Dairy News Australia November 2016

Dairy Australia revises production forecast PAGE 14

MILLION DOLLAR BABIES Bluechip’s bumper dispersal PAGE 5

DEEPLY SORRY MG’s appeal to the faithful PAGE 3

NOVEMBER, 2016 ISSUE 75 // www.dairynewsaustralia.com.au

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Steve and Jenny McCarthy of Ascot Park on the Darling Downs have built an impressive Jersey herd with genetics helping to deliver a top milk price. PAGE 18-19

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Dairy NewS AUSTRALIA november 2016

news  // 3

Murray Goulburn looks to the future Mady Brennan

Marian MacDonald shares a lighthearted yarn. PG.07

Murray Dairy celebrates 20 years. PG.10

MURRAY GOULBURN is looking to the future after its annus horribilus that saw the departure of its CEO, a drop of more than 375 million litres of milk supply, and the loss of trust of many of its loyal suppliers. “We can’t sit still,” Mr Tracy told the 300 strong room of suppliers and unit trust shareholders. “We are not in the match fit position we need to be, we know that and we will address that.” The day before the AGM, the co-op announced changes flagged as part of the review of its Milk Supply Support Package (MSSP) which include an immediate step up in milk price but an extension of the MSSP payments – also known as clawbacks – until 2022. In addition, the co-op said no supplier will contribute more in MSSP payments than they received in FY2016. This means remaining suppliers will not have to fund the MSSP of those who have left the co-operative. MG is now forecasting a final FY2017 farmgate milk price of $4.95/kgMS – with an immediate step up of 13c/kgMS (1c/litre) backdated

to July 1 2016 and a second step up of 13c/kgMS for current and new suppliers at the end of June 2017. It follows a downward adjustment to the forecast FMP just one week earlier, which co-op chairman Phil Tracy said was “unfortunate timing” but necessary as part of its reporting requirements to the stock exchange. In a signal to its suppliers and shareholders that the co-op would be focused on transformation and change, Mr Tracy announced his plans to retire following a period of ‘orderly transition’. “Subject to the support for the Board, I am prepared to remain as chair for as long as is required to effect an orderly transition,” Mr Tracy said. He gave no direct indication as to when his retirement will be and was re-elected as chairman by the board following the AGM, with the position of deputy chairman remaining vacant. Directors Ken Jones and Graham Munzel will not seek re-election next year. Four new board members – Craig Dwyer, Lisa Dwyer, Harper Kilpatrick and Kelvin Jackson were all officially appointed at the meeting, following their elevator pitch to the audience.

Phil Tracy

None were under any illusions about their challenge ahead but all were committed to seeing the co-op thrive. “We should not miss the opportunity that these adverse times present,” Bullaharre dairy farmer Craig Dwyer said. “Many of the next generation of dairy farmers from the western region and across the entire supplier base are looking to MG to provide leadership, direction and hope,” he said. to page 4

Flooding, mosquitos but it’s not all bad Maximising heifer performance. PG.21

News �������������������������������������������������������3-9 around the regions ��������������10-11 Opinion �����������������������������������������������12-13 markets ������������������������������������������� 14-15 management �������������������������������� 16-17 breeding management ������18-19 animal health ��������������������������� 20-21 effluent & water management �������������������������������22-23 Machinery &   Products �������������������������������������� 24-26

THE abundant rains experienced through winter and early spring have caused unprecedented grass growth but also lots of heartache for dairy farmers in north western Victoria, near Kerang. Local dairy farmer Keith Den Houting shared this photo. He’s also written about how farmers are managing the season’s challenges so far. Read his story online in the Management section. Visit www.dairynewsaustralia.com.au Photo: Keith Den Houting

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Dairy News AUSTRALIA november 2016

4 //  news

VDL’s export plan ‘good for Tassie’ THE ANNOUNCEMENT that Van Diemen’s

Land Farms (VDL Farms) plans to export about 10 million litres of Tasmanian milk directly to China is good news for dairy farmers, according to the state’s peak industry body. The Chinese owner of VDL Farms plans to start fresh milk exports to China under the new brand VAN Milk from the first quarter of next year. Moon Lake Investments managing director Mr Sean Shwe unveiled the VAN brand and details of the company’s plans for direct flights to ship fresh

milk from Hobart Airport to Ningbo in China. Three shipments of VAN Milk have been sent to China in the past three months for testing as part of the regulatory requirements to export products to the country. The success of the trial shipments paves the way for the company to export milk from the VDL Farms on Tasmania’s far northwest coast. Mr Shwe said negotiations with a number of airline companies and airports to initially fly weekly round trips from Hobart to Ningbo starting in the first

quarter of 2017, with a view to increasing the frequencies to 2-3 times per week in 12 months, were at an advanced stage. This will open Tasmania’s first regular international air freight route to Asia. “This is an exciting venture for our company, VDL Farms and potentially for all Tasmanian producers of fresh, perishable produce such as sea food, fruit and vegetables,” Mr Shwe said. “It will be a game changer for Tasmania and Moon Lake and VAN are proud to be leading the

in brief Bad edit causes confusion over fresh milk levy AUSTRALIAN Dairy Farmers acting president David Basham has been forced to issue a clarification after an interview on commercial news TV implied the organisation supported a 20c levy on milk. Farmer group Farmer Power seized on the comments, posting on their Facebook page that the interview showed ADF endorsed their levy proposal. The ADF were quick to clarify a levy on milk had never been their position. “Media does not always represent the facts and important messages can get lost

in the push for ratings and dramatic intrigue,” Mr Basham said. ADF was among several industry groups speaking before the Senate Economics References Committee inquiry into Australia’s dairy industry, instigated by Senator Jaquie Lambie, late last month. Mr Basham highlighted the work ADF and its member bodies are doing to promote transparency and fairness in milk pricing and contracts. The findings of the committee will be released in February.

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charge,” he said. About 10 million liters of milk – about 10% of VDL’s annual milk production – will be processed under contract by Lion Dairy in Hobart which is currently Tasmania’s only licensed export pasteurized milk processor with the scale Moon Lake requires. The sale of VDL to Chinese interests prompted an angry reaction from some within Tasmania earlier this year, with local businesswomen Jan Cameron leading an opposition campaign called Save the Farm. But Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) Dairy Council

Moon Lake owner Mr Lu Xianfeng pictured on farm.

Chairman Andrew Lester said that the latest move could open doors for increased exports of the high value product in the future. “Moon Lake Investments’ continued

confidence in the sector will further reinforce the importance of our dairy industry, and the Tasmanian brand in general, to key international export markets,’’ Mr Lester said.

“The move could also free up a certain amount of processing capability for other dairy farmers within the State. “This is a much needed positive sign for our industry.”

MG looks to the future had been confusing, and costs in a low commodity percentage of the final that MG should be more price environment. He FMP compared to “This company is our upfront about the fact that also suggested a full Australia, reducing risk of company. It’s success a step down, as well as the independent review of the suppliers will be paying or failure rests in our back the extra debt needed European example, where company’s operations. hands and together we for the step up. “It’s time you guys, milk prices are quoted can ensure that it is the Meanwhile, Nuhmurka quite frankly, pull your monthly. former,” Hawkesdale farmer Jim Dealy finger out!” he said. A review of the board farmer Lisa Dwyer said. questioned why the MSSP Gippsland farmer structure and composition Despite the need for had not been scrapped Bernard Lubitz asked will also be undertaken, renewal, a new managing altogether. how the co-op would win with consultation, Mr director following the “All the loyal departure of Gary “This company is our company. It’s farmers have still Helou is yet to be got to pay it,” he found. success or failure rests in our hands “If you had “We have and together we can ensure that it is the said. of scrapped it received significant former.” yesterday and said interest in the MD – Elected board member Lisa Dwyer. no more MSSP role and also have a payment that very strong internal would have brought that supplier trust with the Tracy said. candidate in interim CEO much confidence in the board still made up of Lively question time David Mallinson,” Mr company – it would have directors that have been It was a lengthy Tracy said. present during the current been better than giving and lively question Mr Tracy us another $50 million in crisis. time following official acknowledged the toll (step up) payments.” “I cannot understand recent events had taken on proceedings with both Mr Tracy said it was how we can go forward shareholders and unit suppliers. not in the best interests of and trust your decisions. holders asking probing “The weeks and MG as a whole - suppliers The rest of the board that questions of the board, months that followed the or unit holders - to scrap hasn’t just been elected April announcement have many more than then at it, as it preserved the needs to go quickly. You the 2015 AGM. been tough,” he said. balance sheet to deliver a need to reinvent this, Unit holder and He took responsibility competitive milk payment refreshen and start again. investment advisor Carlo for the stewardship for this year. It may be painful but you Caini was frank in his MG and its performance. “That delivers value need to start again.” assessment of the board “While as a board, we The controversial Milk now - writing off the MSSP and management team. did what we could with now does not,” he said. Supply Support Package “‘MG can do far the information we had at Several members also (MSSP) was also raised the time, we know that the better than it’s doing sought to rally the troops, several times. and I’m dismayed, outcomes of that period urging suppliers to stay Lawyer David amazed, perplexed at the have been devastating for with the co-op and have Burstyner, who is performance in the last suppliers and for that we faith through the hard mounting a class action few years,” he said. are deeply sorry.” times. case against the MSSP on “Your cost structure, Mr Tracy flagged a “To use the Western behalf of some suppliers, your asset base is double number of reviews into or triple best in class. Your asked the board to confirm Bulldogs analogy from how the co-op operates Luke Beveridge ‘You’ve the MSSP’s legality, with operating cost is way too including its approach to got to be positive and Mr Tracy reiteriating that high,” he said. setting the farmgate milk you’ve got to believe’,” the board were confident Mr Caini suggested price. Greame Anderson said. of their legal advice. MG recruit an MD from He cited the NZ “If we are all positive Dairy farmer Peter the mining sector which opening price system we can succeed.” Quinn said the MSSP had been good at cutting which is a lower from page 3

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

NEWS // 5

Bluechip’s million dollar babies RICK BAYNE

AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST dairy dispersal sale

will give a genetic boost to farmers across the country. Dianna and Dean Malcolm have ended their Bluechip Genetics with a ‘Big Bang’ held last month. The main sale netted about $1.1 million over 180 lots with an average price of $6500, and Mr Malcolm says the addition of some of Australia’s best dairy cattle into herds will benefit the broader industry. Mr Malcom said Bluechip had been running for 10 years and despite the current industry climate the time was right to sell. “Not many people want to sell when they’re on top but Di and I have never been afraid to do something different and we felt

like it was our time. “It was an extremely hard decision,” he said. “We love animals and love to build their confidence and personality. If you have a happy, healthy and confident cow you can get so much more out of them. “It certainly hasn’t been easy letting them go but it’s the decision we made and we wanted to give the Australian dairy community the chance to take on some of these high profile cows, which will be good for the industry and hopefully their new purchases will go on to great success.” Bluechip Genetics, based near Shepparton in Victoria, had hoped to hit the $1 million gross from the final dispersal if the industry had been buoyant. However, given the difficult climate, they weren’t

The top price was $50,000 for Bluechip Goldwyn Frosty. Pictured l-r is former owners Brent Crothers, Dean Malcolm, Dianna Malcolm, Averill Leslie with the new buyers, Darren and Andrew Crawford and Ambe Recher. PHOTO: THE BULLVINE.

sure where the auction conducted by Dairy Livestock Services would finish. “When we went over $1.1 million, which I understand is the highest grossing one-day dispersal in history, and averaged $6500, which was also the highest average for a

single vendor dispersal, we felt it was a reward for effort and validated our breeding program. “Although this hasn’t been confirmed, we think that despite the negative climate globally, this may be the highest dispersal average in the world to date for 2016,” Mr Mal-

colm said. “That would be an incredible achievement for Australia.” The top price of $50,000 was achieved by Bluechip Goldwyn Frosty “a cow who could compete anywhere in the world”. “We’ve always been led to believe good animals

always sell. We’ve had sales before in tough times and they’ve always done well,” Mr Malcolm said. “It exceeded our expectations and that was great. That’s the value of genetics. We all know milk prices are too low but you get up in the morning to milk good cows and that’s genetics.” Mr Malcolm said the sale proved the value of good genetics. Two cows sold for $38,000 and dozens topped $10,000. Cows were sold to the United States with interest from across the world and sales to every dairy state in Australia. There were several sales to the New South Wales coast, Queensland which has just opened a market with the deregulation of Johne’s disease and to Western Australia, pending an announce-

ment about Johne’s disease. The Malcolms have retained a few cows not suitable for sale and some heifers too young to sell but have one of their farms on the market, and want to take six months before deciding their next move. Dean is also a photographer and Dianna works in public relations and the couple will continue to run their CrazyCow In Print publication. “We wanted to lighten the load and enjoy travel and take a breath and not make any big decisions for six months,” Mr Malcolm said. They will continue to maintain an interest in dairy. “The industry is going to bounce back,” he said. “It seems to go in troughs and peaks, as everyone knows.”

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6 //  NEWS

Dry conditions and low prices whack profits AVERAGE VICTORIAN dairy farmer

incomes are 70% worse than the previous year according to the latest findings from the Victorian Dairy Farm Monitor Project. The stats, which are based on the 2015/16 data of 75 farms across the state’s three dairying regions (Gippsland, South West and North), show average whole farm earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) fell to $70,804 - the third lowest level recorded over the 10 year history of the project. In a season characterised by dry conditions, below average rainfall totals and higher temperatures across the state, farmer profits also took a hit with the milk price – declining an average of 11% to $5.40/kgMS, compared to $6.04/kgMS last year. Return on assets (RoA) was 0.6% compared with 5.3% last year. Despite these challenges, over half of the participants (45 of the 75) recorded positive RoA, compared with 73 out of 75 in the previous year. Some of the strategies farmers employed to mitigate the difficult conditions were securing fodder early in the season and

culling of underperforming cows at higher livestock prices. Farmers in the North also focused on strategic water use such as drying off lower performing pastures and then turned their attention to growing summer fodder crops. The interest and lease costs remained stable over the last two years and when deducted from earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), net farm income fell to -$41,107, down from $134,743 the previous year. Twenty five of the 75 farms recorded positive net farm income in 201516. The report shows the farmers who purchased temporary water between years, were hit with an average price increase from $120/ML to $236/ ML, contributing to a 40% increase in irrigation costs to $0.67/kgMS. Purchased fodder costs increased 47%, up to $0.66/kgMS. Participating farms in the northern region also experienced the greatest spread in milk price of all the regions, which in part also led to the greatest variation seen in RoA between the regions. Return on assets fell to -0.1%, the second time in

Dry conditions and low milk prices saw profits take a 70% hit in 2015/16.

the history of the project for this region, down from 6.1% recorded last year. EBIT fell to $49,842/ farm, an 80% drop from $228,316/farm recorded in 2014-15. Over in the south west, it was dry – most part of the region experienced their lowest rainfall on record in October, followed by sporadic rainfall events over late spring and summer. Long-term fodder levels declined on farm, as it was fed out early to reduce the effect of low pasture availability.

Farmers then purchased additional hay at elevated prices compared to the previous year, to see out the financial year. Earnings before interest and tax fell to $90,257/ farm, from $289,135/farm recorded last year. The resulting RoA decreased to 0.6%, from 5.2% in 2014-15. In Gippsland, farms in the Macalister Irrigation District (MID) were able to access irrigation allocation, compared with

non-irrigated parts of the region which felt the impacts of the failed 2015 spring. The overall lack of pasture growth combined with reduced fodder conservation led to more fodder being fed and purchased than in other years. The lower profit performance of Gippsland farms in 2015-16 was the result of an 10% decrease in milk income to $5.28/ kg MS and a 6% increase

in costs due to managing difficult seasonal conditions. However, 16 of the 25 Gippsland farms recorded positive EBIT with an average of $72,312/farm – but this was compared to $248,948/farm the previous year. Return on assets decreased from 4.7% last year to 1.3% - making Gippsland the most profitable region of the three. Farmer confidence was

down, with three in four farmers expecting their farm business returns to deteriorate in 2016-17, with the majority of participants predicting lower milk prices and higher input costs to influence profits. An overwhelming majority of participants identified milk price as the main issue facing their business in the coming 12 months (41% of responses compared to 11% last year). Over the longer term succession planning and water were the other major concerns. A historical analysis over the past 10 years of the project showed that farm profits, as measured by RoA, in the North and South West were the second lowest recorded and Gippsland had the third lowest. Farm Monitor projects are conducted nationally by Dairy Australia. Results from the other regions are yet to be published at the time of press. Visit http://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Business-and-financials/ Dairy-Farm-Monitor-Project.aspx for more details.

Infrastructure grants for Victorian dairy farmers THE VICTORIAN Government

has announced infrastructure grants for dairy farmers impacted by the current milk price downturn. Premier Daniel Andrews joined dairy farmers in the Echuca area to announce the $1.8 million grants program. “We were elected to put people first and that’s exactly what we’re doing with our dairy farmers during these tough times,” the Premier said. Eligible farm businesses can apply for a grant of up to $5,000 to invest in fixed infrastructure to improve their farm. Farmers can use the funding to support operational improvements like irrigation, install better permanent milk vats or fodder storage, undertake pasture renovation,

purchase improved sensor technology and upgrade on-farm infrastructure. Access to the grants is not limited to Murray Goulburn and Fonterra suppliers given the challenging seasonal and economic conditions impacting all dairy farmers. The program is part of the Victorian Government’s $13.5 million Dairy Assistance Package. The development grants will remain open until 30 June 2017, or until the program funds are fully allocated. To access the grants, applicants will need to have an ABN, be registered for GST and derive at least 50% of their primary income from farming. A minimum dollar for dollar co-contribution from the farm

business is required to receive the program’s support. “Whether it’s grants to support farm businesses, retraining opportunities through TAFE or free kinder, we’ll give dairy families the support they need to get them back on their feet,” Mr Andrews said. Rural Finance will deliver the grants program and farm business can check the eligibility criteria by contacting Rural Finance on 1800 260 425 or by visiting www.ruralfinance.com.au/Industry-programs. Victoria is currently the only state offering the infrastructure grants. Information about other assistance available nationally can be found at www.dairyfarmercentral.com.au

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

NEWS // 7

Let’s celebrate our industry’s colourful characters “…of course, every farm is different.” The Story-Teller Loves nothing more than a good yarn. Favourite phrase over discussion group lunch:

love to compare notes on everything from the latest processor stuff-up to the newest brassica variety. And whether it’s on Facebook or at the local discussion group, a bakers’ dozen of characters regularly emerge. Do you recognise them? The Cocky Cocky A low talker who sits a little bit behind the rest. Rarely says much, except for the occasional cutting remark. Favourite phrase among the neighbour’s milkers during discussion group farm walk: “My cows’d refuse to go in this paddock.” The Young Gun Share-farming on mum and dad’s place. May inhabit the same body as the Cocky Cocky. Favourite phrase over discussion group lunch after low milk price announcement: “There’s plenty of money to be made with the right management.” The Share Farmer Share-farming on somebody else’s parents’ place. Favourite phrase when standing next to discussion group whiteboard: “They won’t spend the money.” The Outraged Not long into farm ownership. Shell-shocked. Favourite phrase over discussion group lunch after low milk price announcement: “How’re we supposed to make this work? Unbelieeeevable.” The Old Timer Exudes a quiet wisdom. Favourite phrase after The Outraged’s rant runs out of steam: “It’ll be better next season. It always comes good in the end.” The Morale-Raiser Has the worst farm in the district. Makes everyone else feel better about their own place and loves fishing. Favourite phrase in response to discussion group probing: “Yeah, well, we

would’ve had it done but the bloody (insert machinery type) is busted.” The Cynic Reluctant attendee who has seen it all and knows it’s all BS. Here for a “free feed” or to get away from “the joint”. Favourite phrase at any dairy meeting: “Let’s get rid of all the bloody leeches. Betcha the field reps/consultants/ feed reps/DA shiny bums won’t be taking a pay cut.” The Analyst Knows all their figures like a savant. Frequently dashes off mid-meeting to answer important mobile calls. Owns the farm everyone wants to visit for a tall poppy harvest lunch. Favourite phrase over discussion group lunch: Actually, there isn’t one. Generally contributes little to discussions, answering only direct questions. The Left-Fielder Doing it differently. If they’re at the discussion group, not fazed by ribbing. Favourite phrase over discussion group lunch: “Urea is poison.” The Politician On three different boards, generally either has the Young Gun at home running the farm or doubles as The Morale Raiser. Favourite phrase at dairy gatherings: “We need more people to move into industry leadership positions.” The Service Provider Drives the clean car. Says little unless performing the role of moderator but likes to quiz prospects in depth in the privacy of farm walks. Favourite phrase at any dairy gathering (may mutter in sleep, too):

“Met Johnno’s new share-farmers yet? Reckon they’re in for a bit of a…” The Great Unwashed There because they might pick up an idea from The Analyst or The

Left-Fielder, get the inside word from The Politician, anticipate the fall of the Cocky Cocky and Young Gun, let The Cynic, The Share Farmer and The Outraged air what might

have crossed their own minds but never dared say, take a business card from The Service Provider, have a chat with The StoryTeller, soak in the serenity of The Old Timer and

return home feeling better for it all. • Marian MacDonald is a dairy farmer from Gippsland. You can read her blog at milkmaidmarian.com

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

8 //  WORLD

Breeding grass to withstand excess water While many Australian dairy farmers have been battling wet spring weather, 18,600km away Irish farmers have watched an exceptionally wet summer ruin grain crops and force dairy farmers to feed supplements – abnormally. Peter Burke, recently back from Ireland, reports on their efforts to deal with the problem. IN AUSTRALIA and New Zealand, scientists and plant breeders have focused on breeding grass species able to cope with summer droughts, but in Ireland scientists are working on breeding grasses and cereal crops better able to handle wet conditions. Ireland is (sometimes incorrectly) judged as having high rainfall –much as NZ’s West Coast. Ireland is like the

West Coast in that the westerly winds bring rain and dump it in quantity on the ‘emerald isle’. This year all Irish farmers have been hit by the rain: it has ruined tillage farmers’ crops, and sheep, beef and dairy farmers have also been hit, causing a drop in prices. John Spink, the head of crop science at Ireland’s Teagasc Research

John Spink, Teagasc, Ireland.

Institute at Carlow, says Ireland’s high rainfall and climate change is causing the loss of a fair proportion of winter sown cereals due to waterlogging. To try to mitigate this problem they are doing genetic research, seeking to create new species of crops and grasses with improved waterlogging resistance. They are trying to deal with wet and cold, he says.

CHALLENGES OF ANALYSING DATA THE IRISH are also busy analysing data from drones and satellites, John Spink says. Their aim is to improve crop yield and lower input costs for greater profit. Though plenty of data is generated by new technology, the need is for data in a format that lends itself to helping farmers make better decisions. At present there is potential for mixed messages to come to farmers, he says. He points to the case of a certain part of a crop that appears to be doing better than the rest of a paddock. Is this because that patch of land has more water or nutrients? And what’s the solution? the farmers ask. “Interpreting those images and giving the correct advice requires us to do more work. The technology has improved dramatically, but we don’t necessarily have the knowledge

“We are at the early stages of the research. We have done some screening in the glasshouse and we are starting this autumn in the field and will be irrigating during the winter. That will be to look at genetic material and see how much variation there is in available genetic material. “Another strand is working with people at Maynooth University, near Dublin, who have been working on Arabidopsis; they have found pathways which bestow waterlogging tolerance. They are seeking the same thing in grasses.” He says waterlogging has a similar outcome to drought because it has long term impacts. Waterlogging of ryegrass over the winter, while it won’t kill the plant, will limit the size of the grass canopy. “That delays spring growth, so it’s

not really about being able to graze over the winter but being able to get better shoulder growth in spring – more early season growth, which is very valuable grass obviously.” He says Ireland seems to be experiencing more extremes of weather: in the past 30 years the mean weather data has shown an increase of 90mm of rainfall. While Ireland doesn’t have some of the heavy clay soils found in NZ, it has another problem also much talked about – lack of sunshine. “The water use of our crops in summer would only be about 3mm, compared to places such as NZ where you get 9mm. We require a lot less water for crop growth because we don’t have the high intensity of radiation or the winds you get that dry out the ground.”

IN BRIEF Cows in Teagasc research farm in Carlow, Ireland.

to interpret the masses of data we can now gather, and translate that into the correct advice.” A lot of work has been done in the UK and in continental Europe, he says. The Europeans have noticed that in certain regions a lot has been spent on these technologies, but now much of it is sitting unused in a shed,

Tasmanian flood review

because of data interpretation issues. “People have tried it and haven’t seen the benefit.” He says precision technologies which ensure paddocks are sown and sprayed to maximum advantage are good and offer some benefits, but technologies which target crop yield offer much greater benefit.

THE State Government is conducting a review into the June 2016 floods that devastated many parts of Tasmania. The review will examine the strategic management and preparedness for floods and identify lessons learnt and opportunities for improvement across government and within communities. The Tasmanian Farmers and Grazier Association

will be providing a submission to the review and is seeking input from farmers affected by the floods, in terms of efficacy of forecasting and alerts; insurance matters; recovery responses; and future mitigation measures. Submissions to the review close November 11. Contact Nick Steel at the TFGA either at nick.steel@tfga.com.au or (03) 6332 1800.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

NEWS  // 9

How to profit against the odds CAN WE learn anything from New Zealand’s top dairy farmers? A recent program by DairyNZ saw 18 of the nation’s top dairy farmers with low production costs share their budgets online (see dairynz.co.nz/tactics) How makes them tick? An intense focus on a few high priorities enables them to excel: these farmers are generally excellent business managers, have developed simple farm systems that can be profitable at very low milk prices and work with positive people. 1. Longer term goals are essential ■■ A clear vision for the future and understanding of why they are farming. ■■ Short- and long-term goals are regularly reviewed. ■■ Good positive people surround the business, information is shared, and a good team of professionals like bankers and accountants are used to discuss farm performance and longer term strategies. 2. Farm systems are profitable, replicable and simple ■■ Key farm management decisions revolve around profit. ■■ The farm system doesn’t change significantly as milk price changes – being profitable no matter the milk price is important. ■■ The farm systems are simple and easy to operate and describe. This also made it easier for many of the farmers to eliminate marginal expense items that did not have high enough returns. 3. Very strong on financial management ■■ Aggressive debt repayment is practiced during higher payout seasons to reduce risk. ■■ The farmers generally prepare their own budgets and have full ownership of them. Monthly cashflow budgets are monitored very closely. ■■ Adjustments are made to budgets as milk price changes e.g. repairs and maintenance or fertiliser expenditure. ■■ Detailed benchmarking

is undertaken: these farmers know how they perform from season to season and against their peers. 4. Pasture management is a top priority ■■ Pasture is the absolute priority and maximising the growth and utilisation is key. ■■ Very regular farm walks are completed to measure grass; the data is used in a range of feed budget tools. The spring rotation planner is seen as essential in most cases. ■■ Pasture cover at calving is seen as critical and long rotation lengths are utilised to build pasture cover from late summer. ■■ Pasture damage is minimised with on/off grazing when required. 5. Cow condition at calving critical ■■ Achieving target cow condition at calving was a common theme with defined dryingoff dates, once-a-day milking plans and in some cases crops and supplements used to achieve these targets. ■■ Winter feed is not wasted on fat cows: regular drafting of cows is practiced, based on cow condition. ■■ Young stock are well grown so they can compete in the herd. 6. The farm team is valued, recognised and included ■■ Staff are valued and recognised. ■■ Sharemilkers have open communication lines with farm owners. ■■ The farm plan is easy to communicate with staff and therefore easy to implement. ■■ Staff must take holidays to ensure they get rest and minimise liability. 7. Soil fertility is monitored closely ■■ Soil fertility is very important and paddock soil testing is common, however where phosphate levels are higher than recommended levels, inputs are reduced in most cases. 8. Feed is imported based on price ■■ Imported feed is kept to a minimum on many farms. Those farmers that did buy higher levels of supplement

used cost/kgDM or MJME as the main purchase criteria and wastage was minimised as much as possible. 9. Around 4-10% of the farm is sown in a variety of crops ■■ Given the farms are located from Northland to Southland, a variety of crops are grown on most of the farms including turnips, oats, barley, maize, swedes and fodder beet. ■■ High yielding crops are a focus, minimising the cost per kgDM.

Crops are used effectively for re-grassing and to shift high energy feed to times of pasture deficit. 10. Repair and maintenance contractor spending is reduced ■■ Farm is well maintained in good years so spending can be reduced in very low payout seasons. ■■ Where possible, the farmer does repairs and maintenance. ■■ Machinery is well maintained. ■■

W E I V E R P L

A I C E SP

They are on again!

AUSTRALIA’S PREMIER DAIRY EXPO

The IDW Dairy and Machinery Field Days Proudly supported by

Held at Tatura Park, Tatura on January 15-19, 2017

The December/January issue of Dairy News Australia, published on December 13, will contain a special preview of this premier event to be held in Tatura on 15 to 19 January 2017. • The timing of the feature gives readers plenty of time to plan their days. • It is a great opportunity for advertisers to get your message out to every dairy farmer in the country not just the local area! • Special offer for exhibitors at IDW to receive discounted advertising if booked by November 18. 25% DISCOUNT ON ADVERTISEMENTS BOOKED BY EXHIBITORS AT IDW For bookings contact Brett Matthews on 0417 440 009 E: brettm@dairynewsaustralia.com.au

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

10 // AROUND THE REGIONS

Murray Dairy

Business forum celebrates 20 years DAIRY AUSTRALIA’S

service arm for the Murray region Murray Dairy celebrated 20 years of operations the Barooga Golf Club last month. Dairy Australia’s chairman Geoff Akers opened the forum with updates from Dairy Australia. Highlights also included Alexandra Gartmann, managing director and CEO of Rural Bank and Rural Finance. Other speakers rounded out the forum with a focus on precision feeding and bringing research to the farm. Pip Job, RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2014, brought a more personal point to the forum, discussing family businesses and managing the people factor. Murray Dairy’s Accelerating Change project hosted a panel session which highlighted how it assists farmers in a complex and changing

environment by helping to define goals, provide excellent data on performance and support with quality advice. The Young Dairy Network (YDN) also hosted a panel session with members with various dairying backgrounds which proved to be an exciting mix of farmers to watch and follow into the future. Kevin Sheedy spoke on the many changes that he has seen and managed through his extraordinary experiences in football, culture and life. The celebration dinner recognised the many personalities and pioneers and their supporters of the past 20 years, with conversation also aimed at looking forward to the next 20 years. Visit www.murraydairy. com.au for links to presentations. (Source: Murray Dairy)

Corcoran - Finley, Young Dairy Network members Rosemary – Gimpy, Qld, Murray YDN Australia coordinator Di Gresham – Kialla, Victoria Dairy YDN coordinator Sarah Thompson ling) Basil White, Mulcahy - Kyabram, Fiona Campbell. (knee James Shepherd - Wyuna East.

David Barber – DAF QLD, And rew Bodycoat – Zoetis, Pip Job – NSW DPI, David Nation – DairyBio, Dr Pieter Badenhorst – DEDJTR Ham ilton.

PHOTOS: MURRAY DAIRY.

Kevin Sheedy who spoke at the forum with Peter Fitzgerald, Tongala and Jeff Parry GBCMA.

Daryl Poole, Dehne Vinnicombe, Elaine Boyd, John Boyd at the 20th birthday celebration dinner.

Margot Henty, Cohuna, with UDV president Adam Jenkins, South Purrumbete, and Stephen Henty, Cohuna.

Gippsland

Get behind Movember in November NSW McRae Focus farm wraps up GIPPSDAIRY CHAIR Graeme

THE FINAL field day for the McRae Focus Farm open day will be held on Tuesday November 29 from 9.30am3.30pm. The wrap up session will reflect back on the goals, achievements and learnings for the focus farm. For more information, contact facilitator Caroline Hayes, ph 0427 813 336

Nicoll is hoping the dairy community gets behind the Movember challenge this month as a chance to give something back to the community by supporting initiatives to reduce the rate of male suicide. “It’s about raising money and raising awareness around men’s health issues and starting a conversation on a topic that was pre-

viously out-of-bounds for a lot of blokes,” Greame said. Fellow GippsDairy directors Grant Williams from Hallora and Brad Missen from Denison are already sprouting lip whiskers, while each male member of the GippsDairy staff has also committed to leave his mo un-mowed for a month. “Movember isn’t just for blokes. If growing a Mo isn’t an

option for you, you can still sign up for Movember and take the challenge to get more active for the month,” Graeme said. “I’d like to invite anyone connected with the dairy industry to join us by growing a mo, donating to The Milk Mustaches team or participating in one of the other activities around Movember.” To join or donate, go to http:/ moteam.co/the-milk-mustaches

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Dairy NewS AUSTRALIA november 2016

around the regions  // 11

Tasmania

Hanging up the footy boots At 45 YEARS of age, Tasmanian

dairy farmer Wayne Saward is finally hanging up his boots after more than 30 years of playing local football. Asked what he did with his old boots, Wayne said he threw them in the bin. “I was worried I’d be tempted to pull them on again,” he said, “so I got rid of them.”

His departure as a player from the local footy scene was celebrated in style when he played his final match with Yeoman, the Burnie team he has played with for the past four years, alongside his three sons Alex 23, Damian 21, and Sam 15. As Sam is a junior with Burnie Dockers, a special request had to be put to the local league to clear

Western Australia

him to play in Dad’s final match. “It was good to play beside my three boys in my last match,” said the quietly spoken dairy farmer from South Riana near Burnie. “I wanted to finish on a high.” Wayne and his wife Caroline also have two daughters: Emilie 13 and Shania 12, who are pretty sharp netballers as well. (Source: Legendairy)

Wayne (second from left) with his three sons Sam, Damien and Alex on the footy field

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from the state’s out-of-contract dairy farmers to prevent the dumping of their unwanted milk during their transitional period. WAFarmers dairy section president Michael Partridge said the measure was only a short-term arrangement and would buy more time for industry and government to discuss export growth and opportunities. “Their only option at the moment is to pour the milk down the drain, so this temporary arrangement will prevent milk wastage which, we can all agree, is better than seeing their hard work being poured down the drain,” he said. “This temporary arrangement is funded by the WAFarmers Dairy Council who considered it to be a necessary measure to support these farmers as they continue to manage their options.” Mr Partridge said the money was primarily used for promoting the state’s dairy industry, but the WAFarmers Dairy Council felt this unfortunate situation warranted attention.

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East regions will celebrate the end of an eventful year, and is a chance to catch up with friends off farm. On Tuesday 22 November, Customs House, Port MacDonnell, join ladies from the Central SA dairy community, DairySA and Sally Hawkins, a farmer at Frances, who will share her positive outlook on agriculture and life in general. Contact Kylie Boston kylie@dairysa.com.au The following day join ladies from the South East dairy community, DairySA and mayor of the City of Mt Barker Ann Ferguson as she talks about her journey from farmer to mayor. Wednesday 23 November, Mount Lofty House, Crafers. Contact deana@dairysa.com.au RSVP November 18.

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Dairy News AUSTRALIA november 2016

12 //  OPINION Ruminating

EDITORIAL

Onwards and upwards at MG?

milking it... Dirty devils prove useful

MILK FROM Tasmanian devils could offer a useful weapon against antibioticresistant superbugs, say Australian researchers. The marsupial’s milk contains important peptides that appear to be able to kill hard-to-treat infections, including MRSA, says the Sydney University team. The devils are believed to have evolved this cocktail to help their young grow stronger. The scientists are looking to make new treatments that mimic the peptides. Experts believe marsupials are good to study because their babies have to thrive in a dirty environment. The Tasmanian devil female gives birth after only a few weeks of pregnancy. The tiny offspring then spends four months maturing in its mother’s pouch.

When butter and chocolate collide

TWO New Zealand companies Lewis Road Creamery and Whittakers have teamed up to deliver what must be every dairy lover’s dream: chocolate butter. Lewis Road founder Peter Cullinane says the idea for a chocolate butter emerged during an afternoon tea of French pastries at the Lewis Road kitchen table. “The French, who know a thing or two about butter, chocolate and pastries have always had a soft spot for pain au chocolate and it got us thinking – combine butter and chocolate in an easy to spread blend good with almost anything.” We say ‘Oui!’.

Radioactive cows?

IN AN abandoned Japanese village, cows grazing lush green plains begin gathering when they hear the familiar rumble of the ranch owner’s mini-pickup. This isn’t feeding time, though. Instead, the animals are to be measured for the effects of radiation 15 times above the safe benchmark. The cows’ pasture is near Fukushima, a name synonymous with nuclear disaster. This former agriculture haven once had 3500 cattle and other livestock. Farmers who defied a government order to kill their cows continue to feed and tend about 200. But the herds won’t be used as food; now science is their mission. Researchers every three months test animals within a 20km radius of the Fukushima plant, where three reactors suffered core meltdowns after being swamped by a tsunami in 2011. It is the first study of the impact on large mammals of extended exposure to lowlevel radiation.

Advertising Brett Matthews brettm@dairynewsaustralia.com.au

Dairy News Australia is published by RNG Publishing Limited. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written

Too much of a good thing

AN INSECURE barn door proved costly for a French farmer when half his cows gorged themselves to death after escaping from their pen. Coueron, western France, farmer Anthony Vaillant left the door insecure, allowing 46 cows to wander out. The animals made their way to a nearby food store holding all their winter rations -- a high energy supplement harmful if consumed in large quantities. They ate the lot. “It’s like an overdose,” Vaillant told the local newspaper.

0417.440.009

AT times, the mood at the Murray Goulburn AGM felt a bit like a party headquarters after an election loss. Or a footy locker room after a grand final. It was tense and still reeling. The man in the spotlight, chairman Phil Tracy, held up well until the pressure of the last six months and an hour or so of questioning from suppliers and investors took a toll. He struggled to hold back tears as he thanked the room for “sticking together”. There is plenty to cry about, as many suppliers (and former suppliers) will tell you. Numurkah supplier Jim Dealy described the frustrations of many. “I’m trying to make financial decisions based on your decisions but you just keep shifting the goal posts.” He, along with several suppliers who spoke, urged the ‘party faithful’ to stick with MG through these challenging times, reminding them of their forebears who established the co-op more than 66 years ago. But the transition from true co-op to something else entirely was acknowledged as speakers from the floor were introduced: unit shareholders (investors) and ordinary shareholders (suppliers). Gippsland dairy farmer Jeanette Howie described it best when she said: “I’m not sure I like this ordinary bit!” Perhaps MG should consider referring to its farmers as “extraordinary” at subsequent AGMs? They certainly have shown remarkable patience, loyalty, adaptability and resilience since this debacle started. What MG also need now is an extraordinary managing director and board. The election of four new directors and the planned transition to a new chair will help. Unit holder and investment strategist Carlo Caini suggests MG needs a CEO from the mining sector who could look at MG’s entire supply chain with the ruthless detachment needed in this low commodity, high competition environment. They will need to do that and more. They will need to be an engaging communicator, exceptional with people and understand the unique history and character of the co-op. They will also need to be able to manage an increasingly demanding pocket of investors in their unit shareholders, many of whom are already wondering why they invest in a company when they don’t get a vote at the AGM. Just as periods of drought can teach farmers to be better managers and where to tighten the belt, we can only hope this period of hardship for MG can be the start of a more dynamic and astute co-op, prepared for the rigours of business in a volatile global economy.

Editor Madeleine Brennan

0402.715.577

editor@dairynewsaustralia.com.au Publisher Brian Hight Production Dave Ferguson Becky Williams Sub Editor Pamela Tipa Web Cameron Wilson Published by RNG Publishing Ltd Printed by Newsprinters Pty Ltd

permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the staff, management or directors of RNG Publishing Limited.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

OPINION // 13 DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALI A OCTOBER 2016

6 // NEWS

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

We must work to engage the sceptics

Kiwis left high and dry over farm household support MADY BRENNAN

VICTORIAN DAIRY

GET SOCIAL WITH DAIRYNEWS

we looked after our animals. I was stunned as to what she meant. I was certainly upset! I felt that I was being personally attacked. Then I remembered that she had no idea. I asked her several questions, and listened very carefully to her answers. I realised that it was all about her perception, she didn’t understand. I then took time to explain to her, addressing her issues that she had, about the welfare of our animals. She seemed to listen, although, I didn’t think she was convinced, or fully understood why. We met up with her again several months later, I was preparing myself for the worst thinking what was she going to attack us with now? To my relief she thanked us for the great opportunity, and now understands the effort, care and responsibility that we take, in caring for our animals. We all need to welcome the chance to educate our community, and take the time to understand what they think and why, and learn how to encourage discussions with our consumers, for positive outcomes. They are our customers, they are ones that keep us in business, promote our products via word of mouth/multi media/ and great experiences, but they can also do us harm if they don’t understand. We need to stop wasting time defending ourselves and instead take every opportunity to promote our industry, and inform/educate the public. Take the opportu-

DairyNewsAustralia

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nity to be professional and do your best to always leave a visitor with a positive comment or view of our dairy industry, and in the process gain back the trust that the dairy industry deserves.

Welcome the chance to talk up the dairy industry and be part of a trusted progressive, professional and profitable dairy future. Jane Sherbourne, Burrawang, NSW

over summer.

A spokeswoman for Centrelink said New Zealanders who arrived in Australian before 2001 were considered protected Special Category Visa Holders and met the definition of an Australian resident if they lived here. But a rule change in February 2001 meant any Kiwis arriving after 2001 “It’s a bad situation that are not considered Australian residents. definitely needs changing,” Jenni Clark from – Jenni Clark, NVFRD Northern Victoria the Farmer Relief Drive is calling on NZ and non-Australian citlocal soccer club and all an option because they izen dairy farmers to get that stuff, as well as paying had to reduce staff numin contact with her via the our taxes, but we’re not bers. NVFRD Facebook page. treated the same at the The couple are manShe is collating the other end of it,” he said. aging by using additional information to present to Ian and his wife Lisa borrowings, cutting costs the government. currently oversee four and doing the bulk of the “It’s a bad situation farm businesses in the work themselves. that definitely needs region, and as suppliers to He said they were changing,” Mrs Clark said. Murray Goulburn were hit grateful the season has Mr Goodin says he and hard by the recent price been good so far and they his family, including sons drop. won’t be purchasing water Hunter, 12, and Luke, 10, intend to stay in Australia and will look to become citizens down the track. “My kids are raised as Aussies, they play AFL and they call jandals thongs,” he said. “I mean they love NZ too, but if they ended up playing rugby they’d be more likely to play for the Wallabies than the All Blacks.”

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Jack Hayes

Surprise farm visitor delivers anti-dairy view

IT WAS a normal day on the Hayes “It didn’t really bother him, nothing family farm at Avoca in the southern highreally bothers Jack,” he says. lands of NSW. But Evan says he’s disappointed the Son Jack, 18, was putting filters woman has the wrong ideas about dairy together in preparation for milking. farming. His brother Harry, 14, was bringing in “You’d prefer to have people come in the cows with his grandfather. and see the cows and get the right facts. Parents Evan and Kylie were holidayAnd actually see how they are treated ing in Adelaide. instead of rely on gossip that goes on in When Jack saw unfamiliar car pull up the media.” near the yards, it wasn’t surprising. He’s thankful it didn’t happen to The farm is on a busy road, and toursomeone else. ists often pull in and ask to see the cows “It could have been different if the or check for directions. farmer had had a bad day, with the ways “A lady drove up in a Subaru. I thought things are.” she might have been lost,” Jack says. Evan says it hasn’t rattled the family “She came and said ‘I was wondering, too much, but they may purchase addihow do you treat your cows?” and I said tional security, such as cameras, which ‘We treat them good, why?’. they were considering anyway. ‘I reckon dairy farmers don’t treat “We don’t want to stop people coming them right, they are forced to get milked,’ on farm if they are curious,” Evan said. the visitor said. “But it does shock you a bit.” “And I said ‘Well, they get treated A spokeswoman for peak lobby group better than many humans, they get fed Australian Dairy Farmers said it encourfive times a day and they get to walk home aged farmers to open their farms to their freely’.” local community, as part of their aim to The woman told Jack she didn’t be open and transparent on animal health believe him, to which Jack replied: “Well and welfare. I’ve told you what we do, and if you don’t She said ADF has an ongoing dialogue believe me, you can go and stick a carrot with animal welfare groups including the up your arse!” RSPCA, Animals Australia, Voiceless and The woman then hopped in the car others. and drove off. “We may have different opinions on Jack’s father Evan says he’s proud of some issues, but there are also many the way his son handled the situation. areas where we agree.” – Mady Brennan

ZO641427

Dear editor, I was very interested in reading about how young Jack Hayes, engaged with his unwelcome farm visitor (Dairy News Australia, October edition, p6). I agree that it is sometimes very difficult to get our point across to a sceptic observer, but it would be great if we could leave them with a positive comment or image of the dairy industry. One of my most recent experiences with a sceptic observer was a high school student. We have been involved with the Cows Create Careers program for nearly 10 years, which involves going into high schools and speaking about the opportunities that the dairy industry has to offer, and giving students the opportunity to care for two calves at school for three weeks. I can guarantee one of the first questions that we get asked is about animal welfare, which most of the time can be dealt with easily by explaining how we care for them and that if we didn’t care for or support our animals for optimum growth and genetic progress, they couldn’t look after us in the terms of business growth, profitability or sustainability. This year we had a student who, when we first spoke with her had no idea about the dairy industry and told us that her mother didn’t even know what a calf was. When we came back to the school to pick up the calves three weeks later, we again had several questions about animal welfare, which again we addressed. Then the same student told us that we were cruel in the way

farmer Ian Goodin spent more than 10 hours preparing a 100-page application for the Australian Government’s Farm Household Allowance (FHA) only to be told he is not eligible. Mr Goodin and wife Lisa are New Zealand citizens who have owned and operated their dairy business in Yarraweyah since 2008. Mr Goodin said he was told over the phone by Centrelink that he may be eligible for the FHA and should apply. But a letter confirmed he was ineligible as he was “not an Australian resident”. He said the process wasted his time and he thought it was “pretty unfair” not to be consid-

ered after “You can build equity eight for sure and we have done, years in but then Murray Goulburn Australia. dropped the ball on us,” “We’ve he said. been here “The fact they were a while, preaching $6 (/kgMS) Ian Goodin we’ve right up until the last days integrated into society was really what got us into pretty well, we’re involved trouble.” with the community, on Working off farm to the school council, the supplement income is not

livestock improvement 28x5

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

14 // MARKETS

Asian milk demand continues, but with little fat for exporters

Many dairy regions have been affected by heavy rain this season, with pastures and laneways damaged by the persistent wet and flooding in parts.

WHILE DEMAND from China and also been pressured by increased import ASEAN countries for Australian milk competition, they are by no means lookcontinues to grow, export margins have ing to surrender. “We’ve been seeing local brands been squeezed and could potentially tighten further, according to a recently- in developing Asian countries look to maintain and grow their shelf space,” released industry report. The report, Liquid milk exports he said. “They have several advantages over to Asia – avoiding the crush, by agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank, importers that they will be looking to says competition in Asian markets will leverage, including more extensive remain fiercely competitive as both product offerings and widespread disinternational and local brands fight for tribution networks.” However, despite some of these market share and consumer spend. Report author, Rabobank senior home advantages, the report says, londairy analyst Michael Harvey says the ger-term a major hurdle for local brands automatic premium that international will still be accessing enough locally produced milk in a cost-effecbrands had historically tive manner. received was unlikely to be Strategies to ease the repeated. squeeze “It wasn’t long ago that While the Rabobank being an imported brand report is forecasting automatically provided a growing export volumes retail price premium but of liquid milk into Asia, that is no longer the case,” margin growth is likely to Mr Harvey said. be the bigger challenge. “This has particular “The key areas of focus consequences for Austra- Michael Harvey that dairy export So too is the continuation of lia and New Zealand given Dairy NewS aUSTraLia june, 2012 busisignificant year-on-year declines the previously alluring retail price pre- nesses will be looking at to increase their through October – by which time miums, combined with trade opportu- margins will include ensuring processearlier forecasts had expected nities and relatively low capital outlays, ing efficiency, improving their distriintakes to recover. which fuelled a period of significant bution chains and building a premium A smaller portion of the season is investment in liquid milk processing platform,” Mr Harvey said. Report contributor New Zealandleft to cover a bigger gap, with addicapacity across Oceania. tional headwinds. “This increased capacity has been based dairy analyst Emma Higgins Recent step-up announcements specifically geared towards Asia’s liquid agrees and says the significant investhave provided some hope that milk markets, the short-term conse- ment in processing on both sides of the margins may open up in the quence of which has been a contribution Tasman will ensure export efficiencies for the big dairy exporters. second half of the season, which to diminishing export margins.” “In we’vetoseen together with the prospect of The flood of investment in the cents/litre in New MarchZealand (AUD 41c/L) 28 Fonincremental change in milk production (year-on-year) Euro cents/litre (AUDGoodman 36c/L) in April. terra, Miraka, Fielder and good pasture growing conditions regions has resulted in capacity almost Profit Westland margins areallunder in the in promakepressure investments through the shoulder, could see doubling across Australia and New ZeaUS, and in NZ capacity, Fonterra has announced cessing some have more than the year-on-year gap narrow. land, with additional investment potenthe final payoutthe foroutput the 2011/12 season doubled of their plants,” she This would be good news for tially in the pipeline. has been cut from NZ$6.75-$6.85/kg MS processors looking to better utiThis region’s dairy exporters are also said. to NZ$6.45-$6.55/kg MS (AUD$4.96“In Australia it is the same story and lise plants, especially if commodcompeting with their European coun$5.04).while these have been significant investity prices continue to recover. terparts, many of which have largeglobal arethe past ments given thedairy pricemarkets falls over Profitable milk volumes would scale and highly efficient processingEffectively, rebalancing. Lower prices will both also help offset some of the early plants complemented by a growing milk two years, it does place this region in slow production and stimulate good steadgrowth to compete for the Asian season financial pain felt by farmers. supply. demand, and as this occurs we will ultiIt’s too soon to tell if this will “European processors have been market.” mately see a price recovery. Key factors While economies of scale will be come to fruition, but either way, more conservative in recent investto watch on the global scene will be the September and October have set ments due to adequate existing infra- important to remain competitive in rate at which milk production overseas the scene for a bigger drop than prestructure, but recent events have the Asian liquid milk export market slows in response to lower prices, the viously forecast. increased their capacity to export to Mr Harvey says developing a premium flows. 2012 milk production in the US those in south-east Asia and the Middle impact of the current financial worries platform will be essential for those Dairy Australia’s revised forecast Asian markets,” Mr Harvey said. is up around 4% on 2011 for the year to East maintain consistently higher eco- on consumer confidence, the path of wanting to increase their covers a range of 6 to 8% down (rela“They have unwound milk quotasChina’s at companies economic growth, and the value April (leap year adjusted), whilst early nomic growth rates that support margins. tive to 2015/16), acknowledging that a time when they have been experiencdata suggests EU-27 milk production increased dairy consumption. How- of the Australian dollar. “Forfor dairy exporters is not just there is still for2012 upside, butyear thatup ever,ing conditions in some ofDemand exported dairythis prodtheweaker surge trading in supply has outpaced finished theroom March quota about product and packaging overall the balance has shifted to a their traditional export markets. ucts remains a positive and will con-innova2.3% on the previous year. New Zealand demand growth in the market. butwith alsothe category lower milk volume particular which has been tinue tion, to grow middleexpansion, class in R&D This“In situation hasRussia, seen the scales production is widelyoutcome. expected to finish and behind-the-border termsupof10% total volume, absent since trade of dairy large emerging markets such support as China,to better favour of the buyers inban dairy mar-prodthisInseason on last year - athis huge tip in cater toinchanging consumer demands,” equates to a range of 8.8 toof9.0 in commodity 2014, and Africa, which has been with changes diet and with increasing with prices retreatmarket influence given 95% NZbilmilk kets,ucts he said.- and also in conjunction lion litres for Argentina the 2016/17isseason. battlingover economic headwinds, particuurbanisation recent months. Butter is exported. also enjoy- ing steadily “Strategic will be year-on-year shift larly its oilsome economies.” populationinvestment growth. Locally, areindown 30% from their with global ingThe solidnational production growth, but a sig- prices requiredmarket to confront this highly-comranges a drop 9% in Localwhilst Asianpowder brands increasingly the domestic is supported by a 2011 peaks, prices have comnificantfrom supply gap of in around Brazil prevents petitive new reality forperthose willVictoria in the north), to a relpopulation and but stable more than 20%. Farm gate prices growing much of (12% this additional milk from leav- lost petitive to build a strong proposition atively stable 1% fall in Queensland. consumption. Whilstvalue the dairy While competition from Europe is ing have subsequently been reduced in capita ing South America. market is currently challenging exportingtoregions. Despite uncer- mostcontinuing and promoteatheir point ofplace difference, A sub-9 wider billioneconomic litre industry squeezeThe the average market, local to be athere seller,are all signs indicateofthat balbasicAsian farm brands gate price milk in France tainty, demand has remained resilient still plenty opportunities makes for a sobering concept, but areforproviding additional ance will ultimately dropped fromsays 32 Euro as importing countries likeswing China in and for example, to be had.” return. until a few more factors competition. Mr 12% Harvey while the favour of milk producers, it’s a likely companies behind local brands have (Source: Rabobank) outcome.

Conditions could tip us below nine billion litres THE AUSTRALIAN dairy industry entered the 2016/17 season with a huge number of variables on the move. Farmgate milk prices had been cut and opening prices were lower again, the rain had come, and kept coming, and global supply and demand was easing just enough back into balance to tip off a market rally. Feed prices are coming down, but conditions been With season have 2011/12 onlytough, a few weeks ending, now withfrom pastures andattention lanewaysisdamfocused milk prices as (and farmaged on by2012/13 the persistent wet ersflooding considerfor strategies some). for the coming year. In some Silage hasdomestically-focused been harvested late regions, renegotiated contracts incorin many regions, and cold weather porating lower prices and reduced ‘tier through October has impacted one’ access are undermining farmer pasture quality. confidence and supplychanging stability. backFor Amidst a rapidly many farmers in export-oriented drop, the outlook for milk producregions, a lower price outlook relative to tion remains subdued. the current season not adds to the Although a loweronly total compared challenges of doing business, but seems to 2015/16 has always been forecast, to contradict the positive medium term the magnitude of the expected drop outlook of Asia-driven dairy demand has varied as the abovementioned growth. factors have shifted. Dairy Australia’s indicative outlook What started out as a good season for southern farm gate milk prices – with tight margins has become much published in the recent Dairy 2012: Sitmoreandchallenging in many uation Outlook report, is forareas an through spring. opening price range of $4.05-$4.40/kg Until national milk proMS and a fullAugust, year average price range duction hadand followed theMS. pattern between $4.50 $4.90/kg The expected to deliver Dairy Austrareport considers the wider market pic5% reduction in total turelia’s andforecast summarises the many factors intakes for the 2016/17 at play; the key theme of theyear. current sitthen it of stayed cold, and uationBut being that re-balancing inwet. the From September onwards, condidairy supply chain. tions deteriorated, andfocused the adverse In regions of Australia on weatherdrinking causedmilk, an many extra farmers producproducing facetion a re-balancing market intothe form impact in addition the preof existing renegotiation of supply dent from by lowcontracts farmgate andprices. reduced access to ‘tier one’ supply. Northern Victoria and southern NSW have been most heavily

impacted, with excessive spring rain causing severe waterlogging, and upstream runoff bringing floods to low lying areas. Western Victoria and southeast South Australia have similar waterlogging problems, whilst Gippsland has been more moderate, with significant variation from the Macalister

agribusiness // 17

Export demand remains strong GLOBALimpacT IMPACT gLobaL JOHN DROPPERT JohN DropperT

Irrigation District (largely dry) to the Shifts private label contracts prowestin and south of the regionand (wet). cessor rationalisation have seen milk Across all areas, prolonged companies adjust their intake pasture requirecold periods have stymied ments and pricing to meet the changgrowth, whilst quality of emerging ing demands of a highly pressured retail leaves has been compromised. marketplace. Lower contract prices and Delays to silage and hay cuts have a lack of alternative supply opportunialso affected the feed value of harties present challenges in a market with vested fodder, which threatens to limited manufacturing capacity. Despite dampen milk production when it’s these challenges, the underlying domeslater is instable, the season. ticfed market with steady per-capWet weather, mud, and ita dairy consumption and additional a growing stress to herds has in all likelihood population providing a degree of cerincreased mastitis and diversion of tainty beyond the current adjustments. milk dueseasons to cow treatment. In the following the 2008 Manycrisis farmers are reportedly financial and subsequent comopting to cull rather thanfarmers treat cows modity price recovery, in with recurrentregions qualityhave issues, due to export-oriented seen solid tight supply margins and high prices. global growth (seecull chart) - with In manycompetitors cases, high soil moisture higher-cost in the Northlevels and full irrigation storages will ern Hemisphere amongst those expanding outputaas their margins increased. provide significant dividend later This season, favourable conin the season, howeverweather the mountditions have offurther enhanced ing impacts continued culling,milk late fodder harvests, pasture damage are increasingly offsetting this.

Malaysia FTA benefits dairy Freedom

Dairy NewS AUSTRALIA november 2016

markets  // 15

Who’s afraid of the USA? FOR most of the past year, dairy market watchers, including us, have been focussed on the EU and to a lesser extent New Zealand. Their long-awaited supply response has been the key driver of improvements in commodity prices of late, and further developments in those regions will figure significantly in re-balancing global supply and demand. Amid all this drama the US dairy industry has pretty much been chugging away in the background, in it’s own little supply and demand bubble, without a great deal of involvement in global market shenanigans. But is that about to change? The US is the only major dairying region that is still in expansion mode, as healthy local wholesale prices and low feed costs have protected margins and encouraged production. While herd numbers have been more or less stable, improved feed quality has boosted cow yields. In addition, the return of some water to the parched south-west of the country is reducing the deficit in this important dairying region. Our latest Global Dairy Directions analysis is for US output growth to strengthen as the allimportant income over feed costs (IOFC) ratio heads into expansion territory over the coming months. The question then becomes, where will the additional milk go? Fluid milk sales have accounted for around 25% of annual production in recent years, but have been steadily losing share. We estimate around 23% of US milk output in 2016 will be accounted for by fluid milk alone, with sales stabilising into 2017. So with more milk available for manufacturing, it’s hoped that much of this milk growth will be directed toward cheese production for a still buoyant local market. Cheese is by far the most important product

fresh agenda jo bills for the US industry, its production uses around 75% of manufacturing milk, and as such it has a major influence on farmgate price for producers. Local cheese demand has been well above longterm averages throughout 2016, boosted by “other cheese” rather than cheddar sales. Cheese sales have been strong in the retail and particularly the foodservice sector, and it’s vitally important they stay that way. US cheese stocks are huge at the moment; days in stock isn’t too far out of whack. Inventories are reported to be 43% ahead of the same month last year in September and 46% above the 5-year average. Over the past few months, the weight of stocks has driven US prices lower, but an almost concurrent improvement in EU wholesale butter values has improved local product competitiveness, and will at least stem the flow of imports. So with the US dairy situation finely balanced, the major wildcard for the industry is this week’s presidential election. Demand for cheese has been bolstered by low oil prices and improved economic conditions that offer consumers more dollars to spend on eating out, but what might the results of the election bring? A Clinton victory has been billed as a “more of the same” result, with her administration likely to build on the program of the Obama years with some tweaks. A recent survey conducted by the US National Association of Business Economists found 55% of the 414 respondents thought Hillary Clinton would “do

the best job as president of managing the economy”, compared to 14% who favoured Donald Trump. Trump’s policies have been assessed by the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, and its estimated the combination of proposed tax cuts and

spending increases would lift US public debt from 77% to 105% of GDP over the next decade, compared to 86% for Clinton. Trump’s preference for walking away from trade deals and taking a more aggressive protectionist approach to China and

other trading partners have also raised concerns. In the short term, a Trump victory is likely to send the US dollar lower, increasing the competitiveness of dairy exports. The more uncertain, and potentially chaotic Trump policy program

could potentially impact on business investment, employment and consumer sentiment – which in turn would dampen demand for cheese and butter, as people are less able or inclined to eat out. Under these conditions, and with the

inevitable lag in supply response on farm, more milk might be directed to the export market in the form of skim milk powder, cheese and butter. So while the US has been flying under the dairy radar, we may be paying it a lot more attention in 2017!

You are invited to Australia’s ...

International Dairy Week

15 to 19 January 2017, Tatura Park, Tatura, Victoria A good place to do business and a good place to socialise.

a u s t r a l i a

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

16 //  MANAGEMENT

Long-term pastures underpin viable Springton dairy A WELL-ESTABLISHED dairying

family at Springton have explained their farming system which has combined low cost of production with dense, persistent perennial grass/ subclover pastures and high milk production per cow. Local farmers had long admired the strong, persistent perennial grass pastures apparent on the Rathjen family’s dairy farm at Springton. In response to this interest, DairySA arranged a Pasture Plus field day as part of Dairy Australia’s Tactics for Tight Times program. The day was held on the Rathjen’s farm in September, when three generations of the Rathjen family spoke and generously offered insights about their farming system. Kym and Sandy Rathjen manage the farm, which involves a 200-cow split-calving Holstein herd running on 180 ha of pasture land. The visiting farmers became even more curious when Kym reported they were maintaining a cost of milk production below $5/ kgMS. Most of Rathjen’s dairy grazing area involves arable land with phalaris and subclover pastures, some up to 30 years old and still growing well. They are achieving good pasture persistence even though most

KEY ELEMENTS: ■■

High phosphorus fertiliser inputs (usually 20 kg P/ha p.a. as autumn-applied super).

■■

More recently, moderate inputs of potassium fertiliser on their hay ground.

■■

Little use of nitrogen fertiliser (instead relying on subclover to ‘fix’ nitrogen).

■■

Pastures sprayed as necessary with broadleaf herbicides and insecticides to control pests and protect subclover plants.

■■

Kym avoids damaging subclover seed production by waiting until the subclover finishes flowering and begins to bury seed burrs into the ground before cutting paddocks. Excellent subclover levels in spite of cutting paddocks for hay every year.

■■

Early-mid season subclover varieties like Seaton Park and Trikkala are used which finish flowering earlier than other commonly-used varieties, and so fit well with their approach to mowing times.

■■

Barley grass limited to stony

Kym Rathjen discussing pasture management in one of the strong phalaris and subclover pastures on his Springton farm.

improved pastures are being cut for hay in midspring every year. Visiting farmers were very impressed by these pastures, which were largely weed-free, with a good balance of grass and clover, and seemingly persisting very well over time. Kym and son Scott said the focus of their pasture management was fostering as much subclover as possible in their paddocks. Kym said he could best describe their grazing management as ‘nursing the pastures’.

“Our whole focus is on strong subclover pastures to grow premium quality grazing for our cows, and to produce the best possible quality hay for feeding back at other times of the year.”

“Pastures are stocked lightly after hay cutting and over summer to preserve subclover burrs” Kym said. “We also delay any grazing on pastures after

the opening rains, waiting for subclover seedlings to establish well and become robust. “And we will not graze our improved pastures during really wet winter

weather, to avoid damaging or pugging pastures.” Michael Rathjen - Kym’s father - then explained how these phalaris/subclover pastures fitted more widely into their farm system. “Our whole focus is on strong subclover pastures to grow premium quality grazing for our cows, and to produce the best possible quality hay for feeding back at other times of the year,” Michael explained. “We don’t focus on block grazing or heavy nitrogen fertiliser use for

extra hay-feeding paddocks. Hay is only ever fed out and never cut winter from these stony paddocks, growth so the barley grass never gets because the opportunity to spread out we don’t onto improved pastures. have to. “With good pasgrowth in spring was not tures and a moderate really a problem here stocking rate we have reasonably good grass supply because these stony padand instead, we fill pasture docks are never cut for hay. feed gaps whenever they The Rathjen’s pasture occur by feeding back the system is even more notepremium quality subcloworthy because it supver hay,” Michael said. ports a high production Hay is usually fed back Holstein dairy herd, proto milkers in several hill ducing an average of over paddocks, on stony well9,000 Litres/cow. drained land occupying a Kym and Scott quarter of the dairy farm explained how cows get 1 area. tonne concentrates/cow/ Visiting farmers were year and how brewers’ impressed that their approach seemed to make grain is another important the Rathjen’s pasture pro- feed supplement for their herd. duction system more Kym also said they had robust to changes in seapreviously started sowing sonal weather conditions. They simply responded cocksfoot and subclover mixes but found the to late breaks or cold, wet spells in winter by allocat- cocksfoot dominated the pastures after a few years. ing more hay feeding on “We reckon the these hill paddocks. phalaris and subclover Kym even commented how the barley grass dom- mixes produce more balanced pastures which inant in those hill padpersist well, grow well in docks grew really well in winter and provided extra winter and deliver good quality hay in spring,” he useful paddock feed at said. that time. (Source: Dairy SA) Trashy barley grass

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

MANAGEMENT  // 17

Feedbase resources now available SPRING GRAZING management

and silage are currently top of mind for dairy farmers and Dairy Australia has released two new resources to help in the decision-making process. The resources Ryegrass - spring grazing management paddock guide and Quality pasture silage, Five easy steps offer simple and straightforward guidance to assist farmers in making profitable daily and seasonal decisions. Dairy Australia feedbase and animal nutrition program development manager, Cath Lescun, said at this time of year optimising the amount of pasture grown, eaten and conserved is key. “With the milk price challenges farm businesses are facing at the moment, understanding the principles of grazing management are very important and impacts on annual dry matter production and pasture quality,” she said. “Spring grazing management decisions also have a crucial impact on the amount and quality of pasture grown later in the season.”

The spring grazing guide covers ryegrass identification, identifying growth stage based on leaf appearance, pre and post grazing measures and tools to assist in using this information and get-

ting a good balance between pasture and animal performance. The silage guide complements the spring grazing management guide. “We know that pasture silage is an important source of supplementary feed and that the better the silage quality the better the cow performance,” Ms Lescun said.

West Victorian dairy farmer, Harper Kilpatrick, said the guides were easy-to-read and contained important information for all farm staff to review at the start of the season. Tasmanian-based AgCap dairy farm manager, Wolfie Wagner, said the guides were great for staff to have on the dashboard in the ute or in the dairy to refer to. “When it comes to spring grazing management we always need to go back to basics and review the principles,” Wolfie said. “We have people coming in and out of the industry so it’s great to have things like this as a reminder and a recap.” Download electronic versions of the resources on Dairy Australia’s Tactics for Tight Times website www.tftt.dairyaustralia.com.au or contact your Regional Development Program for spiral-bound versions. (Source: Dairy Australia)

AMS study boosts on farm performance FOLLOWING ON from the success

of the Australian Automatic Milking System (AMS) KPI Project, NSW DPI has established an international version. The 2016-17 International AMS KPI Project is monitoring a total of 19 farms (12 from Australia, two from New Zealand, four from Ireland and one from Chile) on a monthly basis for a 12 month period (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017). The Australian project captured milk production, AMS utilisation and farm demographic information from nine Australian AMS farms. The farms were monitored monthly for 12 months ending on June 30, 2016. The participating farms reflected a range of farming systems with different animal breeds and calving systems. The farms had either three, four or six single box robots, with the exception of one farm with a robotic rotary. On average over the 12 months, the farms were milking 195 cows and producing around 4,512 kgMS/day with a milk composition of 4.1% fat, 3.3% protein and a somatic cell count of 205,000 cells/ml. Individual cows were milked 2.3 times/day, producing 24.1 kgMS/day and consuming an average of 6.4 kg concen-

trate/day. At every milking visit, cows produced, on average, 10.4kgMS milk and spent 6.3 min in the robot. Each individual robot was milking an average of five cows per hour, ranging between 0 and 10 milkings/robot/hour. Each individual robot performed an average of 120 milkings/day, operating for around 13.6 hours/day and harvesting 1,263 kgMS/day. There was a wide range in farm performance, highlighting that it is the combination of the farm system and farm management that determines the whole farm performance. One hundred percent of the nine participating AMS farmers expressed a benefit in participating in the project. Seventy five percent mentioned that having access to these reports on a monthly basis allowed them to have more control on their business and make better decisions. They highlighted as positive aspects: the comparison of farms on a monthly basis, the evolution of their farm month to month and that the individual farm report was in a format that was easy to view and understand. (Source: NSW DPI)

Got issues with your effluent pond? • Sludge build up • Odour control • Waste Management • Flies Week 1

Look what we can do... Most farmers treat their effluent like s*** “Dealing with effluent is a pain for most farmers. It’s an expensive process for what can be seen as a low-grade fertiliser. It’s not surprising that most farmers simply dump it on to pasture without a thought or strategic foresight.” But can that untreated effluent be turned into a high-grade fertiliser? From a specific point of view, absolutely.

➠ Week 8

The science behind it Scientists have discovered that crust and sludge were merely the symptoms of the real problem and that the cause of pond solids were microscopic creatures below the surface – anaerobic bacteria. These anaerobic bacteria thrive in dark environments devoid of oxygen, so to create ideal living conditions they separate the effluent fibres and send them to the surface. Once there, these fibres would combine to form the crust. They also send fibres to the bottom which combine to form the sludge. Problems these bad bugs cause • Their solids block pump nozzles • They cause the unpleasant odour • They lower the nutrient content (N, P, K) • They increase soil leaching and run off

How do you beat these bacteria It was discovered that the best way to beat this problem was simple – add counteractive bugs into the effluent pond. This is where Bio-Force comes in. These corrective micro-organisms are called aerobic bacteria and they can change the state of the effluent pond by digesting and breaking down the solids and fibre content of the effluent.. Effluent into nutrient-rich fertiliser The typical effluent pond is rich in nutrients – all the major elements and minerals required for plant growth. Unfortunately, nutrients such as nitrogen are in a volatile form that is easily leached and lost into the atmosphere. “Aerobic bacteria can change that. They change it by digesting and breaking down the solids and fibre content of the effluent. These oxygen loving bacteria retain the N, P, and K to a more stable, organically-bound fertiliser.” The converted nutrients are less leachable and more available to plants over time. Aerobic bacteria need oxygen and light so when you add them to a dairy pond they immediately begin eating the top crust to let in more light and oxygen. These bacteria double in number every 20 minutes meaning in a matter of weeks

the pond is clear of crust and the effluent liquified in the process. Big fertiliser savings Think about the amount of NPK you buy in every year to spread on your pasture. It represents a significant cost. Now imagine your effluent as an easily spread nutrient-rich source that your grass can really absorb. That alone could greatly reduce your fertiliser bill. Big machinery savings The conventional way of managing effluent is to use machines. Machines that separate the solids; machines that break up the solids; machines that stir the solids. Such equipment is very expensive. There’s the initial cost of buying the gear. Then there’s the ongoing cost of running it. And, of course, there are the costs of maintaining the machinery. Imagine if you could turn effluent into effective luquid fertiliser without using machines. Tens of thousands saved!

Phone 1800 809 229 • email: sales@biosystemsaustralia.com.au • web: www.biosystemsaustralia.com.au

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

18 // BREEDING MANAGEMENT

Pedigree and performance pays off Cath began breeding Jerseys in 1945, launched the Glen Erin stud at Greenmount. They built their herd on strong cow families with progeny from the Beauty family dating from the late 1940s still the most keenly sought after today, Steve said. When Jim and Cath retired in 1988, they kept

GORDON COLLIE

THE FOUNDATIONS

of a sustainable dairy enterprise for Darling Downs, Queensland, farmers Steve and Jenny McCarthy have been built on more than 70 years of improved Jersey genetics. Impressive commercial performance from their all-pedigree herd ensures they maximise milk bonuses and also enjoy a regular income stream from the sale of stock. “We’re the only 100% stud Jersey herd still on the Downs and we are always getting inquiries for bulls and heifers. We’ve sold 43 head just into NSW this year alone,” Steve said. Their Ascot Park herd at Greenmount has averaged an impressive 63 cents a litre from processor Norco over the past year, with payments regularly five to seven cents above the factory average. Low cell counts averaging 75,000 complete the bonus picture, regularly placing them in the top 10 Norco performers on milk quality. The couple milk about

WHO:

Steve and Jenny McCarthy WHERE:

Darling Downs WHAT:

Jersey genetics

TO PAGE 19

100 cows and maintain around 220 head on two properties totalling 180ha – enough land area to be self-sufficient in feed when seasonal conditions are favourable. At their herd recording in August the milkers averaged 23 litres at 3.9% protein and 4.8% fat. They show cattle in Toowoomba, Brisbane and Lismore and have won numerous championships over the years. This year Ascot Park Elton Wanda was the top fat plus protein cow at Brisbane Royal with 7400 litres in a 305 day lactation. She produced 282kg of protein at 3.8% and 401kg of butterfat at 5.42%. Steve’s parents Jim and

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BREEDING MANAGEMENT // 19

Pedigree and performance a few of their cattle and the Glen Erin stud prefix, leading Steve and Jenny to launch Ascot Park when they bought the farm and herd. Steve had come back to farming after working in the industry for more than 10 years as a tanker driver, milk tester and then factory manager for the nearby Mount Sibley Cooperative which closed in the early 1980s. He developed an early love for breeding and training horses and still keeps thoroughbreds at Ascot Park. Steve said the type and production of their foundation Ascot Park herd had been greatly enhanced over the last 20 years with the introduction of North American genetics. The couple have travelled extensively in Australia and overseas to keep abreast of trends in Jersey breeding and Steve is an experienced judge and a Jersey Australia Queensland Council member. Embryos are harvested from top performing cows for their own herd implanting and for sale and one of their best young bull calves is undergoing DNA evaluation for entry into an artificial breeding centre. Steve said that while genetics played a major part of their success, feeding was also a crucial component. “We are fortunate to have enough area and good irrigation bores to grow most of our own grain,” he said. Crops of barley and corn provide the grain base milled into their own

ration which is fed at 5kg a day year round, split between morning and night milking. Forage sorghum and dolichos lablab provide the bulk of summer feed with crop areas rotated annually. Rye and clovers provide winter feed and they also grow oats and lucerne for grazing with excess used either for hay or baled silage. “We are fortunate to have good access to water with two irrigation bores which make all the difference to feed security,” Steve said. Two solar panel arrays feed electricity into the grid and have made a significant contribution towards offsetting water pumping costs. Steve and Jenny place a strong emphasis on animal health, spraying teats before and after milking to minimise mastitis infection. Incidence of footrot has been countered through feeding minerals and vitamins with an emphasis on zinc and biotin. “The basis of good herd health is about the cows’ immune system,” Steve said. Their three children Kate who lives in Melbourne, and Michael and Matthew who are in the building trade, are unlikely to continue the family farm. As a result, their prized dairy genetics will reluctantly be dispersed in the future. In the meantime however Steve and Jenny are enjoying the life they have as a result of their journey with Jerseys.

Steve and Jenny McCarthy with the Ascot Park herd.

New bull search tool ABS GLOBAL has launched ‘Bull Search’, which the company says is an unrivalled genetic guide to dairy sires across the world. Bull Search provides tailored data on all the bulls currently available in Australia as well as detailed information on leading sires in the key breeding countries at their fingertips. The new tool has the capability to map a farm’s genetic gain by the group of bulls and the quantities required in a genetic sum-

CHECK OUT THENEWS LATEST NEWS CHECK OUT THE LATEST AND INFORMATION AT AND INFORMATION AT www.dairynewsaustralia.com.au www.dairynewsaustralia.com.au

mary page. Users can create and save their breeding goals for future bull proof updates so their bull list is always updating. “We have listened to feedback from dairy farmers and designed a tool that is very straight forward yet capable of searching for any active ABS or industry sire by name or code,” said ABS national sales manager Paul Quinlan. Bull Search has a full list of sires being actively marketed in

Australia showing pedigree, production, genomics and photo support. “Bull Search allows dairy farmers and advisors to search for bulls according to their ranking in Australia, US, Canada and UK. Each list ranks bulls according to the main ranking system in that country,” said Paul. “In Australia bulls are ranked according to the Balanced Performance Index (BPI).” Beyond their BPI rankings

there is the capacity to search and compare sires according to the attributes a dairy farmer is looking for. “It is very practical with an ‘easy to use’ filtering system that homes in on desired attributes. “You can compare up to three sires side by side and extend a sire’s pedigree in order to trace more lineage information.” Bull Search is freely available on the ABS Australia website at www.absglobal.com/aus

PO Box 7538 • Shepparton • 3632 Victoria Phone (03) 5831 5559 • Fax (03) 5822 0005 info@wwsaustralia.com • www.wwsires.com

FROM PAGE 18

Daughter: Green-Meadow Mystic Karla, GP 83

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

20 // ANIMAL HEALTH Cutting costs in the dairy can increase your risk of a milk quality or mastitis “accident”, costing you more in the long run.

What is the price of risk? ROD DYSON, DAIRY FOCUS

RECENTLY, I dropped one of the

family cars into the service centre in the morning for what I expected to be a normal routine service. It was a big surprise a couple of hours later to sit listening on one end of the phone as the mechanic ran through a list of items on the car that needed attention. But my mood seriously worsened when he told me the total estimated cost! I certainly had not budgeted on spending this much on what is now an older car, especially when I had been expecting just the normal service charge. So the discussion quickly shifted to how we could reduce this cost but still manage the car appropriately. I asked the mechanic which items were directly related to safety, as I was not prepared to take a risk on that, which items were less important (with the main risk being a possible repair later), and which items were simply non-essential. The major item on the safety list was the tyres, which were due for replacement. Tyres are the only part of the car which contacts the road, and driving on worn or bald tyres results in a risk of an accident that I was not prepared to compromise on. Routine oil change and lubrica-

tion was another item considered too important to miss out on, as it would leave a risk of more catastrophic damage. However, I deemed a couple of items which posed no real risk as non-essential – a prime example was the Bluetooth phone connection which had decided to “give up” – and I elected not to have those items serviced. The end result was to save a reasonable amount of money with a minimum of risk, and no compromise on family safety. Therein lies a correlation with managing milk quality and mastitis control. How can farms minimise costs in these difficult times, but not significantly escalate the risk of a mastitis or milk quality ‘blow out’? This question immediately sprang to mind last week when I heard the comment: “The liners will have to do 12 months this year!” Countdown and most milking equipment manufacturers in Australia recommend a liner change interval for rubber liners of 2500 cow milkings or six months, whichever occurs first. You can either calculate this yourself, or you could use the Liner Life Calculator tool in the Countdown Mastitis Toolkit app (available free for both iOS and Android smartphones) to help calculate the correct liner change date, and also to send you a reminder when that time arrives.

Teat cup liners are the only part of the milking machine to touch the cow’s teats, so they are an extremely important part of the milking system. Like all rubber products, as they wear out they progressively lose tension and resilience. They can no longer apply the same forces and massage to teats as they did when new, resulting in a degradation of milking performance and a far higher risk of teat end damage. Once teat ends are damaged, even if only to a mild degree, the risk of mastitis causing bacteria being able to survive near the teat end and to be able to enter the teat canal significantly increases. Consequently the risk of mastitis infection is greatly increased, and the risk of spread of that infection (especially to other cows with damaged teat ends) is also greatly increased. And so often, once the horse has bolted, it can be a difficult process to rein it back in. If you are looking to minimise the cost of milking machine servicing and maintenance, have a discussion with your milking machine technician about whether there are any options that won’t increase your risk of a milk quality or mastitis “accident”. For example, you could probably milk without a Bluetooth phone connection, but at the very least, don’t drive on bald tyres by not changing the liners – it could be a saving that comes at a very high price.

NZ hit by another calf welfare shock SHOCK FOOTAGE has

emerged in New Zealand which shows a newborn calf dragged along a paddock and calves being loaded into a truck. It follows similar footage of dairy calves in New Zealand being mistreated last year. NZ Federated Farmers dairy section vice-chair Chris Lewis said a big shakeup had occurred in the wider dairy industry since the footage last year emerged, with new regulations taking effect and others coming in over the next 12 months. “Since then farmers have been paranoid about it and so has the industry because we don’t want to be caught out,” Mr

Lewis said. “Most people in the industry are frustrated by the release of the new footage and in particular by their colleagues not being up to speed.” Mr Lewis says the video of the farmer dragging the calf is unacceptable. “Most farmers I talk to just shake their heads and say ‘what is the guy doing?’ There is no logic to it. When I have

to move a calf, I put my two arms underneath its belly and lift it. That’s the correct way of doing it. It’s just like lifting a baby or your kid, you cradle it and carry it. This is logical – after all the calves are just babies.” Mr Lewis said he can’t say what is the right or wrong way to load calves onto a truck because he “hasn’t done it for a number of years”. It appears to be a hard

job for workers, but next year this will change with new regulations requiring farmers to use a ramp so calves can be walked onto a truck. “Two years ago I installed a ramp on my farm, well ahead of the regulations, to show some leadership in this area. We spent about $3000 dollars on this and it works well. The truck just backs up to the pen where the calves are and they are loaded on via the ramp which is easy for everyone including the calves,” he said. Mr Lewis said he urged farmers or their staff to be present when calves are loaded, helping the truck driver and doing a final check on the calves to see if they are fit to travel.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

ANIMAL HEALTH // 21

Optimising correct weight THE FUTURE

reproductive and lactation performance of your herd relies on the optimal management of heifers from birth. The typical cost of rearing a heifer from birth until first calving at 24 months of age is $1300$1500, excluding labour costs. Growing heifers well allows them to reach sexual maturity at an earlier age, allowing earlier breeding which results in a younger age at first calving. The cost of rearing a heifer is reduced if her age at first calving is reduced. It is also critical that heifers calve without difficulty, perform well in the dairy and get back in calf easily during their first lactation. Australian data collected from a yearround calving herd showed that the optimal age at first calving was 24 to 30 months of age, as these heifers had the highest first lactation production, highest estimated lifetime production and maximum days of productive life. Heifers calving for the first time at greater than 30 months of age had decreased first lactation production and decreased days of productive life. With more heifers entering the herd, the overall herd age will be younger. Younger animals tend to be more fertile and have fewer milk quality issues than older cows as they have had less opportunity to develop mammary infections. A younger herd age also allows selective culling of older animals and any excess heifers can be sold locally or globally as an alternative source of income. What is the correct weight? The target body weight for a heifer at her first calving is 85% of her mature body weight. This will vary with breed and genetics. For example, if the average ‘ideal’ mature cow in a herd is 600kg, a heifer should be calving at 510kg. And, if the average

APIAM ANIMAL HEALTH GEMMA CHUCK ideal mature body weight is 650kg, then heifers should be calving for the first time at 552kg. Heavier heifers at first mating are more likely to show sexual activity than lighter heifers. Therefore decisions around first mating should be based on body weight, not on age. In seasonal and split calving herds, heifers at first mating may be between 13 and 15 months of age. This means that the youngest animal in the group must be sufficiently grown so there is the best chance for her to get in calf quickly and easily. The target body weight at first mating is 60% of her mature cow bodyweight. Commonly smaller heifers are ‘carried over’ to a younger group so they have more time to grow out prior to first mating. This delay means there is an increased age at first calving which significantly reduces profitability as the heifer has taken more time and money to rear. Long-term benefits After first calving, heavier heifers are more likely to show a heat prior to mating start date and have better first service conception rates than lighter heifers. They also have fewer calving problems and have better transition into the milking herd. The impact of body weight on lactation performance has also been demonstrated. Research has shown that a 50kg heavier heifer at first calving, will produce an extra 1041 litres of milk, 38.5kg butter fat, 42.5kg of protein over the first three lactations. In addition to

the positive effects on reproductive and lactation performance, heifers with a heavier body weight at first calving have increased longevity compared to poorly grown heifers. This is likely due to their improved fertility

and fewer health problems. How can I help my heifers to achieve this? An objective assessment of heifer performance can be achieved by monitoring growth between weaning and first calving.

This ensures that the average daily gain of heifers can be monitored so that they can achieve their target weights at the critical times of first mating and calving. Small heifers can be identified early, allowing strategic intervention to

reduce the risk of them being carried over to a younger group. Routine animal husbandry procedures such as vaccination and drenching can be carried out at the same time as weighing to reduce any additional handling or

stress. It is worth discussing heifer performance with your veterinarian to enable correct analysis and interpretation of the data and accompanying nutritional advice. • Source: Heifers on Target, Dairy Australia, 2013.

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22 //  EFFLUENT & WATER MANAGEMENT

Separator solution delivers win-win results on the farm WHEN FREDRICK

Oesch founded SwissLane Dairy in Alto, Michigan, USA on 36ha in 1915, his family farm was “out in the country,” and the concept of being a good community neighbor was one that was often taken for granted. Four generations later, the operation has grown to more than 2000 milking cows on over 768ha. In addition, the community of Alto has also grown and now virtually surrounds SwissLane Dairy. As both the community and dairy have grown, so has the need for good relations with neighbouring properties. “That means keeping the odour down and being as environmentally sustainable as possible,” said Matt Oesch, a fourth-generation owner of the dairy, and financial controller of the operation. To be environmentally responsible and keep cows content and producing, SwissLane uses sand bedding. Sand is a comfortable source of bedding that offers strong traction, stays cool in the summer, and drains moisture easily with minimal bacteria growth. Matt says that from a cost perspective, sand is relatively inexpensive and readily available. Jeff Oesch, a third-generation owner, helped make the decision to switch from rubber tire and sawdust mattresses to sand bedding. “We saw a big difference when we switched to sand. It’s what our cows like the best and yields the most milk,” Jeff said. With thousands of cows to take care of, manure management is also key priority for the dairy. SwissLane’s manure management plan used a scrape-and-haul system to move sand-laden manure from the barn. Despite the dairy’s best efforts, workers couldn’t successfully remove the majority of sand from the manure, which created

Sand bedding has proved the best option for cow comfort and production.

significant wear on the equipment. “We thought we could agitate the sand to remove the manure from it, but that didn’t work so well,” Jeff said. “It’s harder and heavier to move, there’s more of it and it requires more maintenance on our hauling equipment – sand tears up everything.” The dairy then tried to move the manure into sand-settling basins. The liquids would be removed from the pond via pumps and a hydraulic piston. A wheel loader or skid steer would then be used to scoop out the solids. This process worked well until the Oesch family learned the challenges of sand-laden manure. Abrasive sand caused increased wear on SwissLane equipment – from the hoses to the valves and nozzles and pretty much everything in between. Sand-laden manure also added weight to the tankers and other equipment, causing problems when the manure was spread on farm fields. “We had to deep-rip our fields all the time because of the compaction, so we decided we needed to look at some good permanent options,” Jeff said. To combat this problem, SwissLane turned to

90% of the soiled sand is recycled using the separator system.

McLanahan Corporation. Company representatives took the Oesch team of owners on a tour of dairy operations that used mechanical sand-manure separation systems. They engineered a solution for SwissLane using a sand-manure separator in conjunction with channel augers to produce clean, recyclable sand that helps the dairy re-use the dry material for bedding, while also producing a nearly sand-free manure effluent that can be used in the farm’s fields. Utilising a McLanahan sand-manure separator, SwissLane is able to capture up to 90% of the sand depending on the sand’s size and water quality. “I’m getting a lot of my fine sand back, which is good because the coarse sand could cause foot trouble for the cows,” Jeff said. “Best of all, no full-time operator is needed to turn the sand-laden manure into clean, recycled sand,” said Matt “This helps us reduce our costs while keeping production high.” The system also eliminates the need for producers to enter pits or confined spaces to access the settled sand – so workers avoid exposure to harmful manure gases, improving safety. “Safety is important for not only our cows, but

also for all of our workers,” Matt said. “The loads of manure we’re handling now aren’t as heavy as they used to be, and there’s also a benefit in less risk in

operating the equipment.” Since the system’s installation, SwissLane spends less time manag-

ing the sand-laden manure and has dramatically reduced equipment maintenance costs on their

haulers. Heavy-duty components make up the system, which is engineered with larger tolerances, for less wear during operation, minimising downtime. Matt also noted that overall, the dairy’s manure management system is helping alleviate the concerns of neighbours regarding SwissLane’s commitment to environmental sustainability. “Fewer farmers are producing more milk every year and the number of our neighbours is also increasing,” Matt said. “We have to be mindful of the impact we have on them and be deliberate in how we’re approaching those relationships. “Our nutrient management system is a major part of the process in reducing our environmental footprint and recycling our resources. http://mclanahan.com

Feedback helps deliver ‘super smart’ system TWO WELL-KNOWN brands in the dairy industry have come together to deliver a ‘super smart’ effluent monitoring and control system. Tag I.T and Reid and Harrison have joined forces to deliver the Yardmaster Halo – an effluent management solution developed based on input from farmers’ directly. “The idea came after we received farmer feedback at a workshop in December 2015,” says chief executive of Reid and Harrison, Keith Cooke. “The workshop was facilitated by New Zealand Trade Enterprises Better by Design initiative. The idea was to find out what were the key common issues dairy farmers were facing in the effluent management space.” It found farmers wanted to take the guess work out of controlling effluent, reduce the amount of time compliance was taking and have portable, real time visibility of their system. “As a result we researched the current state of technology in the market place and quickly realised, Tag I.T was already in the space with their Halo product range.”

The Yardmaster Halo.

Halo covered effluent monitoring, as well as having water, milk and weather - allowing one dash board to cover most of the farm needs from one display. The use of cloud-based technology gave the portable visibility as well as cost effective control of the technology. “What was missing was the enhanced control of the equipment, namely to be able to use the IT based technology to run the pump at different flows and duties, controlled from a phone, tablet, computer or the physical on site unit itself,” Keith said. “All the while monitoring and recording what is happening. “ A joint development project was launched between the two compa-

nies with one of the original customers from the workshop selected for the prototype unit. A supply agreement was entered into and the rest, as they say, is history. “We are extremely excited that we have a customer driven solution that really gives control back to the person who needs it the most, the farm owner/manager,” Keith said. The Yardmaster Halo was unveiled at the New Zealand National Field Days in June and will be available exclusively in Australia by Yardmaster’s sole distributor, Dairy Pumping Systems. www.dairypumpingsystems.com.au or visit www.yardmaster.co.nz to view the Halo video

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

EFFLUENT & WATER MANAGEMENT  // 23

On-farm problem fixed RICK BAYNE

TWENTY YEARS

ago when Tom Paltridge needed to fix an effluent problem on his family dairy farm in South Australia, he turned the solution into a business venture. Tom was involved in Young Farmers at the time and won an exchange to the United Kingdom where he researched effluent systems. He came up with a tanker system to avoid directly pumping effluent and quickly moved to share his success with others. Tom and his wife

Louise started Muckrunner, based in Mt Gambier, in 1996 and has since gone on to install more than 100 tanker systems around Australia. “We came up with the name Muck Runner because that’s what we do,” he said. Twenty years later he remains convinced that tankers are the best way of handling effluent. Long before Muckrunner’s conception, Tom and his father realised the benefits of effluent and were trying to apply it on their farm with a modified fuel tanker, by direct pumping into the tanker and gravity emptying out. This was very slow. Then the EPA said all

dairy farmers had to have a compliant effluent system or face fines, so the EPA designed a weeping wall and underground mainline. Tom says it was expensive to build and highly unreliable. “We found it was prone to blockages and we were always doing unscheduled reactive maintenance, and the most valuable dirt on the farm closest to the

dairy was getting nutrient overload,” he said. “We were losing ground. What should have been the most valuable part of the farm became a nutrient dumping ground and we couldn’t use it for calving cows or sick cows.” The study tour to the UK changed all that. “What appealed to me about the tankers was being able to use our effluent as a fertiliser tool so

we could target areas on the farm that we were robbing nutrients from by cutting hay.” Tom said he liked the reliability of tankers. “As soon as you start pumping effluent in any other system they’re always trying to get around blockages. “The difference with a tanker is that it’s always pumping the air out of the tanker to fill it, and

into the tanker to empty it using atmospheric pressure. You only ever pump air, therefore there are no blockages. “The pump itself never comes in contact with the effluent. It’s a very simple system and very reliable.” The first tanker form 1996 is still in service with a contractor. “The current tanker we use on our own farm can fill 20,000L in three min-

utes, and empty in three minutes, compared to 45 minutes to fill 1,500L and in half an hour to empty with our original homemade system,” he said. “The good thing about tankers is that farmers already own the products. What the tankers are doing is turning your waste product into a really valuable nutrient resource for your paddocks. www.muckrunner.co.nz

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

24 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Deutz Fahr 9 has the looks MARK DANIEL

WHEN THE designers

were responsible for vehicles such as the Ferrari 250 GT, the Lotus Esprit Turbo and the Volkswagen Golf GTI, it was a given that the new tractor would be a looker. The Deutz Fahr 9 series certainly looks the part, but are the mechanicals up to the task, or is this just a supermodel that is all smoke and mirrors? The good news is that Series 9 takes tried and tested technology, already seen in the likes of Series7, and incorporates upgrades in specification to deal with the increased power. Offered in models with maximum engine outputs of 295, 312 and 336hp, the 9290, 9310 and 9340 models use a six cylinder, 7.8 litre Deutz TTCD engine which is supplied to the Australasian markets in a guise, which

removes the need for SCR and DPF after-treatment systems. Two stage turbo-charging and an inter-cooling package sees the unit deliver 90% torque at only 1000 rpm, and go on to produce maximum output at a constant level between 1200 and 1600 rpm. The continuously variable transmission takes the shape of the ZF Terramatic unit which offers four automatically selected ranges subject to speed and load, and three driving modes dependant on the task at hand. Standout features beside the step-less speed control from 0-50kph seems to be the claim that the design delivers around 80% mechanical proportion during field work between 8-15kph, which moves to 90% in typical transport situations. A 60kph option is available combined with HD

external disc brakes on the front axle At the rear of the tractor the 3pt linkage is quoted as having 12 tonnes lift capacity, and combines with a closed centre, load sensing hydraulic system which delivers 160 litres per minute to up to 7 set of remotes (4 std). Up front the linkage system is said to have a capacity of five tonnes and offers two PTO speeds, while the rear has three options so all situations should be easily catered for. The MaxVision 2 cabin has a newly incorporated Panoramic windscreen for outstanding visibility, and uses the generation 4 i-Monitor to the driver’s right for control of the likes of engine, transmission and hydraulics as well as system cameras and ISOBUS functions. The touch screen system also incorporates a neat feature in its ability to

allow the operator to dedicate any of the buttons on the right hand armrest for favourite functions. With driver comfort in mind a must for long productive days an air seat combines with a pneumatically suspended cabin which is also isolated from the engine to deliver noise levels of only 69 decibels. Up front a DANA front axle improves comfort further by offering 90mm of suspension travel and also features external dry disc brakes for impressive stopping power, and combines with electronically engaged 4WD, and automated diff-lock systems to keep things going in difficult conditions. Back to

the tractor’s rear, AU spec units include an ISOBUS plug for connection to system-ready implements, and a seven pin plug for implement control and GPS (30cm) as standard, with an option to upgrade to RTK accuracy. “Our intention is to offer the 9 series via the tailor-made Deutz

Custom Build programme, which allows purchasers to configure the tractor to their specific requirements, and we believe they will

prove to be very popular with contractors for PTO and haulage operations,” Deutz Fahr product manager, PFG Australia, Anthony Darvenizia said. Visit www. pfgaustralia.com. au

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MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 25

Multi bale feeder a multi award winner IT’S BEEN a big year for McIntosh and their new multi bale feeder. At the Australian launch of the McIntosh multi bale feeder during Farm World 2016, the multi bale feeder won the Best Non-Powered Machine of the Year from the Tractor and Machinery Association and then in October also winning the Best Imported Machine of the Year at Elmore Field Days. It’s a great result for McIntosh Brothers from New Zealand together with their Australian partner TracMac Farm Equipment. Listening to customer’s needs they have been working closely together over the past 18 months to come up with this brand new design. The new multi bale feeder is designed to load, carry and feed out up to four round bales of silage or hay in one load and will greatly improve the efficiency and feed out times for farmers that feed larger herds. The unique twin ram bale loading system allows the operator to lift and hold the bales above the platform to allow easy removal of the nett and wrap. This is especially suitable for roto-cut silage bales that can fall apart once the nett has been removed.

The bale transfer system pushes each bale up into the feeding cradle. Specially designed feeder slats allow the easy transfer of the bales, but ensures plenty of aggression for consistent feeding. The dual sided cradle allows accurate control of feeding out the fodder, no matter which way the bale is placed into the cradle. The new style vertical drop side feeder chains assist in the prevention of the wheels running over the material. Other features like heavy duty chassis, walking beam axles with floatation tyres, large storage bins and 2 remote operation are all designed to make feeding bales quick and easier. With now several units out in operation, they are proving to be more than living up to our expectations. Some owners have now fed out thousands of bales with them and have found them easy to use and able to handle all types of bales, some weighing over 1200kg. They really like the ability that they can go into a large herd of cows and feed up to three bales out without getting out of the tractor seat. This is a great safety feature as anyone who has experienced trying to get the plastic and nett off the second bale in a mob

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2016

26 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Party poopers rain on my parade WELL I don’t know about you, but I’ve

New Holland’s T8 Blue Power autonomous tractor was unveiled earlier this year.

But why, oh why, do people have to concoct labour saving technology that takes the fun out of life? I hate vacuuming, and I don’t meet many people that enjoy milking either.

finally reached it. That juncture in life at which it dawns upon you that the world has gone too far. All this technological wizardry with its “How many productivity improvepeople get ments and labour savinto farming ings is fun and games so they can up to a point. The point that is, spend more where somebody, time at a somewhere, decides computer?” that the best way to apply said wizardry, is JOHN DROPPERT to improve tractors by removing the driver. But who doesn’t like driving tracWhat the? That’s exactly what New Holland have done, with their ‘Auton- tors? If you’re rare enough to be one of omous Concept Tractor’, featured in a those people, Gumtree is full of candirecent issue of this paper. It’s impressive technology, but dates with the will to take the tedium much as the original Luddites probably off your hands. Of course, it’s one thing to own an appreciated the genius that went into a power loom, I can recognise that and operation and exercise your boss-person right to play with the big toys, but remain somewhat vexed. Don’t get me wrong; I’m all for it’s another to have to pay someone to do the playing, while you fix their stufflabour saving devices. ups. Perhaps this is the sweet spot for I own a robotic vacuum cleaner. I applaud the efforts people are going autonomous tractors: the means by to, to adapt robotic milking systems to which the boss can run the show, with a minimum of underlings getting in the pasture-based dairy farming. Tractors themselves (of which I also way. It looks like New Holland is angling own one) were invented to cut out all this way with their marketing of the that mucking around with horses.

GRUNT

concept; and they’re seeking feedback as to whether they’re right. As with most robots, the autonomous tractor presumably won’t turn up drunk, underqualified, fight with the other robots, or deviate from specific instructions. But who wants to let go of the steering wheel entirely? How many people get into farming so they can spend more time at a computer? Fortunately, for the boss who can’t quite give up full control of the steering

wheel, Valtra has a solution. Several years ago, everyone’s favourite Scandinavian tractor manufacturer unveiled its ANTS concept. Admittedly, the New Holland machine is a real life full scale tractor adapted from the legendary Magnum line, while ANTS is a thought bubble and a few scaled models. But bear with me. ANTS is based on a modular system, where individual machines can work independently or coupled together.

With ANTS, a driver in a cab on one of the modules can command semiautonomous units performing supporting tasks in the paddock. None of this sitting-in-the-officeon-a computer-waiting-for-an-erroralert nonsense; you can command your empire out in the field, while doing the fun bits you got into farming to enjoy. Admittedly, the UHF banter might be somewhat lacking, but if you’re bothered by that, you’d better get back on Gumtree.

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