-specific plan identified soiland nutrient issues on farm andthen a management plan wasproduced to increase nutrient useefficiency to deal with any asso-ciated risks.

Tom Prandolini from MillaaMillaa who milks 120 cows onhis 88ha farm received an SNMP.

“It is a very well-written doc-ument and was put together byan independent serviceprovider,” Mr Prandolini said. “Iliked the way the soil sampleswere taken in each managementzone, and by the large number ofcore samples being taken you geta superior soil analysis result.”

Mr Prandolini is a drylandfarmer and thinks that soil pH iscritical for his future productionafter liming was something theregion neglected in the past 15

years in favour for a quick resultfrom urea.

A great enhancement follow-ing the development of SNMPsfor farmers was the delivery ofsoil and nutrient managementworkshops facilitated by theDBnB team. In the past fourmonths, 55 farmers and serviceproviders attended these work-shops, which were delivered byindustry specialists David Hall,Pursehouse Rural, in Wide BayBurnett and Central Queenslandregions and Kev Shaw, LandlineConsulting, in Far NorthQueensland.

The workshops took farmersthrough topics that would aidthem in understanding total soilhealth.

This knowledge would aidthem when making key decisionsrelated to production of theircrops and pastures.

Areas that were coveredincluded soil/plant/animalecosystem relationships, soilstructures, soil characteristics,soil biology, soil nutrients andchemistry and improving soilhealth.

Steve Stenhouse, who hostedthe Central Queensland work-shop at his farm at Rossmoya,Quensland, said the day was“fantastic and even my agrono-mist has learnt some new infor-mation”.

“The day was excellent and ithas made me look at soil healthand my approach differently,” hesaid. “We have now implement-ed changes to our practices and Ihope our DBnB group can have afollow-up session with Davidsoon.”

The Queensland Dairy-farmers’ Organisation, on behalfthe industry, thanks theQueensland Government, throughthe Department of Environmentand Resource Management, andthe NRM bodies for their supportin the industry farm managementsystem, Dairying Better ‘n Better,which continues to accelerate theadoption of improved land man-agement practices on dairy farmsthroughout Queensland.

Q2 project a success for the dairy industry

Kev Shaw, Landline Consulting, explains the mapping of soilnutrient loss to the Malanda DBnB group during the soiland nutrient management day in November.

The construc-tion of a creekcrossing atMitchHumphries farmat Millaa Millaa,Qld, was aidedby funding fromthe Q2 Coastand Countrywater qualitygrants.

KEY POINTS■ Program improves

land-usemanagement oncoastal dairy farms

■ Improvedmanagementpractices on farm

■ Better qualitywater enteringGreat Barrier Reef



ND

F114

0715


PEOPLE MANAGEMENT 17

WITH the trend towards increas-ing herd size, more dairyfarmersare finding themselves in the roleof employer. Starting out as adairy employer can be dauntingbut The People in Dairy websitehas a section, People Basics,designed specially for thosestarting out.

Dr Pauline Brightling, whomanages Dairy Australia’s ThePeople in Dairy program, saidpeople issues were importantto dairy business success,whether it involved an owner-operator, a single person man-ager or a large corporate busi-ness.

“People often ask ‘where dowe start and what do we do?’People Basics quickly directsyou to the ‘must have’ online

resources and templates on ThePeople in Dairy website,” DrBrightling said.

People Basics guides the userthrough the issues that usuallycome up when an employer startslooking at people management.

For example, what does the lawrequire the employer to do interms of pay rates, time off, safe-ty, etc? How do they get staff toperform well all the time?

“Most dairy employers wantto do the right thing by theirstaff,” she said. “But it has notalways been easy to know what‘the right thing’ involves, espe-cially when hiring for the firsttime.

“People Basics is the place tostart. Once farmers start workingthrough these issues, theybecome interested in related top-ics, or want to look at a particu-

lar issue in more detail. Andfrom People Basics it is usuallyjust a click or two to get to therelevant information.”

Dairy employers also want toattract and keep good people. Todo this they must be competitivewith other industries.

“Although remuneration playsa part, there are other factors thatmake a business attractive towork in,” Dr Brightling said.

People are more likely to staywith a dairy business that runssmoothly, is productive and thatoffers a fair reward and recogni-tion for effort. It needs to be afriendly place that respects peo-ple and strives for a balancebetween work and life.

The People in Dairy Programis an example of the dairy indus-try levy at work. For more infor-mation on this and other exam-ples of the levy at work visitDairy Australia’s website<www.dairyaustralia.com.au>.

Starting out as a dairy employerKEY POINTS■ Starting out as

employer can bedaunting

■ People in Dairywebsite hasresources to help

■ Answers questionsabout pay rates,time off, health andsafety etc

MORE INFOPeople in DairyWebsite:<www.thepeopleindairy.org.au>Phone: (03) 9620 7283

People issues are important to dairy business success,whether it involves an owner-operator, a single personmanager or a large corporate business.

Working on the business, not just in itALL dairy managers can benefitfrom taking time out to work onthe business, rather than in it.This is the message from DrPauline Brightling who managesThe People in Dairy program forDairy Australia.

“It doesn’t matter how largeor small a dairy operation is,there’s value in taking ourselvesaway from the distractions of thedaily farming activities andthinking about it from a differentperspective,” said Dr Brightling.

“As a dairy business growsand employs more people itbecomes increasingly importantto do this.”

The concept may start withthe introduction of regular staffmeetings where the peopleinvolved in the farm can discussplans for the coming weeks and

issues that may need specialattention.

It may also include taking thetime to document the farm’s pro-cedures and policies.

“It sounds simple but theprocess of documenting thesethings helps the business owneror manager think through prac-tices that have been communicat-ed informally in the past,” DrBrightling said. “It is the firststep for formalising farm sys-

tems and it helps managers andemployees to have a clear under-standing of what’s expected.”

Another step is to write jobdescriptions for staff.

“Job descriptions are oftenprepared when a positionbecomes vacant on the farm,” shesaid. “It’s a good opportunity to

think about the tasks involvedand the skills required.”

The process of writing a jobdescription helps the owner ormanager clarify in their ownmind what they need from theposition and the type of personwho will fit the role.

And having a written job

No matter howlarge or small adairy operation is,there’s value intaking time awayfrom thedistractions of thedaily farmingactivities andthinking about thebusiness from adifferentperspective.

▲

WHETHER or not a mastitismanagement program workswell in practice comes down tothe people involved.

Team work and communica-tion can help get the right peo-ple doing the right things at theright time.

Dairy Australia’sCountdown Downunder proj-ect leader, Dr John Penry, hassome tips for building a teamapproach to mastitis manage-ment.

Firstly, everyone involvedneeds to understand mastitis:where the various risks occuron the farm and what to do tomanage those risks.That usual-ly involves some training.

Ideally, have all managers andstaff do the course together. It’sa good step towards building ateam culture.

The second step is foreveryone to take personalresponsibility for the practicesinvolved in managing mastitisrisk on farm. CountdownDownunder has clear guidelinesfor on-farm practices to man-age mastitis.

“If you want staff to takepersonal responsibility for put-ting those guidelines into prac-

tice, it’s worth getting theminvolved in working out the day-to-day procedures,” Dr Penrysaid. “Working together buildsthe team spirit and createsshared ownership of the finaldecisions.

“If you ask the team to workout the farm’s processes, they’lltalk about the logistics thatmake the difference between agood intention and good prac-tice.The process they come upwith will be workable and val-ued.”

Involving staff in making thedecisions means the mastitismanagement practices becomepart of the team culture ratherthan policies imposed fromabove.

“Taking the time and effortto involve your team in work-ing out the farm’s mastitis man-agement protocols pays foritself many times over – inreduced treatment costs,avoided production losses, andless stress in the dairy,” DrPenry said.


18 PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

INVOLVING staff in developingdairy farm policies and proto-cols can boost morale andimprove performance, even intough times.

For a business to runsmoothly, everyone needs tounderstand the farm policiesand their roles in the business,according to Dairy Australia'sDr Pauline Brightling who man-ages The People in Dairy pro-gram.

"Policies, procedures andsystems provide an invisible'structure' to the business thathelps everyone understand howand why things should be done,"she said.

"When you employ staff itbecomes increasingly importantto have documented systemsfor the smooth running of thefarm.You can't personally over-

see everything and there is anincreasing requirement todemonstrate safe and ethicalbusiness management throughformal documentation.

"Integration of all operations,policies and procedures into afarm business manual provides

an all-in-one document thatguides the business.

"Everyone on the farmshould be involved in developingthis document so they 'own' itand are willing to use it.

"Staff have a very clearunderstanding about what is

involved with different proce-dures and appreciate being con-sulted and having their role inthe business formally recog-nised."

Dr Brightling said ThePeople in Dairy website had anumber of resources and tem-plates to help develop farmpolicies and a procedure manu-al, making the task easier andsimple. A good place to start isthe People Basics section onThe People in Dairy website.

People Basics is designed tohelp dairy employers take a firststep into addressing peopleissues, without being over-whelmed by the details.

Involving staff in developingdairy farm policies and farmprotocols can boost moraleand improve performance.

People make it happendescription helps the new staffmember know exactly what isexpected of them.

“Job descriptions, proce-dures, policies, staff meetings –you can’t do any of these on therun, while you are busy with theday-to-day activities on thefarm. They are best done by tak-ing time out, away from thefarm, to concentrate on the busi-ness rather than the dailychores.”

Many of these tasks can bemade easier by using the tem-plates and tools available on ThePeople in Dairy website.

“Dairyfarming can be a hec-tic occupation,” Dr Brightlingsaid. “But when you take timeaway to look at things different-ly you’ll often come up withideas that save time and stressevery day.

“Having these key documents– job descriptions, farm policies,procedures – also help presentthe operation as a professionalbusiness. And in the long run thatwill help address the on-goingissue of attracting, developingand retaining people in the dairyindustry.”

For more informationvisit website <www.thepeopleindairy.org.au> or phone (03)9620 7283.

Involving staff in developing mastitis protocols helpscome up with workable and valued solutions.

▲

Get staff involved in broad aspects of the farm


PEOPLE MANAGEMENT 19

A SIMPLE safety checklistcan help maintain a safefarm working environmentby identifying potentialrisks and taking steps toprevent accidents.

Dr Pauline Brightling,who manages DairyAustralia’s The People inDairy program, said farmsdiffered from most otherworkplaces because peoplelived and worked at thesame location. Older andyounger family members, aswell as workers, were at riskfrom hazards on the farm.

“The prevention ofpersonal injury and illhealth associated withworking and living on thefarm is a priority foreveryone in the dairyindustry,” Dr Brightlingsaid.

“All farm businesseshave an obligation underlaw to provide a safe andhealthy workplace for their

employees, contractors,family, visitors andmembers of the public.Farm businesses who don’tact to fulfil health andsafety responsibilities facesignificant fines andpenalties.”

The People in Dairywebsite has a safetychecklist to help identifypotential risks and hazardsand identify ways they canbe eliminated orcontrolled.

It covers traffic, powerand electrical, environment,manual handling, dairyhazards, confined spaces,farm chemicals, emergencyresponse, workplace

policies and machinery andequipment risks.

Dr Brightling saidfurther help was availablefor those who needed it.

A number of dairycompanies are introducingprograms to supportimproved farm safety,

which include anindependent farm safetyaudit.

“An independent personcan often help identifyhazards, which may gounnoticed by people whowork on the farm,” shesaid.

Safety checklists cut risks

Dairy businesses have a legal obligation to make sure thepeople working on the farm understand the OH&S risksinvolved with dairyfarming and follow the farm'soccupational health and safety policies.

Getting on top of hoof health

This is one of the many examples of the dairy service levy at work locally. Farmers receive a benefit of $3 for every $1 invested

by Dairy Australia on their behalf. For more information on this and other levy investments visit www.dairyaustralia.com.au

Caring for your herd’s hooves and legs is

part of the daily health check. Keeping an

eye on feet not only saves a cow from

pain, it makes financial sense.

Dairy Australia calculates estimates each

lame cow can cost up to $600 to $700/

year through lost milk production, lower

fertility, an increased risk of culling and

actual treatment costs.

About 80%-90% of lameness occurs in

the feet; most commonly in hind feet.

You can restrain a cow in a crush or

rotary bail or even on the platform in a

herringbone dairy.

If you suspect lameness, examine the

hoof using an examination kit comprising:

a soft rope for tying the leg;

hoof testers;

a sharp hoof knife (double-sided)

protected with a pouch;

sharp hoof trimmers; and

sharpening tools.

Examine the foot, looking for:

sole injuries;

white line disease;

foot rot, or

interdigital cracks.

The more stable and comfortable a cow

feels, the quieter she will stand. Having a

non-slip surface and/or straps to support

the weight of the cow will assist.

Talk to your vet about treatments like

trimming and paring, blocks, antibiotics,

anti-inflammatories/painkillers and rest. If

more than 7% of the herd is affected by

lameness, problems will be identifiable

which should be worked on with advice

from your vet.

Visit www.dairyaustralia.com.au for

suggestions on ways to help restore hoof

health in your herd.

ND

F114

0714


20 TICK VACCINE RESEARCH

QUEENSLAND scientists are astep closer to finding a cattle tickvaccine that could save thenational beef and dairy industriesabout $175 million per annumand reduce the need for pesti-cides.

Using a novel science that hasnot been carried out anywhereelse in the world, researchershave pinpointed tick vaccineantigens that will enable cattle toresist tick infestations.

The vaccine antigens producea bovine immune response thatinterferes with tick attachmentand feeding, reducing tick num-bers by up to 60% and decreasesthe ability of surviving ticks tolay eggs.

The project, which is beingled by the Queensland Alliancefor Agriculture and FoodInnovation (QAAFI), a researchInstitute at the University ofQueensland, recently recorded50-87% protection from ticks inearly-phase cattle immunisationtrials.

The research received a $1.4million Queensland GovernmentSmart State grant and projectpartners include the Departmentof Employment EconomicDevelopment and Innovation(DEEDI), the Co-operativeResearch Centre (CRC) for BeefGenetic Technologies, Meat &Livestock Australia andMurdoch University in Perth.

QAAFI scientist, Dr AlaLew-Tabor, said in recent yearstick infestation was reported asthe ‘number one’ cattle healthproblem in Australia.

“Traditional means of con-trolling ticks, using tick pesti-cides called acaricides, is slowlydeclining due to ticks developingresistance,” Dr Lew-Tabor said.

“During our five-yearresearch program, we’ve devel-oped new tick research tools,generated 10 times more tickgenomic data and established aspecific bioinformatics capacitythrough Murdoch University’sCentre for ComparativeGenomics.”

This research enabled theQAAFI team to identify poten-tial genes most likely to producepositive immune responses.

Dr Ala Lew-Tabor and herDEEDI technical team fed adultticks antibodies targeting thesegenes and recorded strong results

in the laboratory, which havebeen supported by the early-phase cattle immunisation trials.

Chief executive officer of theBeef Genetic Technologies CRC,Dr Heather Burrow, said thatreduced productivity in the beefand dairy industries due to tickinfestation was currently one ofthe most costly and difficultmanagement issues and had highimpacts on cattle welfare.

“This work is novel sciencethat has not been carried out any-where else in the world,” DrBurrow said. “Together with ourUS and Brazilian partners,

Australia stands to lead the wayin safe and effective tick man-agement.”

The project has strong inter-national partnerships with theUS Department of Agriculture –Agricultural Research Services,and the Brazilian AgriculturalResearch Corporation (EMBRA-PA) and attracted internationalexperts in the field to move toQueensland and join this leadingresearch.

In 2007, Dr ManuelRodriguez Valle, who was instru-mental in the development of theCuban anti-cattle tick vaccineGAVAC, immigrated to Australiaspecifically to join the QAAFIresearch team and work on thisproject.

The promising early-phasetrial results have clear potentialfor the beef and dairy industryworldwide and have caught theattention of several large animalhealth companies.

Dr Lew-Tabor said that whilethe project team had made excel-lent progress through the discov-ery and testing of these potentialtick vaccine candidates, a com-mercial product was still severalyears away.

“Once potential vaccine can-didates are licensed to a compa-ny to develop into a commercialvaccine, it takes approximatelyfive to eight years to completeregistration requirements for usein Australia and overseas,” shesaid.

QAAFI draws together 100research teams specialising inplant, animal and food sciencesfrom 12 UQ and DEEDI sitesacross Queensland.

It was established in 2010 as acollaborative arrangement withfunding and personnel fromDEEDI to strengthen theresearch base underpinningQueensland’s food and agricul-ture industries.

The QAAFI vision is to be aworld leader in tropical and sub-tropical agricultural and foodresearch and development, andsupport sustainable food produc-tion through the application ofcutting-edge science and scienceeducation.

Qld scientists give cattle tick the flickKEY POINTS■ Qld researchers

close to developingtick vaccine

■ Would save dairyand beef industriesmillions

■ Ticks developingresistance topesticides

Ticks cost the dairy and beef industries millions of dollarsin lost production.

Queenslandresearchersare workingon a tickvaccine.


DAIRY IN ACTION UPDATE 21

THE Department ofEmployment, EconomicDevelopment and Innovation(DEEDI) Dairy in Action andC4Milk projects have an excit-ing 2012 planned.

This will include hostingvarious activities looking at2011 forage research results,alternative summer forageoptions with on-farm demon-stration sites, as well as a roadshow to share the highlights ofthe Cow Comfort Tour DEEDIstaff and farmers went on to theUS.

The second half of C4Milk’sfeed conversion efficiency(FCE) project has already start-ed, revisiting the 70 farms sur-veyed in 2011, and later in theyear will run a number of dayssharing the northern dairyindustry’s regional results.

The DEEDI team will alsocontinue to deliver work-shops, field days and hold dis-cussion groups that werenominated by farmers in the2011 regional needs analysissurvey. These events havebeen tailored specifically toregional needs, with furtherinformation to be publishedon website <www.dairyinfo.biz>, in the bimonthly TheNorthern Dairyfarmer maga-zine, in the QueenslandDairyfarmer’s Organisation’sweekly e-newsletter or bycontacting Jo Gorman, mobile0427 761 376 or phone (07)5460 1192.

The DEEDI team look for-ward to seeing farmers at theirnext local activity.

Exciting program planned for 2012

Date Topic Location Contact

February 14 Dry cow/springer nutrition workshop Oakey RSL Dave Barber, phone 0427 603 243

February 15 Dry cow/springer nutrition workshop Allora community hall Dave Barber, phone 0427 603 243

February 16 Feed additives and mineral nutrition workshop Wondai Diggers Club Dave Barber, phone 0427 603 243

February 28 Winter pasture management field day Gympie Ross Warren, phone (07) 5480 4418

March 2 Alternative dry land summer forage options – Westbrook Jo Gorman, phone 0427 761 376On-farm Demonstration

March 20-21 Basic nutrition course workshop Malanda Dave Barber, phone 0427 603 243

March 27-28 Basic nutrition course workshop Monto Dave Barber, phone 0427 603 243

March 29 Winter pasture management field day Burnett Ross Warren, phone (07) 5480 4418

Dairy In Action calendar

YOUR COWS WILL BRINGA LOT MORE TO YOU...

B vitamin supplement specifically formulated to meet the needs of lactation cows.

PYRIDOXINE (B6)

PANTOTHENIC ACID (B5)

FOLIC ACID (B9)

BIOTIN

Contact your nutritionist and add VICOMB P+™ to your cow rations today !

jefo.com | [email protected]

VICOMB P+™

ND

F114

0718


Australia’s premier dairy conference

Join us for the 10th anniversary Australian Dairy Conference Coming to Gippsland February 20-24, 2012

Australian Dairy Conference Ltd

Monday 20th Pre conference tour to East Gippsland

Tuesday 21st Pre conference tour continues; Welcome Function and Tom Reid Oration at Warragul Arts Centre

Wednesday 22nd Conference Day 1 and Elanco BBQ at Lardner Park

Thursday 23rd Conference Day 2 at Lardner Park and Rabobank Conference dinner at Kernot Hall, Morwell

Friday 24th Ellinbank Research Centre visit and post conference tour

Register your interest today atwww.australiandairyconference.com.auOr call Esther Price Promotions on 1800 177 636

An event by dairy farmers, for dairy farmersthat brings Australia’s dairy farming community together in a spirit ofMOTIVATION, INSPIRATION & COMMUNICATION

ND

F114

0722


IMPROVING FERTILITY 23

INCREASING numbers ofdairyfarmers in hot regions areusing batch joining as a way toachieve year-round milk supplywhile avoiding joining over thehot, humid months when preg-nancy rates are lower.

In summer, dairy cows can beat risk of heat stress, caused byeither high temperatures or acombination of heat and humidi-ty. Heat stress complicates repro-ductive management: • cows in the first three weeks ofpregnancy may abort; and• cows are more likely to havesilent heats, shortened heats orreduced in-calf rates.

Dr Barry Zimmermann, whomanages Dairy Australia’sInCalf project, said that whilebatch joining had good benefitsfor the farming system, thelifestyle benefits were alsoattractive.

“Farmers can achieve year-round milk supply by joining theherd to calve in one, two or morebatches,” Dr Zimmermann said.“Regardless of the number ofbatches, the key is to avoid join-ing over the hot humid months,particularly in January andFebruary.”

In terms of labour andlifestyle, the batch joining sys-tem with a break during the sum-mer makes January a fairly easy

month as there’s no calving, calfrearing or joining.

“You can arrange your sys-tem so that January is a family-friendly month to match theschool holidays while stillachieving year-round milk sup-ply, and winter price incen-tives.”

There are also benefits for theherd. Better in-calf rates areachieved by avoiding joining inthe hot/humid months, and calfhealth and welfare are improvedby having them weaned beforethey are at risk of heat stress.

Batch joining also allows formore focused management andstreamlined labour demands.

“With a true year-round calv-ing herd, managers juggle a widerange of tasks on any given day –heat detection, calving, calf rear-ing, transition feeding, joiningon top of the daily routine ofmilking and feeding the herd,” hesaid.

Daily activities are morefocused with a batch system: ablock of heat detection and join-ing, followed by a break; andthis translates to blocks of calv-ing and calf rearing later in theyear.

Regardless of the herd’s calv-ing pattern, be sure to use theCool Cows resources to find

ways to reduce the impact of heatstress on herd fertility, availableat <www.coolcows.com.au>.

Batch joining offers a wayaround hot monthsKEY POINTS■ Year-round herds

calve in threebatches

■ Avoid joining inhottest months ofyear

■ Also provides formore focusedmanagement

MORE INFODairy Australia Website:<http://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Animals-feed-and-environment/Fertility>Email:<[email protected]>Phone: (03) 9620 7283

Batch calving can achieve year-round milk supply whileavoiding joining over the hot, humid months whenpregnancy rates are lower.

ND

F11

4071

2


National Farmers Warehouse Toowoomba; Rabobank; JEFO Australia; Vicomb; Vicomb P+; The Australian Dairy Farmer; Semex Australia; Colin Mackay THE GOOD GUYS; Bayer Animal Health; Battery World Toowoomba; Pfizer Animal Health; Bayer

Animal Health; WFI; McDonalds; Russell & Sons; NJ Canvas; BB Whitehouse; Dairy Express Pioneer Hi Bred Australia; PacificSeeds; Farmers Breeding Services; National Foods; Performance Probiotics; Garden City Artificial Breeders;

Australia Illawarra Society; Ayrshire Australia; Mi Feed; ABS Australia

TThhuurrssddaayy 2299tthh -- SSaattuurrddaayy 3311sstt MMaarrcchh 22001122 IInn eexxcceessss ooff $$1166,,000000 iinn TTrroopphhiieess aanndd PPrriizzee MMoonneeyy

We sincerely thank all of our fantastic sponsors:

Feature BreedHolstein Friesian

Thursday 29th March 2012:Full Youth Spectacular International Speaker

Top Australian PresentersHeifer Youth ShowJunior ParadersJunior Judges

Dairy BBQ from 7:00pm

Friday 30th March 2012:Interbreed Judging:- from 9am Breeds represented: Ayrshire;

Brown Swiss; Guernsey; Holstein Friesian; Illawarra; Jersey

Saturday 31st March 2012:- Supreme Judging

Entries Close:Friday 24th February 2012Catalogues available from

www.rasq.com.au

For further information Entries or Sponsorship contact:Dairy Committee Chairman;

Mr Wayne Bradshaw:- [email protected] or RASQ Office: [email protected]

or Phone 07 4634 7400

ND

F114

0720

GROWING forage crops fordairy feed provides high yieldsbut carries some risk. Ratherthan avoiding risk, farmers areencouraged to understand andmanage it.

FutureDairy’s feedbase sci-ence leader, Associate ProfessorYani Garcia, said that comple-mentary forage systems (CFS)offered a way to dramaticallyincrease home-grown feed fromlimited land or water.

A CFS involves growing twoor more forage crops from thesame area of land in a given year.Typically they include a bulkcrop such as maize for silage orsorghum and a legume or othercrop to provide feed during theautumn or winter.

“Growing forages, or a CFS inparticular, involves changes at dif-ferent levels of the farming system.Most of the associated risks can bemanaged, once they are under-stood,” Assoc Prof Garcia said.

The risks with growing foragecrops fall into five areas: climaterisk, price risk, human (or man-agement) risk, financial risk andenvironmental risk.

Climate riskVariable seasonal conditions canaffect crop yields, quality andwastage.

“There are three things youcan do to manage climate risk.Firstly select crops that are suit-ed to your specific climate andsoils. Having the wrong cultivarsor hybrids increases climaterisk,” he said.

Secondly, maintain a flexibleapproach to feedbase manage-ment. Monitor the seasonal out-look and adjust plans if needed.

And thirdly, ensure access toenough irrigation (if available).

“A CFS relies on havingenough irrigation water to achieve

the target yield of your bulk crop,”Assoc Prof Garcia said. “Makesure your irrigation allocation isenough to cover crop require-ments, even in a low rainfall sea-son. If the water available is notenough, lower your yield expecta-tions and use irrigation to supple-ment natural winter rainfall, forexample to germinate early-sownbrassica or annual ryegrass.”

Price risk Uncertainty or variability in milkprice and the price of key inputssuch as grain can affect the per-formance of a CFS.

“While we don’t have anycontrol over the price of milk orinputs, we can make our systemless exposed to them,” AssocProf Garcia said.

A CFS is a way to increasemilk production per hectarewithout increasing the amount ofpurchased feed.

“If you rely less on purchasedfeed such as supplements or hay,you are less affected by pricefluctuations,” he said.

Price risk can also be man-aged with careful planningbefore starting a CFS.

“Prepare an accurate budgetin advance,” he said. “Allow fornew costs associated with capitalinvestment such as a mixer

wagon or feedpad. And aim foran operating profit with a safetymargin so that an unexpectedmilk price decrease will notresult in a loss.”

Human risk Management skills and decisionmaking ability affect the perform-ance of a CFS. A CFS doesinvolve higher costs so profitabil-ity relies on achieving high yields.

“Make sure you have the sys-tems in place and the skills need-ed to achieve target yields, ofboth the crops and pastures,”Assoc Prof Garcia said. “Anddon’t forget that a CFS is still apasture-based system.”

A common mistake is tospend more time and money inthe cropping area than the pas-tures. The result is poor pastureutilisation, which will defeat thepurpose of the CFS.

Financial riskUncertainty due to the level of‘financial exposure’ can affectthe success of a CFS. Financialrisk is affected by the level ofequity and the capacity of thebusiness to service debt.

The key to managing finan-cial risk is to maintain a reason-able level of equity.

“Prepare a cash-flow budget toplan the year ahead and how thespread of cash expenses will becovered by cash income,” he said.

Environmental riskEnvironmental risk refers touncertainty about the potential

impact of a CFS on the environ-ment.

If managed properly, anintensified system such as theCFS does not necessarily have agreater environmental impactthan a pasture-only system.Nutrient budgeting is a usefultool for managing environmentalrisk.

“At the end of the day, every-one has their own level of riskthat they are comfortable with,”Assoc Prof Garcia said.“Remember, most risk types can-not be avoided, but they can bemanaged. And the way you man-age them can make a big differ-ence to the end result.”

This article is based on TechNote 6: Risk, one of in a seriesof eight technical notes aboutComplementary ForageSystems, published byFutureDairy in September2011. The series is available atwebsite <www.futuredairy.com.au>. It also includes a setof case studies from six com-mercial farms in the HunterValley who implemented aCFS.


FEED MANAGEMENT 25

Forage risks can be managedGrowingforages carriessome risks.But ratherthan avoidingthe risks,dairyfarmersareencouraged tounderstandand managethe risk.

KEY POINTS■ Forage crops

involve increasedrisks

■ Take steps tominimise risks

■ Take account ofrisks in planning

MORE INFOWebsite:<www.futuredairy.com.au>Associate ProfessorYani GarciaEmail:<[email protected]>Phone: (02) 9351 1621


26 RESEARCH

DARLING Downs producers onthe lookout for ways to increasetheir productivity as well as prof-itability should keep their eyeson a new project digging deeperinto organic fertiliser options.

The collaborative ExploringOrganic Fertilisers project kickedoff in the middle of last year witha series of informal workshopsco-hosted by CondamineAlliance and Pathway Ag, a divi-sion of Pursehouse Rural.

Led by research and develop-ment manager for Pathway Ag,David Hall, the long-term projectaims to help farmers and consult-ants better understand the use oforganic fertilisers to benefit notonly production but also theirbottom lines.

Workshops were held atToowoomba, Pittsworth, Dalby,Clifton and Chinchilla andattracted a broad audience,including farmers, agronomists,researchers and educators – vary-ing from those who had back-ground knowledge to those start-ing out.

“The workshops were a great

way to make connections withlocal people from across theDowns to help inform the devel-opment of the project,” Mr Hallsaid. “We were able to talk aboutinformation that is currentlyavailable as well as how the proj-ect and its trials will progress. Italso gave people the opportunityto update, clarify or find out howcurrent their knowledge is.”

For Landmark agronomistPaul McIntosh, attending theToowoomba workshop was achance to link in with the projectand reaffirm his understanding ofthe topic. “You don’t often get achance to hear from other compa-nies on their work,” he said. “Thiswas a great opportunity to catchup and listen to David’s presenta-tion as well as to make sure I’mup-to-date on information.”

The workshop also providedsome straight-forward informa-tion in this area. Specialising infertilisers with Incitec Pivot,Bede O’Mara said: “In my expe-rience there seems to be a lot ofconfusion around the topic;

David presented in a simple waywhich helped clear up somepoints and was very informa-tive.”

With sustainable agriculturehighlighted for inclusion in hisschool’s curriculum, theAustralian Agricultural CollegeCorporation’s Bill Callaghansaid he was looking forward tooutcomes from the project. “It’sgood to hear about the projectand that we are starting to getsome science into trials lookingat organic options,” MrCallaghan said. “I think organicsis next-generation in sustainableagriculture as we start to seeinterest from outside the sectorfor this type of action.”

Condamine Alliance chiefexecutive officer Phil McCulloughsaid the group was pleased to sup-port this project, which wouldbenefit the catchment’s agricultur-al industry. “Condamine Allianceis committed to agriculture andrecognises the importance of thiscatchment in terms of Australia’sfood production,” he said.

“Condamine Alliance willcontinue to be involved through-out this project in a role that willsupport activities like this so thatkey information and outcomesare shared with the wider agri-cultural community.”

The project has strong indus-try support and involvementfrom key stakeholders, includingArkwood, Condamine Alliance,Conservation Farmers Inc,Envirorganics, Incitec Pivot,McLean Farms, Meat andLivestock Australia, OrganicNutrients, Pathway Ag, theQueensland Department ofEmployment, EconomicDevelopment and Innovation,and the University ofQueensland (Gatton Campus).

This initiative is supported byCondamine Alliance SustainableAgriculture Program with fundingfrom the Australian Government’sCaring for Our Country and theQueensland Government’s Q2Coasts and Country.

Contact: David Hall, email<[email protected]>.

Workshops dish dirt on fertilisersKEY POINTS■ Organic fertilisers

focus of newDarling Downsproject

■ Trials to beconducted

■ Regular workshopsto provide updatedinformation

Tim Neale, Bill Callaghanand Jillian Condell wantedto know more aboutorganic fertilisers.

Phil McCullough, Bede O'Mara, Paul McIntosh and DavidHall at the workshop.

RESEARCHERS from theUniversity of New England andCSIRO will soon be conducting asurvey of rural landholders aspart of a two-year projectexploring control and manage-ment options for fireweed.

The project is being funded bythe Australian Governmentthrough the Department ofAgriculture, Fisheries andForestry (DAFF).

Fireweed, a native of SouthAfrica, is a poisonous plant that,when eaten by cattle or horses,may lead to a decrease in condi-

tion and, eventually, death. It iscapable of germinating and flow-ering throughout much of theyear, making year-long manage-ment difficult.

The survey will examine theecological conditions underwhich fireweed grows best, whatkinds of pasture grasses competemost effectively with fireweed,what methods landholders use tocontrol the weed, and the impactit has had on farm management.

As fireweed is primarily aweed of coastal grazing pastures,the survey will be aimed specifi-

cally at graziers and dairyfarmersin coastal NSW and south-eastQueensland, where it is currentlyspreading rapidly.

UNE’s Professor Brian Sindel,the leader of the project and aworld authority on fireweed,con-ducted a similar survey during the1980s, and so the 2011 surveywill provide important informa-tion on how the impact and man-agement of fireweed havechanged over the interveningperiod.

A link to the online version ofthe fireweed impact survey, as

well as more information on theresearch, is available on the pro-ject’s Web site, hosted on<www.ruralfutures.une.edu.au>.

Contact: Professor BrianSindel, email <[email protected]>, phone (02) 6773 3747.

Survey to inform new fireweed management guide

Fireweed is spreadingrapidly in coastal areas innorthern NSW and south-east Queensland.


NORTHERN DAIRY DIARY 27

February Soil and Nutrient Management Workshop9: Wondai/Murgon

Contact: Jade HauserPhone: (07) 3236 2955

February Soil and Nutrient Management Workshop10: Gin Gin


February Dry Cow/Springer Nutrition14: Oakey RSL

Contact: Dave BarberPhone: 0427 603 243

February Dry Cow/Springer Nutrition15: Allora Community Hall


February Young Dairy Network Tour12-16: Tasmania

Contact:Viv McCollumPhone: 0428 718 620

February Feed additives and Mineral Nutrition Field16: Day Wondai Diggers Club


February 10th Anniversary Australian Dairy 21-24: Conference Lardner Park, Gippsland,

VictoriaContact: <www.australiandairyconference.com.au>

February Energy Workshop 27: Garrats Farm Southbrook


February Winter Pasture Management and Options28: workshop, Gympie

Contact: Ross WarrenPhone: (07) 5480 4418

February Energy Workshop28: Brassingtons Farm, Maroon

Contact: Jade Hauser Phone: (07) 3236 2955

February Winter Pasture Management and Options29: Workshop , Burnett

Contact: Ross WarrenPhone: (07) 5480 4418

March Energy Workshop1: Duncans Farm, Glenore Grove


March Alternate Summer Forage Options1: Westbrook

Contact: Jo GormanPhone: 0402 515 564

March Energy Workshop2: Easleas’ Farm, Dayboro


March Feed Budgeting Workshop 3: Nanango RSL

Contact: Dave Barber Phone: 0427 603 243

March Soil and Nutrient Management Workshop5: Crows Nest


March Soil and Nutrient Management Workshop6: MacLagan


March Soil and Nutrient Management Workshop7: Oakey


March Soil and Nutrient Management Workshop8: Pittsworth


March Soil and Nutrient Management Workshop9: Allora


March Soil and Nutrient Management Workshop15: Woodford


March Basic nutrition course workshop 20-21: Malanda


March Basic nutrition course workshop27-28: Monto


March Toowoomba Royal Show and Dairy Youth 29-31 Spectacular,Toowoomba Showgrounds

Phone: Phone: (07) 4634 7400Fax: (07) 4633 2495Mobile:Wayne Bradshaw, 0429 301 500

DIARY DATESTo have an event included in the diary dates, sendinformation to Carlene and Alastair DowiePhone/fax: (03) 5464 1542Email: <[email protected]> orsubmit to website <www.dairyinfo.biz>

Seeds

wrightsonseeds.com.au

WHAT’S ON THE CARDS FOR YOUR PASTURES?

You can’t always be sure what Mother Nature’s going to deal you. So it makes sense to plan now to have more grass when you need it most.

For over 70 years, we’ve been giving Australian farmers a hand in reducing risk by helping them plan and sow for the future. It’s all about getting the balance right. If you get the right mix and seed, you can enjoy more frequency of growth throughout winter and spring. Which is why we spend over $1 million every year on research to develop seed for Australian farming conditions.

Don’t leave your winter and spring pastures to chance. To discuss your growth plans, call your local Pasture Specialist now on 1800 421 868.

YOU CAN’T PREDICT THE FUTURE, BUT YOU CAN PLAN FOR IT.

ND

F706

9743

NDF0223 001 270683323 (Page 1) -...

Documents

Transcript of NDF0223 001 270683323 (Page 1) -...