Advocacy questions raised in dairy plan debate PAGE 3
Pasture improvement
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MARCH, 2020 ISSUE 113 // www.dairynewsaustralia.com.au
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HARD WORKING PROTECTION FOR YOUR DAIRY HERD Draft dairy plan raises questions
UDV leader Paul Mumford.
DAIRY FARMERS and representative
Pasture improvement feature. PG.23
Dairy at the Oscars. PG.6
Sungold Days. PG.18
bodies are raising questions over how farmers and processors can be part of the same advocacy body under a proposed new dairy plan. Under the recommended model, called NewCo B, the industry would have one national organisation responsible for providing all industry services (such as policy, advocacy, R&D and marketing). Neither the Victorian-based UDV, nor NSW-based Dairy Connect have dismissed the advocacy approach under Option B, but both have raised questions over how it would work. Dairy Connect chief executive Shaughn Morgan said his organisation wanted to see farmers get the best possible outcomes. He said they wanted to see the number of exits from the industry cease or slow down, address the rising input costs, see margins improve and see an end to the drought. “I believe both the president of the ADF (Australian Dairy Farmers) and the chair of DA (Dairy Australia) agree that the industry is not working as effectively as it should and we support that position.” He said there has to be changes to benefit farmers and all concerned, so there is a long-term sustainable industry. UDV president Paul Mumford is working on a policy response and asking some questions. Do we need state-based representation? Do we place processors inside ‘the tent’ as part of the new body?
“To unify the industry we need to include processors somehow, but it’s not yet clear how they are included,” Mr Mumford said. “Do we need a unified industry? “I think all the states agree that we do.” He said deadlines were an issue and the first extension of time for responses to the draft was needed. “But we can’t be allowed to put it down and just walk away from it, so we do need deadlines. “The joint task force report has come up with boundaries of what a national body might look like. Do we fully embrace that, or see issues arising from that? How do regional and rural issues feed into that new structure? Mr Mumford agreed one of the major issues emerging from the initial consultations into the plan, revealed a concern about advocacy for farmers, putting pressure on the UDV. I’m not here to preach to any farmer that you must become a UDV member. “But things are changing; it could be that the UDV would look quite different in the future. “I’m not precious about my role; should that end, just make it quick!” “As long as we have the right structures in place.” Mr Mumford said the assumption being made was the current system was broken. “Generally, no, it actually functions. There are sometimes problems and nuances, policy differences, but it does function. “What we have to try to do is work out what will be appropriate in five, 10, 20 years. “We are in an environment of a shrinking milk pool, and farm sizes going up, farm numbers going down. So, the pool of resources for advocacy is diminishing and there is a lot more stress on few people to do the job.” Submissions to the draft dairy plan closed on March 2, but at the time of going to print, no closing date had been set for submissions on the Joint Transition Team’s report.
Prevention Treatment Genetic Testing
NEWS ......................................................3 – 21 FIRES .....................................................4,5, 11 OPINION ....................................................... 6
PASTURE FEATURE ...................23 – 26 MARKETS .................................................. 22 ANIMAL HEALTH ...................................20
MACHINERY....................................27 – 30
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
NEWS // 3
DENNNINGTON FACTORY TO RE-OPEN Feed company, ProviCo is buying the Fonterra’s Dennington manufacturing site. The two companies have signed an agreement to complete the sale by April 22. Dennington closed down last year, throwing about 70 people out of work. ProviCo is an Australian-owned animal nutrition company established in 2003. It is Australia’s largest supplier of calf milk replacers, manufacturing a range of feed and vitamin fortified products for animals including cattle, dairy, sheep, horses and pigs. Fonterra Australia managing director René Dedoncker said the sale is good news for Dennington and its surrounding community. “Since we announced the factory’s closure in May, we’ve been working with potential buyers to find a commercially viable and sustainable future for the site, and we’re pleased to be selling the factory to ProviCo with all of its operational capabilities and assets intact. “The sale creates a new chapter for the factory, which has been an important part of the Dennington community for more than 100 years,” Mr Dedoncker said. ProviCo Australia managing director, Andrew Paterson, said that the sale will create new jobs for the Dennington community and provide environmental benefits for the agriculture industry. “Active in the circular economy, our business is focused on salvaging raw materials and turning them into animal nutrition products. This helps the food industry minimise their waste costs and ProviCo’s products improve farm performance and health of animals and soils. “As well as creating local jobs, we’re committed to sustainability and sustainable initiatives are a big part of our plans.” Mr Paterson said the Dennington site would be a hub for sustainability programs around renewable energy and sustainable farming products. ProviCo will use the site to manufacture a range of animal nutrition foods that deliver health and performance benefits for infant and production animals. As part of the sale agreement, ProviCo will also take over the responsibility of the Dennington memorabilia hall and its content. The Dennington church and its hall are not included in the sale. Fonterra is in discussions with the Warrnambool Council on the future of the church and its hall and hopes to have an outcome soon.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
4 // FIRES
Many hands help farmers recover from bushfires JEANETTE SEVERS
WITH 21 camps in NSW and more to open,
BlazeAid is well and truly on the ground, helping farmers in recovery from bushfire. According to BlazeAid founder, Kevin Butler, the organisation is hosting an average 1000 volunteers each day, clearing properties and erecting new fences. Each fencing team has at least one experienced fencer with them. “Conservatively, we’ve erected 500 km of fencing between Kangaroo Island and northern NSW,” Mr Butler said. “We’ve cleaned up 700 km of damaged fences. Both figures are probably a lot more. The figures are collated at each camp every day and we will total them up at the end of June.” It’s people power that returns the favour. Many volunteers have been recipients of BlazeAid efforts in the past 10 years, after floods and other bushfires. “For every 12 volunteers, we do a kilometre of fencing in a day. In January and February, we’ve done 60 days of work,” Mr Butler said. An updated map of the existing BlazeAid camps is online, at blazeaid.com.au/ map-of-blaizeaid-camps/ More than 400 properties have registered for help from the BlazeAid Cobargo camp, where more than 6000 volunteer hours have already been completed, including erecting fences for Lions Clubs Need for Feed has delivered more than $ 5million worth of donated hay and silage into bushfire-affected dairy farmer Tim Salway. communities in Victoria and NSW. This truck was delivering a load of fodder from Shepparton farmers to southern NSW. There is an estimated more than 20 000 km of fencing remaining to be completed, in the next six to nine months, in the Cobargo region. Cheese and donated a shed of hay to other dairy Quaama dairyfarmers Richard and Debbie Platts full hay shed to local dairy farmers. “The two most distressing things for a dairy farmers in the Bega Valley. turned up with 45 cows to add to the Shipton Feed and milking support farmer are not being able to milk and not being “Bega Cheese organised the trucks and freight herd. “They turned up with 45 milkers and gave able to feed your cows,” he said. The Lions Clubs Need for Feed program has and sorted it all out. I only had to open up my “It was easy to say, go to my shed.” them to us,” Mr Shipton said. also been active, delivered $5 million worth of shed,” Mr Shipton said. Paying back a debt was high on the agenda So when the Shipton dairy farm escaped Bega Cheese organised the trucks, covered donated hay to bushfire affected areas in Victoria and NSW. In the Bega Valley, that is on top of for Michael Shipton when the New Year’s Day harm from these bushfires but their neighbours, the cost of freight and co-ordinated delivery to family and friends were reeling, with livestock, 20 of its affected suppliers. Mr and Mrs Shipton donations from local dairy farmers and feed bushfires hit the Bega Valley on December 30. Four years ago, Michael and Ancret Shipton, fences, pasture and buildings burned, Mr Shipton also paid for a B-double of oaten hay to be merchants to bushfire-affected dairy farmers. Michael Shipton answered the call from Bega of Candelo, NSW, lost 70 cows to facial eczema. jumped in to help. The young family offered its brought in from Brown Mountain and distributed
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
FIRES // 5 among fellow dairy farmers. “We paid for the hay and our transporter, Belubula Valley Hay from Canowindra, covered the cost of freight,” he said. He and his farm worker, Jeremy Spindler, and electrician, Rod Camilleri, took the Shiptons’ mobile generator on tour. The 25KVA stand-alone generator, on its own trailer, is normally used to power the centre pivot. They also took jerry cans of fuel with them so other farmers could boost their own supplies. “The generator is quite handy around the farm. We went to four dairies and Rod wired in the generator and we helped milk the cows,” Mr Shipton said. “Everyone only missed one milking, before the power was back on. “Then Rod went back and rewired their dairies so they were back to normal.”
Friends and business pitch in Mr Shipton and Mr Spindler also spent two days helping friends, Aaron and Emma Salway and Tim and Leanne Salway, at Cobargo, whose brother and father, Patrick and Robert Salway, died in the bushfires. All of them have dairy farms hit by bushfires and losses include a considerable number of dairy cows. “They have a lot to deal with and Jeremy and I went up there for two days, cleaning up and fencing. We’ll go back to give them more help soon,” Mr Shipton said.
“Because of the help we received from the Platts, we wanted to give back. We got to the Salways immediately because they needed help. “ I t w a s i m p o r t a n t to h e l p p e o p l e straightaway.” Bega Cheese field officers have been assisting local dairy farmers, with the company quick to organise fodder, fuel, generators, water and other supplies, and getting road access to pick up milk. Dairy farmers were also reassured they would be paid for the milk they had to dump before a milk truck could get to their farm.
Defence force provides water safety Heavy rainfall in the region has impacted water supplies, with the Brogo Dam spilling in mid-February. But the rainfall brought heavy sediment and debris out of the catchment and the water from Brogo Dam was declared unsafe. Up to a million litres per day of water was being carted from Bega and Level Four water restrictions were introduced. Enter the Australian Defence Force, on February 18. The ADF has established a water purifying and desalination system on Brogo One Reservoir for the Brogo-Bermagui region. It is a similar system to ones the ADF installs overseas in disaster recovery scenarios. A similar operation is under way on Kangaroo Island. The Brogo River catchment is primarily for agricultural needs and household use. A second water purification and desalination system was installed at Brogo Dam, in late February. The responsible water authority is seeking a permanent solution to filtering the water. ADF personnel have also been assisting BlazeAid, providing personnel and engineers to deconstruct and erect fencing, particularly in the public-private land interface. The ADF has completed fodder drops in the district, with more than 21 600 kg of hay delivered to NSW farmers, of a total 1 344 075 kg freighted by air and road to farmers. They have also been active in delivering water to farm dams. Farmer, Rod Daisley, of Tumbarumba, received a delivery of 15 000 litres of water for one of his farm dams. Bega Valley Shire is continuing to organise community meetings to support farmers and residents in its region during the long bushfire recovery phase.
BlazeAid at work in the Cobargo district, cleaning up sites and erecting fences. There is an estimated nine months work ahead of the volunteers.
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Farmer Rod Daisley, of Tumbarumba, received a delivery of 15 000 litres of water for one of his farm dams from the RAAF.
Dairy farmer Tim Salway has benefited from the assistance of BlazeAid volunteers.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
6 // OPINION
Cows, lights, action: farmer Jess accepts her Oscar
YOU CAN’T deny the passion Pennsylvanian farmer
Jessica Peters has for the dairy industry. Jess aims to educate the public on the day to day running of her family dairy farm through her Instagram page ‘seejessfarm’ and she is also a regular contributor to popular United States’ dairy magazine Hoards Dairyman. When Joaquin Phoenix denounced dairy farming to millions of people in his recent Oscar’s speech, Jess was of course angry — but knows it’s better to get even than get angry, so she decided to write her own acceptance speech. “Instead of matching hate with hate, I’d rather show the world how much I love this life and what it has meant to me,” Jess said. She has allowed us to reproduce it here in Australia. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. I can’t believe I’m standing up here right now. This thing is way heavier than I expected it to be, and so shiny! This is so unexpected; I didn’t even prepare a speech! I have so many people to thank. I think I’ll be thanking all the people who got me here for the rest of my life. Thanks to the Academy for this honour. Obviously, I want to thank Steven Spielberg for taking a chance on me. Never having acted before, I owe you an ice cream cone! He knows what that means. A huge thanks goes out to Chris Hemsworth for playing my love interest; the chemistry was undeniable. And Meryl, how could I not up my acting game with a legend like Meryl Streep in my corner. Look, I’m no Hollywood hotshot; I’m just a dairy farmer who recently discovered that she’s an amazing actress. Growing up on a dairy farm was the role of a lifetime. I knew the value of hard work and never took the fun times for granted. I learned how to appreciate the miracle of life
and to respect the sacrifice of death. Although animals are not our equal, it was easy to see that it was our responsibility to treat them with the love and respect with which we treat each other. Those animals taught me so much. They taught me how to listen even though they don’t speak and showed me how it feels to truly love what you do. There’s something so old-fashioned and yet futuristic in working the land with your own hands. It’s an honour working the same land that’s been passed down from generation to generation while preserving it for the generations to come. Farmers all over the world literally work their fingers to the bone to give us the things we need to survive. The food we ate tonight. Farmers. The building we’re sitting in. Farmers. The clothes we’re wearing and the alcohol we’ll be drinking later? *pause for laughter* Thank a farmer. A lot of people out there think farmers are part of the problem, when we are really part of the solution. Look, before they play me off, I need to thank the people who really got me here. Farming is truly a team sport, and I couldn’t have hand-picked a better team than my family. There really is nothing like spending a long day working side-by-side with the people you love the most. So, from this farm kid to the world, thanks. Now, let’s party until the cows come home — because someone else is milking them tonight. Jess and her younger brother Cole bought into the family farm, Spruce Row Farm and they are now the fifth generation of their family to farm the land. Together with their parents Jeff and Janet, they milk 250 Jerseys on 243 ha. Jess describes her farm as a typical set up — the family milk twice a day and grow their own crops of corn and alfalfa with the help of one full-time employee and four part-timers. “Keeping our labour costs low is one of the ways we’ve been able to survive in this business,” Jess said. They take pride in their stock and have over the years produced some of the top Jerseys in the country for production, components, and genetics. Jess said uneducated people including celebrities have been targeting the dairy industry for years. “The problem is they have people constantly whispering in their ear and I don’t know many farmers who live similar lives to celebrities. “Between economic, political, and regulatory issues farmers are definitely feeling the odds stacked against them. Public perception of what we do is making it worse, for sure. Like many dairy farmers around the world, Jess is unsure of the future that awaits her and the next generation. “I hope it means continuing to farm, but no-one’s future is a certain right now,” she said.
Advertising Max Hyde 0408 558 938 max.hyde@dairynewsaustralia.com.au Editor Geoff Adams (03) 5820 3229 editor@dairynewsaustralia.com.au Dairy News Australia is published by Shepparton Newspapers Pty Ltd. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the staff, management or directors of Shepparton Newspapers Pty Ltd.
EDITORIAL
Regional editor news@dairynewsaustralia.com.au
Time to ask “Are you Okay?” Last month’s Australian Dairy Conference broke new ground with a confronting presentation on an industry issue. It wasn’t about the dairy plan, or climate change, or the milk price, but something closer to home, and something much less talked about at industry workshops. Three young people opened up about their experience with grief, mental illness and hardship. Dairy farming can be an isolating and tiring business. The cold, dark, chilly mornings are invigorating and stimulating for a healthy person who enjoys the support of family and friends, but the same peaceful and quiet surroundings can be a challenge to those undergoing the stress of business pressures, family turmoil or in times of loss. The National Centre for Farmer Health notes there is some evidence that the incidence of stress and depression is higher for farmers. In Australia, male farmers die by suicide at rates significantly higher than the general population and nonfarming rural males. But farmers tend to be an independent lot, proud of our personal strength, and reluctant to ask for health. In years gone by, seeking out help may have been stymied by a sense of weakness, the idea that mental health was something that other people wrestled with. And so, we sometimes talked about (or didn’t talk about) depression and feelings of anxiety in hushed tones and with knowing looks. Maybe because it was too close to home; something we knew about, only too well. The first steps in facing up to the realities of mental health, start with an acknowledgement that it is a genuine illness and a realisation that it can happen to any of us, and that it can be treated. It’s important to remember that depression and anxiety are common conditions, not weaknesses, and with the right treatment, most people recover. The three stories told at the recent Dairy Conference in Melbourne, were greeted in hushed silence by the audience, but at the conclusion any doubt about the relevance was washed away by the strong applause offered by the 500 delegates. Maybe there was a feeling that this was something at last being brought out into the open. An opportunity now, to talk about the issues around the kitchen table; something to raise in farm staff meetings, and permission to say to our neighbour: “Are you okay?” If this article has raised any issues for you, you can telephone Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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Dairy News Australia welcomes contributions from stakeholders in the dairy industry, and particularly from organisations wishing to advance the industry. Contributions and photos can be sent to: editor@dairynewsaustralia.com.au Letters to the editor on topical issues are also welcome. Letters should be concise and carry the name and town address of the author, as well as a contact phone number, not for publication.
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
NEWS // 7
Help for scholars HEADING TO university has just been made a little easier for a group of students awarded a Gardiner Dairy Foundation scholarship. Tertiary scholars Kaitlyn Wishart from Mead, Grace Thulborn, Warrnambool, Emily Robins, Cohuna Olivia Henzen, Camperdown, Chelsea Hicks, Calivil; Courtney Zuidema, Yanakie and Max Bond, Timboon will all receive a $10 000 scholarship for the next three years of their tertiary schooling. Gardiner Dairy Foundation chief executive Clive Noble said the scholarships were an important investment of Gardiner Dairy Foundation’s People and Community Development portfolio to help rural students who faced high living away
MARKET GROWTH FOR MILK SECTOR
from home costs. “These scholarships help overcome some of the barriers to obtaining a tertiary education, such as travel and accommodation,” Dr Nobel said. The scholarships are awarded to students from dairy areas who undertake studies that have the potential to benefit the Victorian dairy industry or dairy communities in the future. Applications for 2021 Tertiary Scholarships will open in August 2020. For more information, visit gardinerfoundation.com.au/people-community/#tert or email Richard Meredith at richard.meredith@ gardinerfoundation.com.au
2020 Gardiner Foundation tertiary scholars Grace Thulborn, Warrnambool (Shirley Harlock scholarship) Grace will study a Bachelor of Nursing/ Bachelor of Psychological Science (double degree) at Deakin University, Geelong. She grew up on a farm at Mortlake and now lives in Warrnambool. She plans to focus on the physical and mental health needs of people living in small dairy communities where high quality healthcare is often overlooked. Emily Robins, Cohuna (Doug Weir scholarship) Emily has a passion for dairy cows and elite breeding. She will undertake a Bachelor of Commerce/ Bachelor of Agricultural Science (double degree) at Latrobe University, Bundoora. On completion of her studies Emily plans to work in the dairy industry as an adviser helping dairy farmers in making sustainable technical and financial decisions in a rapidly changing world. Olivia Henzen, Camperdown (Jakob Malmo scholarship) Olivia comes from a dairy farm at Camperdown and will study for a Bachelor of Agriculture at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga. She plans to work with dairy farmers
as an adviser helping them to gain maximum production at minimal cost and to maintain sustainable farming systems. Courtney Zuidema, Yanakie (Niel Black scholarship) Courtney comes from a dairy farm at Yanakie and has enrolled in a Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Secondary Health and Physical Education at Monash University, Mornington Peninsula. She plans to teach in a dairy community where she hopes to provide inspiration and motivation to young people through a creative and stimulating learning environment. Max Bond, Timboon (Niel Black scholarship) Max comes from a dairy farm at Timboon and has enrolled in an Advanced Diploma of Agribusiness Management and Diploma of Agronomy at Longerenong Agricultural College. Max plans to bring new knowledge and technologies into dairy farming and to share ideas and innovation among his fellow dairy farmers through participating in discussion groups in south-west Victoria.
Australia’s dairy sector can expect continued growth in demand while overall production will remain flat to 2030 compared to 2018 levels, according to research released by ANZ today. The Milk Run report found that despite recent challenges faced by the industry, the market opportunities which have driven dairy growth and innovation over the past two decades remain as strong as ever. Commenting on the report, Head of Agribusiness at ANZ Mark Bennett said as with most major agricultural industries, the Australian dairy industry had been through a period of significant structural change in recent years. “However, for those producers who are profitable today, the outlook is strong for prices as processors look to secure supply,” Mr Bennet said. The outlook for exports also remains strong with demand from East Asia continuing its positive growth, particularly for fluid milk and cheese exports.” “For consumers, the pricing outlook for retail milk and dairy product is unclear, and will be driven by a number of variables. Factors that will impact shelf prices include changes in sourcing, offtakepricing and milk production, as will strategic and marketing decisions made by retailers about milk prices in relation to wider supermarket pricing strategies. At the same time, the growing range of new dairy products available to consumers continues to present fresh opportunities for newer and smaller processors. The Milk Run — key findings: The continuation of current trends
would see milk production remain flat for the next decade compared with 2018, as higher cash costs would see milk production rebounding on the dip in production felt in 2019 but rising to just over 9400 Ml/year compared with the 2018 production year. A constrained domestic production and ever-increasing demand for milk and dairy products in East Asia is likely to spell future strong prices for those dairy producers remaining in the industry. The impact of the recent bushfires, while locally devastating, is unlikely to have a significant impact on national milk supply. Australian milk production looks set to continue to be flat for the short term with current trends resulting in production in Queensland continuing to decline, while the primary source of growth being seen in the southern states, particularly Tasmania, where production would rise by 20 per cent by 2030. Lower production in the major production countries should bode well for prices in the future, however many in the industry are concerned that consumers have limited tolerance for higher prices. The future of retail milk prices remains uncertain following the end of $1 milk in the major supermarkets. Depending on whether retailers continue to keep a lid on prices, the price of a litre of milk could increase at an average of between 1.4 and 2.8 per cent a year until 2030. Processors are likely to face the most significant challenges going forward as they look to make best use of manufacturing capacity and growing export markets with lower milk supply and a shifting supply base.
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8 // NEWS
Trish on mission to help dairy youth EVERY YEAR International Dairy Week cel-
ebrates a woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the dairy industry through the Power of Women in Dairy Bette Hall award. In 2020 Trish McGraw joined former winners Lisa Broad, Pam Malcolm, Jenny Gray and Lyn Boyd. Trish grew up at Nirranda South in the Western District on her parents Lincrest Jersey and Charmwoods Guernsey Studs. Her earliest childhood memories involve exhibiting cattle at Melbourne Royal ensuring her love of showing and good cattle was developed from a very young age. In the late ’70s and early ’80s as a single mother she wanted her children to have the same great experience showing cattle as she had growing up, so she developed a very successful red poll stud which saw her crowned most successful exhibitor at Melbourne Royal nine times. In 1986 she teamed up with husband Stuart McGraw and settled in Gippsland where together they developed the very successful Glen Afton
Ayrshire stud. The couple milked 100 cows through a walk through. Trish was very hands on and heavily involved in all of the breeding decisions. She loved studying pedigrees and wasn’t afraid to invest in the best, purchasing Brookfield Belle Star for $7500 at Merv Burgmann’s dispersal, an Australian record at the time. Trish laughs as she said Stuart’s eyes got bigger and bigger as the price for Belle Star crept up and up. The Glen Afton Stud soon became the third highest Ayrshire production herd in the country as their success in the show ring continued to rise. The couple dominated Melbourne Royal’s Ayrshire Show in the late ’80s and early ’90s, with best udder, champion cow, intermediate and junior champion awards. In the centenary year of the Ayrshire Society (1991) they bred and owned champion cow Glen Afton Lucy Patsy. In the mid ’90s the world Ayrshire Conference
Bette Hall award winners Jenny Gray, Pam Malcolm, Trish McGraw (2020 winner) Lisa Broad and Lyn Boyd.
was held in the United States and a call was put out for embryos — Brookfield Belle Star was selected to represent Australia and the McCraws became the first stud to export Ayrshire embryos to America. Trish has always been involved in her local Ayrshire club and loves to promote the breed. She has always been passionate about helping youth and has been involved with VASV organising and providing cows for junior judging competitions at local and state level. In 1993 she drove kids up to Hurlstone Ag
School, near Sydney, to participate in an Ayrshire youth camp; she stayed and helped the whole week — the following year she started up her own at Lang Lang which was a huge success. Now 80-years young she is just as passionate about the Ayrshire Breed as was she was years ago and continues to promote and develop the cows and breed she so very much loves.
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
NEWS // 9
Lactalis Australia closes Rockhampton factory LACTALIS AUSTRALIA has announced the
closure of its Rockhampton factory from the end of February. The company said it had recently completed an analysis of the Queensland manufacturing capabilities and has made changes to the Lactalis Rockhampton and Lactalis South Brisbane factories, due to a changing milk supply from the Queensland region. “This decision was not taken lightly, however the factory has not been processing at full capacity for a number of years and is only in operation three to four days per week with redirected milk supplies from south eastern Queensland,” the company said in a statement.
“The welfare of the 47 Lactalis Australia employees at the Rockhampton factory is our top priority, and we will be working closely with everyone who is affected by the closure.” The company said all forms of support would be available to its employees throughout this transition time, including looking for opportunities where it could redeploy staff to different Lactalis locations. Lactalis Australia will also be scaling back the production of yoghurt at the South Brisbane factory this year. The company said there was insufficient farm milk in Queensland to also support yoghurt manufacturing so the factory has relied on
transporting milk from other states to meet demand. Yogurt manufacture will transition to other Lactalis factories in Victoria and Tasmania which will reduce transportation requirements of milk between the states. Queensland Dairy Organisation president and Lactalis supplier Brian Tessman said declining supply over the last decade meant that the closure of the Rockhampton plant was inevitable. “While this certainly will be a devastating blow to those employed at the Rockhampton plant, the closure should not affect the dairy farmers currently supplying to Lactalis,” Mr Tessman said.
“Production into the Rockhampton factory has been sporadic for a while now. Milk produced in the Central Queensland region for Lactalis will simply be transported down and processed in either the Nambour or South Brisbane factories. Only farms around Biggenden and to the north have had their milk going regularly to Rocky.’” Before deregulation in 2000 Queensland produced 848 million litres a year and had more than 1500 farms. Queensland milk production has dropped by more than 15 per cent each year from 2018 to 2019 and expected to continue to decline due to ongoing drought and the number for farm closures.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
10 // AUSTRALIAN DAIRY CONFERENCE
Dairy culture change needed NATIONAL DAIRY leader Jeff Odgers has
Dairy Australia chair Jeff Odgers.
warned the industry needs a culture check and has to address some broader issues if it is going to move ahead. Speaking at the opening of last week’s
Setting new benchmarks for late season quality
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Australian Dairy Conference, the Ardmona farmer — who is chair of Dairy Australia — raised a number of issues, consistent with the theme of the event “Dairy Cultures”. “I’m going to start by saying as much as I love this industry … Australian dairy gets a little weaker every day,” Mr Odgers said. “We have a lot of great people and a proud history of successes, inclusive of being the world’s fourth largest dairy exporter. “But I reckon many of us sense — more than that, we feel — that this industry has lost momentum.” He acknowledged the milk pricing shocks of 2016 damaged the relationship between farmers and processors and diminished trust. Processors were now grappling with a smaller national milk pool and a very competitive and changed market environment. “Farmers are searching for margin and stable trading conditions in their farm systems,” Mr Odgers said. “At the same time trying to navigate climate change, deeper droughts, heightened volatility in markets and access to resources. “Increasing scale and complexity have driven the need for deeper and broader skills. “We have successful businesses in all regions, but data sets point to greater challenges with profit and greater risk across the board.” While there were improved milk prices this year across the board the industry was still under pressure. “In reality, we’ve seen a performance decline in the profitability of the Australian supply chain,” Mr Odgers said. “A range of factors, a number beyond our control, have contributed. “Our many organisations are not always on the same page. “It follows that when groups of people are dealing with hardship and feel under pressure, or threat, they will gather in places where they feel those issues can be best shared and understood. “In a country as large and diverse as Australia, trying to deal with issues solely on a localised region or state basis, results in a fragmentation of effort. “Fragmentation of the industry is hurting stakeholders.” However, Mr Odgers did point to some broad positives: Milk consumption remains strong and Australia has one of the highest per capita rates of dairy consumption in the world. Butter and yoghurt consumption continue to grow. An overwhelming majority of the public trust dairy — 70 per cent of people trust the dairy industry, 84 per cent trust dairy as wholesome and healthy and there continues to be growing support for dairy farmers. “Given these positives, some might say the challenges we face aren’t necessarily ‘all on the outside’,” Mr Odgers said. “The changes we need to contemplate will need to come ‘from within’.” He urged a change in mindset, where farmers were not shy about acknowledging their successes and who understood that great things had been accomplished from humble beginnings. The full text of Mr Odgers’ address is on the Dairy Australia website.
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
FIRES // 11
Communities rally to bushfire recovery
Leanne Jennings with Jaswinder Singh and Sukhwinder Kaur, members of the Sikh community who cooked and donated 1000 meals three times a day for the Bairnsdale refuge centre, for 17 days.
JEANETTE SEVERS
GRASSROOTS RECOVERY has outstripped
official government responses during and after the bushfires that hit East Gippsland. While roads were closed for some weeks because of the danger from bushfires and falling trees, halting commerce, it also isolated individuals and communities. Local businesses, organisations and individuals, BlazeAid and Lions clubs are among those who rallied to support those affected by bushfire since mid-November and, particularly, in the period December 29 to January 15.
Hay and silage The Boisdale Drought Breaker and Bushfire Appeal and Lions Need for Feed has kept truckloads of hay rolling into the region, many donated by farmers and stockfeed merchants in central Gippsland, from further afield in Victoria and from interstate. The Boisdale Appeal, in partnership with Elders Maffra, received so many donations from their customers and the local community, on January 3 they were able to donate 10 pallets of fencing, perishables, pet food and animal fodder to farmers in the Buchan Valley. Many of those farmers were still dealing with bushfires, while simultaneously trying to clean up fences and sheds burned in late December. On January 5, more than 70 trucks delivered hay to farms at Omeo, Tambo Crossing, Swifts Creek, Bruthen, Buchan, Newmerella and Orbost. The effort was co-ordinated by Elders Bairnsdale and included 25 trucks under the Lions Need for Feed banner. The hay has continued to roll in since, from all over Australia. Lions Club Need for Feed program has delivered $5 million worth of donated hay to bushfire affected areas. In mid-February, 700 rolls of hay and silage were donated by King Island farmers to East Gippsland cattle breeders. The collection, transport across Bass Strait and delivery were organised by the Lions Club of King Island. Mossiface dairy farmer, Craig Calvert, has been co-ordinating local hay deliveries, including from AgForce Queensland, Victorian Farmers
Federation and Lions Need for Feed. “Our farm is a central repository for fodder and other supplies for other farmers,” he said. “Some of the feed is waiting to go into Bemm River and Wallagaraugh.” While East Gippsland is in its fourth year of drought, recent rains have produced two flash floods in the Tambo and Bruthen Valleys. For Bruthen dairy farmer Peter Jennings, it means he has to use a truck with two, 2500 litre tubs, to bring in water for his house, dairy and livestock. Normally, Mr Jennings relies on the Tambo River for his water supply. Ash, burnt trees and other bushfire debris washing out of the mountains into the river has contaminated his domestic and farm water supply for the past month.
Fresh food and cooked meals The Australian Sikh community arrived in Bairnsdale to assist at the local refuge centre in early January, providing 1000 freshly cooked meals three times a day. It was a move that forged strong links with Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House and the local community. “The Sikh community was here for 17 days, cooking meals for the refuge centre,” Ms Jennings said. Funding for the ingredients was provided by the Australian Sikh community and largely spent in Bairnsdale supermarkets and grocery stores. The team worked out of the kitchens of Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House. “We provided them with cooking facilities, rubbish collection and disposal,” Ms Jennings said. “They also provided emotional support to a lot of people at the refuge centre.” BNH also utilised their van and cool room, to provide cooked meals and hampers of fresh food — meat, vegetables, fruit, bread and dairy — to communities that were hampered by road closures, including Club Terrace, Clifton Creek, Sarsfield, Gelantipy, Tambo Crossing and Ensay. It was fresh food that supplemented the dry goods dropped into communities by the Australian Defence Force personnel. “We aimed to deliver food that met people’s individual dietary and medical needs, including allergies and health issues such as diabetes,” Ms Jennings said.
Emmy Broch saw the bushfires reported in media at home in Holland and travelled to Bairnsdale to volunteer at Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House, where she helped deliver hampers of food and cleaning products to bushfire-affected communities.
Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House CEO Leanne Jennings and volunteers Simon Watson and Matt Stephenson, who helped deliver 375 hampers and thousands of freshly cooked meals into bushfire-affected communities across East Gippsland.
“We also delivered buckets with sugar soap and cleaning cloths so people could start removing smoke stains from their homes that survived. “Resources were donated by Bunnings, FoodBank, Second Bite and local supermarkets and purchased with donations given to the House. “People very much appreciated the individual response to them. We also did home-cooked meals and delivered these to people who were living in their communities, rebuilding fences and feeding livestock.” About 375 hampers were delivered, many with the assistance of a Dutch woman, Emmy Broch, who arrived from Holland after seeing international coverage of the bushfires.
with a volunteer staff of more than 100 people. “They built it in just two days and it operated for 14 days straight,” said Simon Walsh, local paramedic and one of the volunteer organisers. “We helped around 800 people who walked in to the Lucknow Hall with only the clothes on their backs. Many had lost homes and many, many more had been evacuated from their homes with little time to grab anything. “We provided clothes, food, water, toiletries, bedding, fuel, breathing masks, pet food, stock feed, accommodation and, probably most importantly, we provided an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on.”
Focus on local economic fabric Ms Jennings has been involved in disaster recovery in East Gippsland for more than two decades and was scathing of the official response. “I found the co-ordination of this bushfire recovery response was appalling. Every time we have had a disaster, we have reviewed what happened and developed procedures for next time. What happened to those plans this time?” she said. “There was a lot of food donated from outside the area, which has to have affected our local supermarkets and grocery stores. Same with the amount of dog food and pellets donated from out of the area. “If we over-give, which is what has happened, that destroys the economic fabric of the local community.”
Mental health workshops Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House has received Commonwealth government funding to support the Rural Minds program, a mental health program for people affected by the ongoing drought and the bushfires. “They are mental health workshops designed for the farming community, delivered by the farming community,” Ms Jennings said.
Co-ordinating donations and a listening ear In Bairnsdale, Wendy McPhan and Jodie Crane thought they might collect a few donated goods to help people affected by bushfires on December 30 and 31. Their idea rapidly escalated as it became apparent hundreds of people needed help. With friends, family and strangers, they built a small supermarket at Lucknow Hall, that included a supply chain, three warehouses, a distribution centre, transport and delivery service, along
Bulk orders of emergency supplies Along with Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House, the group supplied bulk orders of emergency supplies to 22 East Gippsland communities. Like the livestock agents who co-ordinated fodder transport into farms, they were able to freight supplies in on the back of CFA convoys and used local knowledge to avoid dangerous bushfire activity areas. “We were able to provide new socks to CFA firefighters who had been away from home for weeks, we supplied toilet paper and P2 masks to the official relief centres,” Mr Walsh said. “We supplied 200 bed sets upon the request of authorities, to be flown in to Mallacoota. “Thank you to the ‘personal shoppers’ who took so many traumatised people under their wings and provided the shoulder to cry on, as well as help with the task of shopping.” Local businesses provided vehicles and logistical support and donated goods were delivered from across the Victorian community.
Fencing volunteers While the bushfire clean-up and recovery continues, BlazeAid, a volunteer organisation that removes and repairs fences after bushfires and floods, has five camps open in East Gippsland, co-ordinating volunteers at Sarsfield, Bruthen, in the Buchan Valley, Ensay, Omeo, Noorinbee and Cann River. Kevin Butler, founder of Blazeaid, said about 500 km of new fencing has been erected and 700 km of burnt fencing has been cleaned up, in bushfire-affected areas between Kangaroo Island and northern NSW. “That’s a conservative figure,” he said. “We’ve had about 1000 volunteers working each day, for 60 days in January and February.” The map for BlazeAid camps is at blazeaid. com.au/map-of-blaizeaid-camps/
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
12 // AUSTRALIAN DAIRY CONFERENCE
What do we want? WYUNA DAIRY farmer Brendan Hehir set the
scene for February’s Australian Dairy Conference when he outlined his personal aspirations for the dairy industry. Mr Hehir, a Nuffield scholar who runs an organic dairy farm, is the chair of the program committee for the annual conference. “In the longer term I’d love to raise a family on the farm and give them a similar experience to which so many of us here today have experienced,” Mr Hehir said. “I want them to speak positively about the dairy farm and be proud of being part of a dairy farming family, as I have been proud. “I want to ensure we farm sustainably,
leaving the land in the best condition for the next generation. “I want to be part of an industry that doesn’t just grow for the sake of growth, but is a world leader, producing healthy, nutritious food that consumers demand. “I want leaders who promote and support the different production systems that will cater for this consumer. “I hope, that if we have the culture right, that our children will aspire to become the next generation.” About 500 people attended the annual conference, held in Melbourne.
Australian Dairy Conference program chair Brendan Hehir.
2 0 2 0 GA CONFERENCE
WITH KEYNOTE SPEAKER JUAN MORENO, ST GENETICS 1 8 t h M A R C H - C O N F E R E N C E , TA B C O R P PA R K , M E LT O N 1 9 th - 2 0 th M A R C H - T O U R , S O U T H & W E S T G I P P S L A N D Some of our guest speakers include:
JUAN MORENO
CEO, Sexing Technologies
Juan Moreno is founder and CEO of global livestock reproduction innovators Sexing Technologies® and STgenetics® based in Navasota, Texas. Juan received his bachelor’s degree in Dairy Science and a master’s degree in Reproductive Physiology from Texas A&M University. In 2002 Juan and his business partner, Maurice Rosenstein, were granted a license to sex sort livestock semen using a flow cytometry process. Juan will provide some insight into how Semen Sexing will tackle current and emerging issues faced by dairy farmers, with an insight into the research undergone by Sexing Technologies.
JENNIE PRYCE
Principal Research Scientist, Agriculture Victoria Research
Prof. Jennie Pryce is a specialist in dairy genetics and genomics at Agriculture Victoria Research and La Trobe University. In 2019 Jennie was named as the top cited scholar in her field by the League of Scholars and is also the recipient of the coveted JL Lush Award for outstanding research in animal breeding. Jennie holds a leadership position with DataGene & is responsible for driving genetic gain and herd improvement in the Australian dairy industry. Jennie has made significant contributions to genomic selection applied to improvement of dairy cow health, fertility, feed efficiency and heat tolerance and this will be the focus of her presentation.
DR KY POHLER
Assistant Professor Department of Animal Science, Texas A & M University, U.S.A
Dr. Ky Pohler is an Assistant Professor and a member of the graduate faculty in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University, U.S.A. Ky received a Master’s of Science and Ph.D. from the University of Missouri and was previously on faculty at the University of Tennessee. Ky’s research interests focus on understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms that control reproductive efficiency in cattle. More specifically his lab is interested in the mechanisms that lead to embryonic and fetal mortality in cattle and development of management strategies to overcome these losses which Ky will elaborate on during his presentation.
For more information please visit www.genaust.com.au Freecall: 1800 039 047
www.genaust.com.au
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
14 // AUSTRALIAN DAIRY CONFERENCE XBOX IN THE DAIRY
At the opening function for the conference were Thomas Kent from Kent Agricultural at Yannathan, Gippsland, with Kimberley Warner, also from Kent Agricultural and Claire Slater from Ellinbank.
Attending the opening function at the conference were Claire Healey, from Allflex, Melbourne, Kirstyn McKay from Allfflex and John Leddin from Allflex, Kilmore.
Jana Hocken, spoke about introducing efficient concepts to farm, gathered from almost 20 years experience in engineering, rail, aerospace, defence, health and finance sectors.
At the Australian Dairy Conference, were Claire Baumber, from NAB Agribusiness, Shepparton, farmer Kate Chynoweth and farmer Nick Bowley from Hehir Trading.
Clever use of an Xbox sensor and specialised software has resulted in a young Sydney student winning a young scientist award at the Australian Dairy Conference. John Gardenier has invented a device which can detect lameness in dairy cattle. Considered as an esteemed pathway for aspiring early-stage scientists, the Young Dairy Science Award sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, provides early-age scientists an environment to present, discuss and connect with leading dairy farmers and industry from around the country. Mr Gardenier was one of six young students who presented their work to 500 delegates at the conference. His presentation, ‘How now lame cow — automatic lameness detection’ looked at taking existing technologies and machine vision, such as used in an Xbox, to track and scan the gait of dairy cows to detect and monitor lameness. Mr Gardenier is about to complete his PhD with Sydney University.
He has spent a number of years working on the project and sees the next phase of its development would require trials on dairy farms. ADC Scientific Director and ‘Young Dairy Scientist Award’ Co-ordinator Richard Rawnsley said the award has become a notable high-level tertiary competition for emerging researchers offering an opportunity to showcase their research at a broader industry level and to the ultimate end-users, dairy farmers. “The intention of the Young Dairy Scientist Award is to put the spotlight on new and emerging research that has the capacity to contribute to the future competitiveness of the Australian dairy industry,” he said. “The award is designed to nurture scientific excellence and the young scientists must convince fellow dairy farmers and scientists that their research is soundly based and has exciting implications for the future of the dairy industry.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
16 // FEATURE
Merv and Mary Williamson inside the old dairy.
No signs of slowing down for dairying couple Merv Williamson in the conventional style walk-through shed.
AFTER 60 years milking cows Merv Williamson
still enjoys the work and does not see any reason to stop. Merv, 84, and his wife, Mary, 85, farm probably the last dairy business left in Whittlesea, a district north of Melbourne, which was once a peaceful village setting, and is becoming an outer residential suburb of Australia’s fast growing city. When Merv and Mary took over running the farm, nestled between picturesque Kinglake and the Whittlesea plains, the closest traffic light was in Preston, 20 km away. Today their 100 ha Em-jay Stud is tucked away at the end of a 1.2 km driveway, in a saucer-like dip in the landscape and it could be anywhere in south-eastern Australia, but is surrounded by 10 ha lifestyle properties. Merv and Mary milk about 20 cows in an oldstyle walk-through dairy that Merv built. Mary drops the grain supplement into the Mary Williamson refills the feed trough in the conventional shed with a saucepan.
bails with a recycled saucepan. Merv and Mary raise their own replacements on whole milk, supplemented with some grain, and also provide a few heifers for their grandchildren who are in farming. On the day Dairy News arrived, Merv was on the John Deere tractor, mowing grass to help make the dry pastures a little more palatable. During the hay season, Merv cuts and rakes the grass and a contractor does the baling. It’s been a tough year, as they have no irrigation and the rainfall last year was well below average. Stock get their water from a 50 m deep bore. The farm supplies Floridia Cheese, a specialty Italian cheese manufacturer based in Thomastown, which has picked up a range of awards. Born on a farm at Tatura and growing up in Maffra, Merv has been in the biggest dairy areas
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
FEATURE // 17
Merv Williamson with one of his favourite cows in the small milking herd, Emjay Ice Hilda, a 13-year-old classified as 91.
The benchmark for production and performance
of Victoria, while Mary grew up on the farm that eventually became her home after she took a shine to the “farm boy” next door. Mary attended the prestigious Presbyterian Ladies College, while Merv began work at the age of 15. Ask him about retirement and Merv is adamant, almost offended. While he is in good health and he enjoys the work, he sees no reason to give the job away. He believes early retirement can work against good health. Mary agrees: “You want to keep doing it while you can.” And Merv makes the astonishing claim that he can survive on about three hours’ sleep. And does the family suggest they slow down? “They try to,” Merv said with a smile. The Williamsons have been active in their community. Merv can recall the hey days of agricultural shows, when many farmers trucked in their cows for competition. He and Mary got involved in the Whittlesea Show and they organised the animal nursery as a demonstration for “city slickers” for about 25 years. In later years they roped in their grandchildren in to help out. Their kitchen is adorned with photographs of their extended family, working on the land or showing cattle. There are certificates of appreciation for the couple’s work at the show.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
18 // NEWS
Bumper field days reflect confident industry SUNGOLD FIELD Days chairman Tony Rea
says confidence in the south-west Victorian dairy industry has flowed through to the annual event.
The 39th annual field days at Allansford on February 12 to 14 were marked by bumper crowds and strong sales for exhibitors.
“It has been excellent,” Mr Rea said. “The crowds were phenomenal for the opening day, which was free admission, and the farmers love it because they can come to one spot and see all the new technology and machines.” Mr Rea said Victorian Opposition leader Michael O’Brien appreciated the event. “He was absolutely rapt,” Mr Rea said. “It was the first time he’d been to the show and he couldn’t believe the machinery and exhibits that go with the dairy industry.” The three-day event attracted similar numbers of exhibits to previous years, including
several displaying for the first time. “There are some very interesting displays. I see something new every year; it’s amazing what turns up,” Mr Rea said. “I was talking to an exhibitor who sold two tractors while they were unloading them and another one said he sold hay feeders as soon as they hit the ground.” Mr Rea said the response reflected confidence in the region. “We’ve had three wonderful years in a row and many farmers are saying this year has been the best they can remember.”
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Harrison Glennen, 10, and younger sister Peggy, 2, from Noorat, got acquainted with the Picasso cows at the field days.
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This John Deere featured in the machinery parade.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
NEWS // 19
Mon Harris, Albert Villanueve, Marbin Malleri from Terang and Simpson at the Sungold Field Days.
The Sisters dairy farmer Cathie Brown, and calf rearer Brianna Conheady from Panmure enjoyed seeing what’s new at the Field Days as they reflected on a good season for their farms.
Jamie Drake and daughter Rebecca, 7, from Boorcan, inspected dung beetles at the WestVic Dairy tent. “It’s a day out, a good chance to get off farm and enjoy some time with the family,” Jamie said.
Kerry Cowland and Katrina McRae travelled from near Heywood to the field days. “Our main focus is to suss out bulls for our breeding program and try to lock them in, and then look at all the toys and dream of the nice things we’d like to buy,” Katrina said.
Recently retired Naringal dairy farmers Ray and Pauline Smith have been drawn back to the Sungold Field Days. “We’ve been here ever since they’ve been going,” Ray said. “It’s more of a meeting place with all the other dairy farmers, and you get a few ideas from new things.” They maintain a strong interest in the dairy industry. “You can’t get it out of your blood I suppose,” Ray said.
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
20 // ANIMAL HEALTH LUCY DRAWS ON VET AND DAIRY BACKGROUND Our new columnist, veterinarian Lucy Collins, grew up surrounded by farming in South Gippsland, where her family own an agricultural contracting business. Following a science degree at The University of Melbourne where she majored in Agriculture, Lucy then completed the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2015. She has worked across multiple dairy clinics in north and southwest Victoria since graduation. Lucy has completed further study and accreditation in milk quality, reproduction and bull fertility testing, and is currently enrolled in the Dairy Residency program with The University of Melbourne and Dairy Australia. Lucy has recently taken on a leadership role with Kyabram Veterinary Clinic, and is spending her time as an on-farm veterinarian in northern Victoria and working on her partner’s 600-cow dairy farm in Dixie, south-west Victoria. When not at work you can usually find her at the beach!
On-farm milk culturing a growing LUCY COLLINS APIAM ANIMAL HEALTH
MOST MASTITIS is caused by a bacterial
infection. However, visual inspection of the milk is not a reliable method for determining which pathogen you might be dealing with. Traditionally, milk samples from infected quarters or a composite sample from an individual animal needed to be sent to a microbiology laboratory for testing to identify the pathogen and its antibiotic sensitivity profile; with turnaround times of multiple days — and pity the farmer that finds a case of mastitis on the weekend! Recent trends in technology and antimicrobial awareness have seen an increase in popularity of on-farm or in-clinic culturing systems, using a small incubator, a special culture plate, a sterile smear loop and a sample. Affected quarters are cleaned and collected, and samples can be plated up as soon as milking is finished. Using a sterile loop, the sample is smeared in
a zig-zag pattern across the quad- or tri- plate (depending on your supplier), placed in the incubator at 37°C for 24 hours, and voila! You have an answer. Easy-to-use interpretation guides are readily available for purchase or can be found online to assist with bacterial identification depending on colour changes and the location of the growth on the plate. The plates are divided into sections containing different growth media to encourage colonisation of different bacterial species. Once the pathogen has been identified, informed treatment decisions can then be made in consultation with your regular vet or using your established treatment protocols. Not all infections require antibiotic treatment, and some may even resolve with the assistance of an antiinflammatory alone. This can mean more milk in the vat and less money spent on unnecessary antibiotic usage on your farm. Others may be better off culled, in which case if you have withheld treatment in anticipation of culture results, this option may still be feasible if the cow is free of any withholding
periods. Limitations or challenges with on-farm milk culturing systems can arise where the mastitis-causing pathogen is unusual or difficult to culture (such as Mycoplasma species and some Streptococcus agalactiae cases), samples are contaminated during the collection process and results are uninterpretable, or no growth is detected at all. Discussing results with your field officer and veterinarian is always a good idea. Should you decide an on-farm culturing system is not for you, samples should still be collected and frozen prior to treating a cow. It is not possible to get a reliable culture result once milk has been exposed to an antibiotic. Samples can be dropped off for individual culture through your regular vet, or you may choose to store them in case of treatment failure or an outbreak of clinical cases at a later date.
Record keeping Good record keeping is also essential for managing mastitis in your herd. Recording treatments can help you identify repeat offenders, discover potential issues around treatment efficacy and make informed management decisions.
Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus uberis, two mastitis causing pathogens commonly cultured on-farm. Photo credits: author’s own.
It is very difficult for your farm advisery team to help you make good choices when it comes to selecting lactating and dry cow treatments without first understanding your herd’s individual clinical picture. Your farm’s treatment history, herd test information, a Dairy Antibiogram (Bayer Animal Health), and your personal experiences are all important factors to consider when developing a treatment plan. On the ground, on-farm culturing means rapid identification of mastitis causing bacteria in your herd, so you can direct your time, money and effort towards the most appropriate management strategies depending on the nature of the bacteria. Get in touch with your regular vet to have a chat about how this might work for you. For more information, visit www.dairyaustralia.com.au/ farm/animal-management/mastitis/ countdown-resources The author has no affiliations (financial or otherwise) with Bayer Animal Health.
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
NEWS // 21
Profits drop on Queensland farms THE PROFITABILITY of Queensland dairy
farms continues to decline due to climatic conditions and high purchased feed costs, according to the latest Queensland Dairy Accounting Scheme report from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Profitability The dramatic decline in the profitability of Queensland dairy farms in 2017–18 has been exacerbated in 2018–19. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) per cow has declined from $400 in 2017–18 to now be $113 in 2018–19. Return on assets managed has also decreased from 2.3 per cent to 0.6 per cent. The most significant influence on this decline in profit is the drought in eastern Australia which has increased the price of purchased feed and also increased the amount of feed being purchased by Queensland dairy farmers. The result has been a 5.6¢/litre increase in feed related costs between 2017–18 and 2018–19. Even more significant is the 8.7¢/litre increase in feed related costs over two years, between 2016–17 and 2018–19. Total cash overhead costs increased by 1.2¢/ litre. The increase in feed and overhead costs resulted in total farm working expenses increasing by 7.2¢/litre.
While Queensland’s milk production decreased by 10 per cent in 2018–19, the average milk production of farms in the QDAS sample only decreased by 5492 litres or less than one per cent. This static average result hides the variation across the state. Extreme climatic conditions in north Queensland, where four months of drought was followed by eight months of extreme rainfall with some farms receiving three metres of rain in that time, resulted in all QDAS farms in that region having reduced milk production, with one farm decreasing production by 460 000 litres. In the south of the state dry conditions resulted in low instances of mastitis in QDAS farms with intensive feeding systems. As a result, many of these farms increased their milk production, albeit with high feed-related costs.
demand for and expenditure on purchased feed is exacerbated by the lack of pasture available for young stock which have been fed on rations usually reserved for productive milking cows. The top 25 per cent group (sorted by EBIT per cow) achieved feed-related costs of 36.4¢/ litre. This is 0.6¢/litre higher than the average of all farms. In 2018–19 feed costs consume 58 per cent of milk income, up from 51 per cent in 2017–18 and 46 per cent in 2016–17. The margin over feed-related costs decreased by 2.6¢/litre, from 28.4¢/litre to 25.8¢/litre. The farm operating cash surplus for the top 25 per cent group is 18.2¢/litre, which is 4.8¢/ litre higher than the average of all farms. This difference is combination of higher milk income (0.9¢/litre), higher cattle sales (1¢/litre), higher feed related costs (0.6¢/litre) and lower overheads (2.5¢/litre).
cent group produced 1523 litres per cow more than the remaining 75 per cent group.
Production costs
Factors affecting profitability
Better labour efficiency.
Feed related costs increased by 5.6¢/litre, from 30.2 ¢/litre in 2017–18 to be 35.8¢/litre in 2018–19. Purchased feed contributed the majority of this increase with purchased grain and concentrates increasing by 3¢/litre. Purchased hay and silage increased by 1.7¢/litre to be 4.0¢/litre. This is over twice the expenditure on purchased hay and silage recorded in 2016–17. The
To investigate the factors affecting profitability, the QDAS results of the top 25 per cent group (sorted by EBIT per cow) are compared with the results of the remaining 75 per cent of farms. The higher EBIT per cow achieved by the top 25 per cent group is directly linked to the following profit drivers: Higher production per cow. The top 25 per
The top 25 per cent group achieved 90 915 more litres per labour unit. QDAS reports have always shown that farms with higher production per cow have higher profitability. This year 60 farms across Queensland were surveyed and the report can be found at www.dairyinfo.biz
Production
Selling more litres of milk. The top 25 per cent group sold 808 782 more litres of milk than the remaining 75 per cent group. This is driven by production per cow and by having 61 more cows (milkers and dry).
Higher milk income. The top 25 per cent group had milk income 1.2¢/ litre higher than the other group.
Lower farm working expenses. The top 25 per cent group had farm working expenses 4.5¢/litre lower than the other group. Interestingly the top 25 per cent group actually had higher feed related costs than the other group.
SHANE’S INDUSTRY PASSION IS UNWAVERING Queensland dairy farmer Shane Bourke is hoping there is a future for his state’s dairy industry. He is only one of 10 dairy farmers left in the Warwick area. He has watched farmer after farmer leave the industry as drought and high costs have forced many out — recent rainfall of 50 mm has given him some much needed hope. “We have had some really good rains that have got the creeks flowing and recharged underground water, and milk price is looking a bit better,” Shane said. Shane is a generational farmer who milks 600 cows on 566 ha along with his father John and brothers Paul and Shane. The majority of the herd are Illawarra with about 20 per cent of the herd Holstein. “Dad started with Illawarras and I have kept them going. It gets pretty humid up here and we need a tough breed of cow,”
Shane said. “Illawarras are hardy, have good calving ease and high production and protein — I am happy milking them.” The family has two compost barns and the herd is fed a TMR from October through to May. Through the winter months the herd graze one pasture feed during the day and a TMR at night. Over summer corn and silage is pitted for silage while over winter it’s barley and trit. “In a normal year we are self-sufficient for fodder. We have always bought in grain but over the last 10 months we have had to buy in lots of fodder and that has been the killer.” Shane said he hopes there is a future for Queensland dairy but the recent closing of the Lactalis Rockhampton site has left him wondering how long before the Brisbane
site is shut. Shane is a passionate cow man and he loves milking cows along with the challenge of getting them to produce well. The purchase of Illawarra Ovensdale Pearl in March last with neighbouring dairy farmer and mate Matt Henry has bought some joy to Shane in 2020, after she was crowned International Dairy Week grand champion Illawarra exhibit for 2020. The boys took Pearl along with three other cows down to Tatura on an 18-hour, one-way trip. “We stopped overnight at the Forbes showground, milked her there and then spent the lead-up to the show with the Hayes family at Girgarre. “Pearl is a great traveller and she didn’t miss a beat. She doesn’t stop and if you keep the feed up to her, she will just keep eating,” he said. Getting Pearl up and ready to walk the
ring at International Dairy Week might have been a long haul but the mates said they would do it all again if they had a cow that was good enough.
Breeding top cows is what keeps many farmers in the game including Queensland mates Matt Henry (left) and Shane Bourke with their International Dairy Week Champion, Illawarra Ovensdale Pearl. They are pictured with Illawarra judge Greg English, Natalie and Olivia Henry and Kellie Bryant.
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
22 // MARKETS
Global dairy prices ease SAM LEISHMAN DAIRY AUSTRALIA
DAIRY MARKETS have entered 2020 with
strong supply and demand fundamentals which are supporting global commodity prices. It has been widely reported the current market is operating in a well-balanced state, with demand marginally ahead of supply. Production growth in Europe and the United States has offset lower volumes coming from Australia and New Zealand this season. Consumption of dairy in key export regions including South East Asia and China remains favourable. However, recent speculation around Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its potential impact to world trade has cast some doubt over global dairy trade. This uncertainty contributed to a 4.7 per cent drop in the weighted average price at the last Global Dairy Trade auction. It was reported this price drop was not caused by a lack of demand but instead, motivated by sentiment. If underlying demand remains robust throughout the outbreak and production tracks to forecast, markets should prove resilient.
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Oceania region Global milk production is expected to climb around one per cent in 2020. The Oceania region is showing limited growth as adverse weather impedes supply. New Zealand’s production is expected to finish the season slightly lower due to a variety of weather events. The northern half of the country remains dry,
slowing pasture growth while the south is experiencing flooding. The dry weather is likely to further impact feed availability later in the year. Supply has been relatively flat and forecast to end down one per cent for the season. Meanwhile, Australia saw the fastest (in relative terms) national production growth since mid-August 2018 with flat production in December. Notwithstanding this, the ongoing drought and recent bushfires are keeping any substantial form of production recovery unlikely in the short term.
Europe Dairy markets in Europe have remained stable despite recent political instability, trade disruptions and exchange rate volatility in the United Kingdom. Milk availability for Europe overall is forecast to finish up one per cent year-on-year. A mild winter has helped push production volumes higher ahead of the peak spring period. Production in Germany, France and the UK improved in December to a total monthly production growth (1.1 per cent) slightly above the precited seasonal increase.
United States The US is in line to match the growth trajectory of Europe, increasing by approximately one per cent year-on-year. Overall production was down 0.7 per cent in December. Reductions occurred in many states in the Midwest, including Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Meanwhile, South Dakota has seen slower production following consecutive months of growth. On farm, lower quality corn silage following a wet harvest is one factor hampering production growth. As climate and production inputs influence supply around the world, demand and market sentiment will play the key influence on prices. Disease impact on demand Over the past year, global demand outweighed production. Continued growth in many developing nations supported this trend which is anticipated to continue for the near future. However, the recent outbreak of Coronavirus and ongoing impact of African Swine Fever have the potential to curb demand in key export destinations. Demand from Greater China (China, Hong Kong, Macau) in the last GDT auction remained strong despite the drop in sentiment (and prices).
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Export demand has been widely supported by the growth in domestic consumption in China and South East Asia. However, as the outbreak spreads into neighbouring countries and further abroad, it has the potential to significantly disrupt the trade of dairy.
China Australia’s dairy industry has become closely linked China in recent years and China is now the single largest market for Australian dairy exports. Any swing in demand in the region will have a direct impact to Australia’s dairy industry. Following the rapid outbreak, China has quarantined regions while the Australian government has closed its border to mainland Chinese visitors. As the Chinese government recommends residents to stay inside, many restaurants and food stores have shut. These direct measures to restrict the spread of the virus are having varied impacts on different products in the dairy sector.
Coronavirus in China On one hand, demand for dairy products used in food outlets such as pizza cheese will decrease. On the other, sales of health and wellbeing dairy products such as infant formula and lactoferrin have increased. Additionally, health professionals have advised Chinese residents that having a healthy diet, including dairy, will aid their chances to fight the virus. This message has been strongly communicated and could increase in the overall consumption of dairy, particularly in higher value categories. Lastly, there is the potential to cause logistical impacts on the distribution channels. This includes the number of cancelled flights, temporarily limiting the amount of product able to enter the market. Especially for limited shelf life products such as air-freighted fresh milk." ! Disease potential to curb dairy demand While the global markets have entered 2020 with strong fundamentals, the pressures of coronavirus and AFS have the potential to curb demand for global dairy. While it’s too early to quantify the immediate impact, the duration and concentration of these conditions will be critical. The conditions have the ability to both increase and decrease demand for certain products, but overall, they will disrupt the flow of trade and supply chains, which is never a welcome thing.
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
PASTURE IMPROVEMENT FEATURE
Preparation key to optimal pastures WITH HOME-GROWN feed more important
than ever Notman Pasture Seeds has prepared a range of pasture planning recommendations to optimise the establishment of rye-grass pastures this season. Notman Pasture Seeds and Walcha Dairy owner Peter Notman said there were key dynamics to maximising the establishment of rye-grass pastures. “It’s important being organised throughout the whole process, including paddock preparation, germination, weed control and through to the first grazing,” Mr Notman said. He advised farmers to optimise paddock potential prior to sowing by reducing unwanted trash and summer grasses such as barley grass, and maximising germination of weeds. “A fine, firm clean seedbed and spraying out
germinating weeds with a knockdown herbicide and a spike so you are ready to plant into clean paddocks. “Under all cultivation systems the use of harrows behind the drill will improve seed to soil contact. “For both direct drilling (25 kg/ha) and conventional sowing (30 kg/ha) ensure both seed and start-up fertiliser, generally DAP, are sown together at a depth of 10 mm to 20 mm.” Mr Notman said through March and April successful germination also depended on good seed-soil contact to maximise soil moisture and nutrients. Rye-grass cultivars with plenty of interest this season include Vibe Italian, Bullet Annual, Matrix enhanced perennial, Vatbuster perennial and Reward Endo 5. Continued page 24
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
24 // PASTURE IMPROVEMENT from page 23 “These cultivars are proven grasses in the dairy sector, and their popularity has been quite organic due to their superb dry matter yields and excellent late season quality feed,” Mr Notman said. He said controlling seedling weeds, which are often overlooked early, were also a key dynamic in establishing rye-grass pastures. “All too often we get calls from farmers who haven’t got onto broadleaf weeds early enough and then need to salvage the situation. “In the short-term seedling weeds vigorously compete for nutrients, moisture, light and most importantly, space. “In the long-term poor establishment will decrease the pasture growth and an increase in chemical costs from the extra weed control down the track.” Mr Notman said ideally, spray emerging
weeds in new pasture four to eight weeks after sowing and prior to the first full grazing. Selective herbicide spikes additions can lead to the improvement the control of certain broadleaf weeds including marshmallow and chickweed. “Avoid high rates as some temporary clover suppression may occur, but recovery is generally rapid,” he said. Mr Notman said farmers should aim to graze new pasture with lighter stock if possible as soon as plants won’t pull out (approximately 75 mm). “In good conditions this could be six to eight weeks after sowing. “At our dairy at Walcha we have seen ryegrass establishing extremely quickly due to the hot and moist conditions. Urea at 80 kg/ha was applied 22 days after planting perennial rye-grass paddocks and will be grazed in approximately 30 days post sowing.”
Successful germination depends on good soil-seed contact.
Walcha dairy manager Nick Bullen inspecting ryegrass 22 days post sowing at Walcha Dairy.
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
PASTURE IMPROVEMENT // 25
PASTURE GENETICS SOLD S&W Seed Company has announced the acquisition of Pasture Genetics. Vice president of S and W Seed, David Callachor said the purchase expands and diversifies S&W’s product offerings in Australia and follows other recent initiatives as they worked to become a year-round preferred supplier of premium seed genetics. Mr Callachor assured customers in the immediate term the acquisition/ transition team has worked hard to create a seamless and an uninterrupted customer experience. “Moving forward, we will fully integrate the Pasture Genetics brand into S&W. “This will take a little more time, but we still expect it to be a smooth transition, due again to the hard work being put in by the team who are managing the process, but very importantly also due to the extraordinary natural fit between the skills and strengths of the S&W and Pasture Genetics organisation.” S&W Seed Company was founded 40 years ago and has been operating in Australia since 2013. “As a company we believe it’s important to be constantly innovating and bringing the latest germplasm to market to solve modern farming challenges,” Mr Callachor said.
“We invest heavily in research and development, with a network of elite operations around the world — including in Australia — where we work with our global colleagues to develop and perfect our seed genetics in multiple crops.” Pasture Genetics is a significant 23-year-old family-owned agricultural seed sales business based in Wingfield South Australia. Founded in 1997 by Rob and Ann Damin, it employs a staff of 30. It specialises in pasture seed variety sales across Australia and in selected offshore markets. The whole of the Pasture Genetics business, seed portfolio and Pasture Genetics’ Goldstrike seed treatment product are included in the deal. Mr Callachor and Pasture Genetics founder Rob Damin said in a joint statement that it would be “business as usual” throughout integration and transition. “There is such alignment between the business units that the strengths of one really connect with the other.” In Australia, which is headquarters for S&W’s International Division, operations are located in Adelaide and Keith, South Australia, Tamworth, NSW and Toowoomba, Queensland.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
26 // PASTURE IMPROVEMENT
Pasture Recovery after fires ONE OF the early tasks for farmers returning
“Paddocks that had long grass can suffer from moderate to high intensity burns,� she said. “These paddocks may look dark brown to black in colour a few days after the fire and may struggle to return to normal production. “The viable plant numbers in the paddock may have been reduced and may need either oversowing or re-sowing.� Ms Baker said paddocks bordered by forested areas often suffer from high to very high intensity burns, therefore looked more charred or like ash beds with very little remnant vegetation remaining. Burnt cow pats, hay or silage bales will also often look like this. “A quick test to see whether grasses have survived is to go out into a paddock and give a tuft or two a gentle tug,� she said. “If it stays/holds in the soil, the plant has a good chance to recover with adequate moisture.
to their property after fires will be to evaluate the viability of pastures and grasses. Agriculture Victoria livestock extension officer Fiona Baker said most open plains grass paddocks that had short or little grass when the fires passed through generally experience low to moderate intensity burns. “Paddocks will often look brown to dark brown in colour a few days after the fire,� she said. “Most of these paddocks can recover on their own given time and moisture. “Annual pastures generally will need to be resown.� As for perennial pastures, Ms Baker said the need to re-sow would depend on the severity of the burn and what the paddock density was like prior to the burn.
Dairy farmers are facing the re-establishment of their pastures.
If it pulls straight out, it is dead and the paddock will need re-sowing.� Another method farmers can use to test what will recover while waiting for adequate rains is to mark out a one metre square in a paddock and hand-water it with five litres of water each day — enough to maintain damp soil from dayto-day, for at least a fortnight. “If nothing reshoots, the paddock will need to be re-sown,� Ms Baker said. Native pastures will be first to respond to rain and show signs of recovery. Ms Baker said this has been observed following the recent rains in the fire-affected areas. “Certainly, some paddocks may need a
complete re-sow, some may just need to be oversown to thicken them back up, while others may just need time to recover,â€? she said. “Most perennial grasses are quite resilient and can survive the low to moderate burns.â€? Agriculture Victoria staff are on the ground in fire-affected areas to support and advise all farmers who need assistance — whether it’s animal welfare, pasture recovery — or anything agriculture related. For more information on pasture recovery after fire or to find out about support for farmers impacted by fires go to agriculture.vic.gov. au/bushďŹ res.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
MACHINERY // 27
Machinery sales take hit in summer VICTORIAN TRACTOR sales have been the
only bright spark in a disappointing January for machinery sales. However, a national survey of dealers has found optimism that current turnover is picking up and will improve in the next six months. The impact of extreme weather events combined with a prolonged bushfire season have considerably affected sales especially in NSW, which are down 33 per cent and 27 per cent in Queensland, while total tractor sales across the country remain 16 per cent down compared to this time last year. According to Tractor and Machinery Association executive director Gary Northover, January sales were strongest in the 100 to 200 hp (75–150 kW) category, up 2.6 per cent. Mr Northover said the 200 hp (150 kW) and above range was down 13 per cent while the 40 to 100 hp (30–75 kW) range was down 20 per cent and the under 40 hp (30 kW) range again struggled, down 31 per cent. Recent widespread rains have seen optimism return to agriculture with farmers in some areas planting late summer crops to capitalise on strong commodity prices. “Despite the positive outlook provided by current rains, we still expect tractor sales to be down this year with early predictions putting the total at around 10 000 units,” Mr Northover said. “The impact of the drought is likely to be felt for some time yet and 2020 is unlikely to be the year of full recovery.” Conditions for combine harvester sales continue to be challenging with only a small number of sales completed in January, although it is generally around this time of the year forward orders are placed for deliveries and the outlook for these is presently mixed across the nation. Hay baler sales have taken a bit of a breather in January, down 29 per cent on last year’s bumper result however the prevailing view is demand will remain strong and anything that can be cut, will be cut, so another strong year for baler sales is expected. Mower sales were also down 50 per cent for the month. Despite a lacklustre market, opportunities for buyers remain positive. “Low interest rates combined with strong inventory levels mean buying opportunities for farmers will remain strong throughout the year,” Mr Northover said. The 2020 TMA Conference will be held on Tuesday, July 21 at the Hyatt Place Melbourne, Essendon Fields. This year’s event is themed “Towards 2030” and is focused on the challenges expected in autonomy, sales and marketing effectiveness and many more as we launch into a new decade. Full program details will be shared in the next couple of months.
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
28 // MACHINERY
Great expectations deliver on digging holes REGULAR READERS of this column will
recall that the act of digging holes in the ground without a shovel has at times proven the bane of my existence. In the early 2000s, I cut my teeth on a late 1980s JCB 3CX — and likely didn’t know how lucky I was at the time. Since then it’s been a succession of sub optimal outcomes. Like the Chamberlain that seized on day two, and the high hour Case that dug like a beast and attacked the hip pocket just as ferociously. Then there was a series of hired machines that did well but made for an expensive weekend followed by the slow drip of regret afterwards as overlooked jobs were discovered. I’ve consequently been looking at other options, including (Chinese) Rhinoceros mini excavators that look to be becoming a bit of a cult classic. However, those things are pretty small, and if I’m going to have yet another engine to service (and run on Earth Hour) I want it to count. So, I took a pass on that and invested in something I never thought I would ever own. A threepoint linkage backhoe.
GRUNT JOHN DROPPERT If you’ve ever operated a real backhoe, the 3pl mounted version is the equivalent of rice juice to proper dairy milk. Cheap, nasty and leaves an awful taste in your mouth. It’s also not very good for your health, if the various stories about operators being killed when pins break are close to the mark. That said, unlike food I put in my mouth, cheap and nasty is a principle to be (cautiously and advisedly) embraced in the low-budget machinery world. So here I am with a Hayes BH8600 linkage backhoe. And what can I say? It meets all my expectations for a linkage backhoe. And it was cheap. All it has in common with the old 3CX is that you need a hammer and a punch to change buckets. What I should also say is that whilst it is made
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in China, it is by far the best manufactured and finished farm implement I’ve ever seen from that part of the world. The paint job puts some local equivalents to shame, and the whole thing seems very well thought out design-wise. For what it is, it’s actually quite impressive. My question going into the experience was: ‘Can it dig?’ Nobody has ever been prepared to answer me that, so my expectations going in were pretty low. Fortunately, the thing can dig — it’s just that
it isn’t very quick at it, even in our relatively forgiving upper Koo Wee Rup swamp soil. If you’re mindful of any stress being put on the linkage, it’s also a mentally taxing affair. This is especially applicable having come from the proper backhoes that you can generally flog to your heart’s content, and the worst they will do is run out of hydraulic power. But if you don’t mind going back to your amateur days making one movement at a time with the controls, and fancy yourself to spot a failing pin (or have great life insurance), this might just work out for you.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
MACHINERY // 29
POLARIS TO DROP QUAD BIKES IN AUSTRALIA Polaris Australia and New Zealand managing director Alan Collins says the off-road vehicle market has experienced a transition from quad bikes to side-by-side vehicles. Manufacturer Polaris has announced it will withdraw all quad bike models from sale in Australia before October, as a result of the new Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019, which will take
effect from October 11. Polaris has decided not to comply with the new standard due to the rapidly reducing size of the quad bike market, along with the commitment to remove quad bikes from the market by October 2021, when Operator Protection Devices become mandatory. Polaris Australia and New Zealand managing director Alan Collins said
farmers had transitioned from purchasing quad bikes to side-by-side vehicles. “Polaris has publicly stated numerous times that we believed within 24 months the quad bike market would be minimal at best, as the market shift away from quad bikes and towards side-by-side products was in full force long before any government mandates or safety standards were enacted,” Mr Collins said.
“Obviously this shift will now accelerate even further over the coming two years as the Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019 takes effect.” Polaris will discontinue quad bikes from sale by October, but full product support for parts and warranty will continue in Australia for at least 10 years.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA MARCH 2020
30 // MACHINERY
One-man job with Anderson bale wrapper ANDERSON WRAPPERS can be ordered
with full-automatic features which means it only requires one operator to load and control the wrapping process. Units can be ordered with the following features: ■ remote stop / start / steer without leaving the tractor; ■ big 25 litre fuel tank which means a lot less refuelling; ■ film watch on every stretcher, so the operation stops as soon as plastic runs out; ■ working lights for night work;
patented final bale extractor system which is unique to the Anderson range; ■ options of wrapping single round bales up to double stacked big square bales; and ■ up to 50 per cent savings on plastic usage. Anderson Group has manufactured agricultural equipment since 1988 and manufacture an extensive range of products that fit well with modern farming practices. The group is now the number one inline wrapper manufacturer in North America and is excited about its future in Australia. For more than 30 years the Anderson Group ■
Joe Mancini from the Burder Group in Wangaratta with the Anderson inline bale wrapper, at the recent Seymour Expo.
has grown to now employ 120 people at its state-of-the art manufacturing plant in Quebec, Canada and exports Anderson products to nearly 30 countries worldwide. Anderson Group is focused on innovation and improvement and heavily invest in its people and employ the latest technologies throughout
its business; and the sales growth and loyal customers are testament to its mindset. Anderson products are distributed in Australia by the Burder Group in Wangaratta. Bertolis in Shepparton and now in Benalla and Albury also offer Anderson products.
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With their carefully thought out design, all steel construction, and large range to choose from McIntosh Silage Wagons have the strength, performance and durability that sets them apart from the rest. Unique features: - 13mm Titan series floor and elevator chains - 5mm steel floors, 3mm pressed steel sides - Large high capacity 1200mm wide cross conveyor - Large floor elevator shafts - Heavy duty chassis, axles and wheel combination - Plenty of options to suit individual needs
INTEGRATION WITHOUT THE RUNNING U G COSTS COSTS CO S MCINTOSH BEATER WAGONS
Designed to integrate different fodder products together the McIntosh Beater Wagon gives you even and consistent feeding, suited for feeding onto feed pads or in the field. Our modular design, heavy duty PTO drive system, larger drive chains and sprockets are all designed for long life and easy serviceability. Unique features: - Sizes from 12m3 to 21m3 - 13mm Titan series floor - 5mm steel floors, 3mm pressed steel sides - Large high capacity 1200mm wide cross conveyor - Unique safety stop technology prevents damage to rotors and floor chains if blockages occur For more information, or to find your nearest dealer:
www.tracmac.com.au
03 5625 1522 86 Roberts Crt, Drouin, Vic
PRODAIRY. WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED. Designed for Dairy Farmers. Delivered by Dairy Vets. ProDairy promotes cow health, welfare and production. Call 1800 776 324 or visit ProDairy.com.au
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