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Global fertiliser markets to contract
GLOBAL FERTILISER markets are entering a new phase of contraction, as rising prices begin to weigh on demand, agribusiness specialist Rabobank said in new research.
In its recently-released semi-annual Fertiliser Outlook, the bank’s RaboResearch division said affordability of agricultural fertiliser globally was clearly beginning to decline.
With agricultural commodity prices having largely remained stable since the start of the year, this decline in affordability is primarily due to an increase in global fertiliser prices, the report said.
Research found between April 2025 and the end of September 2025, fertiliser prices increased by about 15 per cent.
Phosphates saw an increase of almost 19 per cent in the period.
While some regions of the world continue to show resilience when it comes to fertiliser demand, the broader trend points to weakening demand in 2025, and a more pronounced downturn in 2026.
RaboResearch analyst Paul Joules said the 12-month moving average of the affordability index moving deeper into negative territory confirms the start of a new downcycle in the global fertiliser market.
For Australia, he said, farmers continue to face persistent inflation in prices of farm inputs, including fertilisers.
And with cropping operations feeling the pressure from lower prices, this could impact fertiliser applications next season, especially given phosphate and urea prices are looking less affordable.
Paul said with Australian farmers heavily reliant on imported fertiliser, foreign exchange played a major role in the country’s retail fertiliser prices.
Year-to-date, the report said, and taking into account currency conversion, Australian prices have increased 25 per cent for Morocco DAP (diammonium phosphate) FOB to AUD 1215 per million tonne and 15 per cent for Vancouver spot FOB potash to AUD 515/mt, while Middle East granular urea prices eased, down three per cent to AUD 545/mt.
“Over the past 12 months, the AUD/USD cross has declined 3.9 per cent, and this has been a clear headwind for Australian fertiliser importers.”
Positively though, he said, RaboResearch
is forecasting a modest increase in the Australian/US dollar exchange rate over the next 12 months, potentially reaching USD 0.68.
“This could provide some relief for fertiliser import prices here, although a tight global supply and demand situation may limit the downside.”
The report said while demand for urea in Australia had been low in recent weeks, as the nation moves into the winter crop harvest period, applications were relatively strong earlier in the season.
“NSW, Queensland and Western Australia likely went a little heavier on urea applications, given above-average rainfall levels in parts of these states,” Paul said.
“South Australia got off to a slow start, however, rainfall between June and July picked up, which should have resulted in farmers maintaining normal winter crop applications.
“While for Victoria, inconsistent rainfall likely impacted fertiliser efficiency.”
Paul said in terms of fertiliser, the focus in Australia was now shifting to summer crop applications.
“The challenge Australian growers face is margin pressure across several key commodities, and this could impact applications.”
Regional dynamics
Regionally, across the world, fertiliser market dynamics remain volatile, the report said.
In the US, geopolitical tensions and trade tariffs are expected to disrupt the upcoming season, while European prices are likely to rise with the implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which will see a carbon tax imposed on about 15 million metric tons of nitrogen-containing fertiliser imports annually.
In Brazil, farmers face tight margins and limited access to credit, although fertiliser deliveries could reach record levels in 2025, RaboResearch said.
“China is prioritising domestic supply, while India continues to play a central role in global urea trade, influencing prices with each new tender,” Paul said.
Urea consumption is forecast to decline in 2026, the report said, following a sharp price increase that has already triggered demand contraction, particularly in Brazil, where farmers are shifting to ammonium sulphate.
Phosphate prices remain high, leading to an expected four per cent drop in global consumption in 2025, with further declines anticipated in 2026.
Potash demand, which rebounded in 2024 due to lower prices, is likely to slow again in 2025 as prices rise.
Feritliser is trending to a weakening demand in 2025, and a more pronounced downturn in 2026.
Photo: Jeanette Severs
Farmers approve Fonterra Aus sale
FONTERRA’S FARMER shareholders have given the go ahead for the co-operative to sell its global consumer and associated businesses, Mainland Group, to Lactalis for $4.22 billion
About 88 per cent of the total farmer votes cast were in support of the divestment.
The sale comprises Fonterra’s global consumer business (excluding Greater China) and consumer brands; the integrated foodservice and ingredients businesses in Oceania (including Australia) and Sri Lanka; and the Middle East and Africa foodservice business.
Chairman Peter McBride said the board and management team were encouraged by the level of engagement from farmer
shareholders in the lead-up to the vote.
“We’ve been pleased to see so many farmers joining in the discussions since the start of this process in May last year when we first announced the decision to explore divestment options, and especially over the past month or so when the full details have been available,” Mr McBride said.
“It helps to demonstrate one of the key things that sets us apart from most other processors — our farmers have a direct say in the future of their co-operative, and they’ve made the most of that opportunity.”
Mr McBride said the decision to divest the Mainland Group businesses was significant and one the board did not take lightly.
“We have examined the strategic context
we operate in, our strengths and how as a co-op we create value for our farmer owners,” he said.
“The divestment will usher in an exciting new phase for the co-op. We will be able to focus Fonterra’s energy and efforts on where we do our best work. We will have a simplified and more focused business, the value of which cannot be overstated.”
Completion of the divestment remains subject to securing certain regulatory approvals and the separation of Mainland Group business from Fonterra, both of which are well under way.
Subject to these steps being completed, Fonterra expects the transaction to complete in the first half of the 2026 calendar year.
SA DAIRY GEARS UP FOR ELECTION
THE SOUTH Australian Dairyfarmers’ Association has launched its pre-election policy platform, Plan to Farm, calling on all political parties to commit to the long-term growth and sustainability of South Australia’s dairy sector.
The policy builds on the South Australian Dairy Industry Action Plan 2024-2029 and outlines a clear expectation the next government will instruct all relevant departments to align planning, water, environmental and primary industry laws with the needs of dairy producers.
“This is a pivotal moment for South Australian dairy,” SADA president Robert Brokenshire said.
“Our farmers are ready to invest, innovate, and grow — but they need a regulatory environment that enables rather than obstructs. Plan to Farm is our call for that future.”
The dairy industry contributes $1 billion annually to the state economy and supports so many regional jobs.
However, constipated planning laws, uncertain water policy and complex environmental expectations continue to hamper growth.
SADA’s Plan to Farm calls for:
Recognition of best practice in environmental stewardship
Streamlined approvals for dairy infrastructure
Long-term water security and support for reinjection technologies
Modernisation of primary sector legislation
A whole-of-government directive to align policy with the South Australian Dairy Industry Action Plan “We’re not asking for handouts — we’re asking for smart policy,” Mr Brokenshire said.
“Dairy farmers are ready to lead on sustainability, innovation and food security.
“We just need government to back us in and where necessary back out of the way.”
SADA is seeking formal commitments from all major parties and will be engaging with candidates across the state in the lead-up to the election.
Fonterra shareholders have given the go ahead for the co-operative to sell Mainland Group to Lactalis for $4.22 billion.
Photo: Megan Fisher
South Australian Dairyfarmers’ Association president Robert Brokenshire is seeking smart policy to take the dairy industry forward.
US butter ‘cheapening’ Aussie dairy: ADF
BY DJEMBE ARCHIBALD
WOOLWORTHS HAS defended selling United States-imported butter with green and gold packaging, despite pushback from Australian Dairy Farmers.
Woolworths exclusive brand Hillview is packaged with a green background and yellow hills, leading consumers to believe it was an Australian-made product.
ADF president Ben Bennett said the fact Woolworths has packaged the American butter in green and gold is a further insult to Australian dairy products.
“We’ve had consumers across the country tell us this is an inferior product,” Mr Bennett said.
“It’s cheapening Australian dairy and making a mockery of Woolworths’ claim to be the ‘fresh food people’. In this time of emissions reduction, we’ve got to ask how these food miles stack up.
“Dairy is a staple of our diets, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a product that delivers better nutritional bang for your buck.
“Consumers are getting tired of having to triple check if the big supermarkets are being honest with them at the checkout.
“We call on Woolworths to stop ripping off Australian consumers and dairy farmers through imports and misleading packaging, and give them the opportunity to clearly assess quality and provenance of what they’re buying.”
Country News reached out to Woolworths for comment.
“We’re a strong and proud supporter of our Australian dairy industry, while we also work hard to ensure our customers have access to a range of great value and quality dairy products,” a Woolworths spokesperson said.
“All our fresh milk comes from Australian farmers, and the vast majority of our other dairy products, including butter and cheese, are sourced here too.
“Complementing our traditional Australian and New Zealand suppliers, we have diversified our sourcing to include US butter for our value Hillview offering. We’re now again incorporating Australian-made butter into our value brands.
“As always, country of origin is clearly labelled on all our dairy products to help customers make informed choices.
“It’s not uncommon for imagery related to green pastures to be used in the marketing of dairy products.”
for Rapid Recovery from Scours & Dehydration
We’ve put the
Western Star butter, pictured left, which was made in Western Victoria and Hillview butter made in the United States, pictured right.
Photos: Rechelle Zammit
Hillview butter, imported from the United States, sitting on the shelves at the Archer St, Shepparton Woolworths.
One of the main consumer complaints is the clear difference in colour. Western Star, a Victorian brand, is pictured top and has a more yellow colour to it than the US-made Hillview, pictured bottom.
Buybacks punish farmers
BY SOPHIE BALDWIN
THE RECENT announcement by Federal Water Minister Murray Watt to purchase a further 130 gigalitres of water from the southern basin will seriously impact the future of Australia’s dairy industry.
Irrigation underpins the success of many dairy farmers across the country — whether it is used on-farm or used to grow fodder that makes its way back to the farm — the repercussions are enormous.
As more water leaves the productive pool, both delivery and water prices increase along with competition.
Australian Dairy Farmers said the non-strategic buyback was, “taking away water from farmers.”
ADF president Ben Bennett said dairy farmers had already given up significant water rights since the millennium drought to help restore river health, yet are now being asked to cop even more pain for questionable gain.
“Our dairy farmers have done the heavy lifting to improve the basin’s environmental health.
“We’ve invested heavily in water efficiency and drought resilience and have a proud environmental history as being stewards of the land. But this announcement ignores those efforts and punishes us for it.
“Buybacks create insecurity and make food production unsustainable.”
Mr Bennett pointed to a recent report commissioned by Dairy Australia that warned of devastating economic impacts from more buybacks — warnings the government has effectively ignored.
“No further buybacks should proceed without a comprehensive assessment of the damage this announcement will do to our dairy farmers, processors and rural towns,” Mr Bennett said.
Gunbower dairy farmer Stephen Brown questioned how the government will even deliver this extra water, when they can’t even deliver what they already have.
“It’s hogwash and destroying our rural communities,” Mr Brown said.
“Buybacks are a slow death of irrigated dairy and our rural towns.”
Mr Brown said he could remember when talk around the Basin Plan first started, his dad stood up in a public meeting and said this rubbish would be the end of irrigation.
“He was ridiculed at the time, but he was spot on - every megalitre of water is now like a gold bar and sooner or later it leaves the area, taking productivity and economic growth with it.”
VFF water chair Andrew Leahy said the 130Gl taken from the southern basin would most likely impact Victoria the hardest.
“This latest move is unforgivable and will only worsen the relentless drain of water in Victoria’s irrigation heartland,” Mr Leahy said.
“It is unclear how much of the 130Gl will be purchased from Victoria, but given Victoria has one of the highest reliability water products in the basin, we no doubt will continue to be
unfairly targeted, our water is like a magnet for Canberra.
“We shouldn’t be punished for managing our water efficiently, we’re not the easy target.”
National Irrigators’ Council chief executive Zara Lowien said the announcement in Adelaide was a slap in the face and comes at a huge cost to the Federal Government, and farming and rural communities.
“They are now facing less water and higher costs that are not being considered properly nor adequately addressed by the Sustaining Basin Communities program, as promised,” she said.
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G-MW chair Justin Hanney said buybacks continued to undermine the long-term viability of irrigation districts and regional towns and failed to deliver the balanced social, economic, and environmental outcomes intended under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
“Open-tender water purchases have had a big impact on communities in our region in the past,” Mr Hanney said.
“These non-strategic purchases create a Swiss cheese effect, where the patchy nature of the buybacks means we are delivering less water, but still have the same costs relating to infrastructure operation and maintenance.
VIC 3630 Phone (03) 5831 2312
G-MW has previously raised concerns that bills could increase significantly for some customers under the buybacks.
The Goulburn Murray Irrigation District Water Leadership Forum co-chair Suzanna Sheed said the buybacks would “significantly damage” the agriculture sector.
“This decision is a devastating blow to our irrigation communities and regional economies,” she said.
“It represents a complete disregard for the long-term viability of food production and the enormous investments made in irrigation infrastructure.”
The mid Murray is already experiencing extreme environmental damage, ripping a further 130Gl to send downstream will only increase this destruction, destroy rural communities and threaten staple food production.
Collars integrate across dairies
AT CORAFIELD Farms in Cora Lynn, Australia, third-generation dairy farmer Jeff McCauley is managing two distinctly different operations — a 900-cow rotary dairy and a 450-cow robotic facility equipped with six Lely robots.
His goal is clear — maximise efficiency, improve herd health and fertility, and prepare for the future.
And with the adoption of the Nedap collar system, he’s achieving exactly that.
“We chose Nedap collars because we’d had good reports and we knew they were gonna work both on our rotary dairy, and also with the Lely robots,” Jeff said.
“Nedap collars work with the robots perfectly — and that’s exceeded our expectations.”
In just three days, the team installed and activated 1000 collars across both sites.
The implementation was swift and smooth, allowing the technology to begin delivering value immediately.
Though Jeff uses the collars for multiple purposes, it was the heat detection capability that initially caught his attention — and it hasn’t disappointed.
“We’re just not missing any heat cows,” he said.
“It’s far more accurate than any human worker, including myself.”
As a result, Corafield Farms has seen major improvements in submission and conception rates.
“Definitely the best feature of the Nedap collars is the heat detection— just getting all
With fewer missed heats, Jeff has reduced days in milk and increased overall milk production.
The accurate and timely data enables his team to act confidently and efficiently, directly impacting productivity and profitability.
While heat detection has been the standout, Jeff also appreciates the health monitoring features.
The collars track rumination and eating behaviour, providing early warnings about potential illnesses.
With this insight, the team can make informed treatment decisions — and sometimes even avoid treatment altogether.
“You can see that they’re actually improving within a day,” Jeff said.
“You don’t actually need to go ahead with treatment because you can see that the
rumination and the health stuff’s improving.”
This not only saves time and resources, but also reduces the need for milk withdrawal and associated costs.
Using the Lely Horizon dashboard, Jeff has all the essential information in one place.
“You can go into cow information and everything’s on that one screen: heat detection data, activity data, rumination and eating minutes*.
“It’s easy to pinpoint issues that may arise and deal with them better with the knowledge of what’s actually happening.”
Perhaps one of the most transformative outcomes has been the operational flexibility the technology provides.
With no extra labour, Jeff has been able to manage the second farm site efficiently.
“The technology has enabled us to run the extra farm without any additional labour. It runs very labour efficient and the information helps us make better decisions.”
Beyond the productivity metrics, there’s a deeper value to the system.
“Having this technology on my farm helps set up the future generation for success.
“It gives you flexibility in your day-today work life, family life, and being able to increase production and profitability going into the future.”
“Having this technology on my farm helps set up the future generation for success.”
* eating minutes (eating time), is a key metric in cow monitoring systems used to assess the health, wellbeing, and reproductive status of dairy cows.
PURE DAIRY OPENS NEW FACILITY
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23 marked a major milestone in the 14-year journey of Australian company Pure Dairy, after it officially opened its world-class dairy manufacturing plant in Dandenong South, Victoria.
Pure Dairy founder and chairman Adrian Josephson said the new facility had been a vision for nearly a decade.
“In my younger years, I’d be travelling the world, selling Australian cheeses to the largest cheese converters in Europe and the US,” Adrian said.
“Even then, I knew one day I needed to build something like this here in Australia.”
He expressed gratitude to Pure Dairy’s partners, Great Lakes Cheese, whose steadfast support and knowledge-sharing have been invaluable to Pure Dairy’s growth as an Australian dairy manufacturer and thought leader.
Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing Colin Brooks said this investment represented the largest private investment in dairy for the past 40 years.
The project is expected to generate some $89 million of economic activity for this region.
Following the opening ceremony, guests were given an immersive behind-the-scenes tour of the 13,000-square metre facility where Pure Dairy staff demonstrated the modern art of cheese
manufacturing and processing.
The plant is fully operational and is already producing various dairy products for key buyers such as Subway, Coles, Guzman Y Gomez and Betty Burgers.
City of Greater Dandenong Deputy Mayor Sophie Tan said Pure Dairy was strengthening supply chains, expanding capacity and investing in the future of Australian manufacturing.
“What I admire about Pure Dairy is that this achievement didn’t happen overnight,” Sophie said.
“It represents years of dedication, collaboration and the belief that you can do business with insight, integrity and long-term vision.”
In addition to the manufacturing plant, the facility also houses the headquarters of Pure Dairy’s trade, food service and retail divisions.
those cows submitted for AI.”
Jeff McCauley chose Nedap collars because he had heard good reports and knew they were going to work across his rotary and Lely robot dairies.
Pure Dairy’s new facility in South Dandenong.
Photos: Josh Brnjac
The plant is fully operational and is already producing dairy products.
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Pivoting for success
BROTHERS ADAM and Lachlan Marshall operate a dairy partnership at Blighty in the Southern Riverina.
They recently installed the latest in Upton irrigation technology — a 343m span and 420m span SP200 200 series system, respectively covering 45ha and 64.4ha.
This follows on from the success of previous installations.
Adam believes pivot systems are the most effective way to irrigate major fodder crops like corn, while optimising pasture development in a challenging environment in terms of climate, corrosion and wind.
“We chose Upton pivots because they are Australian-made and the best out there for a tough job under local conditions, with parts available locally and quickly.
“They use marine-grade aluminium extensively, which means not only are the pivots easier to position and reposition, but also their corrosion resistance means we can undertake fertigation and insecticide delivery over extended lifespans,” Adam said. He said prompt back up service was critical when you were applying water to crops
at precise times to ensure the best returns.
The high winds which blow across the farm occasionally can wreak havoc on the pivots and result in some damage.
“Even when we strap systems down in preparation for upcoming weather, and align the pivots to minimise the impact of the wind, incidents can happen, and that’s when you appreciate good local service.”
He said when the big system was knocked about by wind, the service team got the system back up and running in 48 hours.
Features of the system include heavy duty galvanised steel fixed centre pivot towers and a 4000 litre mounted diesel tank.
The GPS Pro tracking technology, with full programmable control, features touch screen control and monitoring from your phone.
The system is powered by Fieldwise technology telemetry and is designed to be flexible and upgradable to grow with expanding needs
The Marshall family recently installed a couple of pivots on their Blighty dairy farm.
Installation includes a cement pad and 4000 litre diesel tank.
New national title for Jersey
AN EVENT recognising the finest Jersey cows in Australia is being relaunched with a new name and format.
Jersey Australia has changed the makeup of its on-farm challenge which has been consolidated into a national competition.
The former Great Southern and Great Northern events have ended with club and regional winners now going directly to the national title.
The event will be known as the Genetics Australia Great Australian Challenge with Genetics Australia becoming naming rights sponsor for the next three years.
Jersey Australia general manager Glen Barrett said it was time to focus on the national title.
“The Great Southern and Great Northern events served the organisation well for many years, but with changes at club level, we felt it was better to build value into the Great Australian title,” Glen said.
“It will still operate the same at a club level, but we have consolidated the competition and removed the intermediary stages
“It ultimately brings the Great Australian into the primary focus of the on-farm challenge, and we believe this will lead to stronger engagement at a national level.”
The change will enable clubs to better schedule local events throughout the year, rather than building up to the Great Southern and Northern challenges that were traditionally judged mid-November.
Winners of the Genetics Australia Great Australian Challenge will be announced at the Jersey Australia annual awards night at Noosa on May 28, 2026.
The challenge is expected to attract 2000–2500 entries from across Australia.
The on-farm challenge is one of the most popular events for Jersey farmers and has been running for about 25 years.
“Everything is done on-farm, so judges see the cows in their natural working environment,” Glen said.
“It’s straight out of the paddock and into the competition.”
He said Jersey Australia was pleased to continue and extend its partnership with Genetics Australia.
While involved at club level, this is the first time Genetics Australia has sponsored the Great Australian challenge.
Genetics Australia CEO Anthony Shelly said the challenge was a good match for the company.
“Jersey breeders are an important part of our business, especially on the international stage, and this is an opportunity to contribute to an event that recognises some of the best Jersey cows in the Australian breeding program,” Anthony said.
Jersey Australia has consolidated its onfarm challenge into a national competition.
Top Holstein honour for ‘perfect cow’ Verbena
BY SOPHIE BALDWIN
WHEN THE Smith family from Hightop Holsteins in Zeerust first laid eyes on Murribrook Goldwyn Verbena it was love at first sight.
“I saw her at the Winter Fair where she was awarded reserve champion and I fell in love with her straight away,” Duncan Smith said.
“Verbena is an awesome cow — I just can’t put it any better than that.
“She is the perfect cow for us and she comes from a family I have always admired.”
In October Verbena was crowned Holstein Australia’s Cow of the Year, and her stats say it all.
Classified EX92-3E, her lifetime production over six lactations currently totals 112,608 litres. Her best lactation was as a three- to fiveyear-old where she produced 13,801 litres.
She has 202 progeny with 55 classified — 3EX, 27 VG, 23GP and 2G.
Bred by Master Breeder Murray Sowter of Moss Vale, NSW, Verbena made her way to the Smith family after she was purchased by son Nathan in 2020, topping the Murribrook sale at $23,000.
Duncan said she was always going to come home with the family no matter what, and it was the best decision they had ever made.
“Verbena is just a lovely cow and I look for her in the paddock every single day — she is placid, a gentle giant and a pleasure to work with,” Duncan said.
Holstein Australia stated rarely does a cow come along that can tick every box in Holstein breeding — Murribrook Goldwyn Verbena is one of those cows.
“A show champion, a profitable production cow, a superior type cow, a highly ranked ABV cow and a prolific brood cow — Verbena has achieved it all,” it said.
Verbena is the daughter of the two-time Sydney Royal Champion Strongbark Linjet Victory, and her pedigree is steeped in rich Holstein history, right back to the incomparable matriarch, Carmar Linmack Dixie.
Still active as a 15-year-old in the Hightop milking herd, Verbena has surpassed 112,000 litres with a lifetime average PI of 115.
As a 17 Star Brood Cow, she is among the highest living Star Brood Cows in Australia.
On the ABV charts, Verbena remains one of the leading ABV cows of her generation, with a BPI 290, including 108 Overall Type and 104 Mammary.
Her prolific show career spans more than a decade, including Intermediate Champion at Sydney Royal in 2013 to Champion cow in 2024 as a 14-year-old at the Shepparton National Show.
In between there were a swag of On Farm Challenge titles, two more champion titles at the NSW State Show and reserve champion at the Victorian Winter Fair.
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As a brood cow, Verbena’s direct daughters include four Excellent and 17 VG daughters, with 14 of them boasting an ABV greater than +200 BPI.
Sales of her progeny have grossed more than $180,000, with daughters and granddaughters in constant demand from other breeders.
Granddaughter Gorbro Lambda Violet was named Supreme All Breeds Junior Champion at IDW 2025.
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farm, most likely with the family checking in on her every day.
Duncan, Helen and Nathan milk 250 cows — 80 per cent are registered Holsteins while the remaining commercial cows are used for embryo work.
The herd is milked off 125ha and the family lease an additional 125ha, mainly used for cropping.
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Nathan Smith and Murribrook Goldwyn Verbena, Holstein Australia’s cow of the year for 2025.
Verbena has surpassed 112,000 litres with a lifetime average PI of 115
Daughter of the two-time Sydney Royal Champion Strongbark Linjet Victory, Verbena’s pedigree is steeped in rich Holstein history, right back to the incomparable matriarch, Carmar Linmack Dixie.
Australian milk celebrated
THE BEST of Australian milk has been recognised in the 2025 Australian Milk Quality Awards — a celebration of the hard work and dedication of dairy farmers across the country.
Run by Dairy Australia since 2002, the awards highlight farms producing top-quality milk, based on Bulk Milk Cell Count data collected by processors each financial year.
A low BMCC means better mastitis control, healthier cows and higher quality milk.
This year, 195 farms have been recognised for their outstanding milk quality.
The 100 farms with the lowest BMCCs received a gold award to proudly display at their farm gate.
Farms in the lowest five per cent earned a silver diamond award.
Dairy Australia’s National Milk Quality and Biosecurity lead Zoe Vogels said the awards were a great recognition of the decisions, investments, and hard work farmers and farm businesses put into maintaining the health of their dairy herds and the quality of the milk they produce.
“A low bulk milk cell count is indicative of good mastitis control,” Dr Vogels said.
“Over the last 20 years of the awards, we’ve seen BMCCs steadily improve, which is great news for cow health and farm profitability.
“Despite the significant challenges dairy farmers have faced over the past 18 months, including floods and drought, it’s great to see our Australian dairy farms continue to deliver some of the best milk in the world.”
The awards are part of Dairy Australia’s
Countdown program, which supports farmers and advisors with practical tools and training to manage mastitis and improve milking practices.
Countdown resources include
industry-agreed farm guidelines for mastitis control, technical notes and training programs — all designed to help farmers produce high-quality milk in a cost-effective way.
FEED INFRASTRUCTURE’S LONG-TERM BENEFITS
BY LEIGHTON
FEED WASTAGE is a hidden cost on many dairy farms, often overlooked and rarely measured.
Over time, these losses can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Taking the time to quantify and explore ways to reduce feed losses is a worthwhile exercise that can lead to significant savings.
While it is important to get feed storage (including silage management) correct, we’re focusing on the benefits of feeding infrastructure.
Feeding infrastructure on dairy farms ranges from simple temporary feed-out structures (eg. bins or conveyor belting) on sacrifice paddocks to permanent feed pads and intensive housed cow facilities.
All these options aim to reduce feed wastage and maintain feed intake while keeping cows off pastures.
While investing in permanent feeding infrastructure often comes with substantial upfront costs, it’s important to view it as a long-term investment.
In pasture-based systems, minimising wastage, supporting consistent feed intake and protecting pastures are the core benefits. Wastage of supplements fed in the paddock can be high, especially when ground conditions are wet.
According to Dairy Australia, supplementary feed losses in paddocks can reach up to 40 per cent, especially in wet conditions.
By introducing some form of feeding
infrastructure, these losses can potentially be halved.
On a 300-cow farm feeding 10kg of supplement per cow daily at $0.40 per kilogram, halving wastage (from 40 per cent to 20 per cent) would save about $240 each day.
Well-managed earthen or concrete feed pads can reduce feed wastage to as little as five per cent, even when it’s wet.
Feeding infrastructure can support cow
intakes because large amounts of supplement can be consumed relatively quickly when compared to harvesting pasture when conditions are excessively wet or pasture cover levels are low.
These systems also allow for precise rationing, easier monitoring and greater flexibility, such as feeding total mixed rations (TMR) or other feeds that aren’t practical in paddocks.
Using quality silage, produced from Pioneer maize and forage sorghum hybrids, can further enhance feed value and efficiency.
Overgrazing and pugging have a significant cost.
Overgrazing reduces pasture persistence and regrowth, especially during dry spells. When residuals fall below about 1500 kg DM/ ha, ryegrass plants draw on stored energy reserves, leading to bare patches, weed invasion and slower recovery even when moisture improves.
Grazing too soon and too hard is a major contributor to pasture decline. This accelerates the need for renewal and increases costs.
Pugging damages soils and can reduce pasture utilisation by up to 50 percent and reduce pasture yields by between 20 and 80 per cent over the following four to eight months.
Centralised feeding infrastructure lowers labour costs, simplifies feed inventory tracking and reduces overfeeding and wastage.
Well-designed infrastructure lasts decades, offering long-term returns and can integrate with effluent systems for nutrient recycling.
When it comes to design, considerations like area per cow, herd size, machinery access, water points and supplement storage are important.
Australia and Agriculture Victoria both provide helpful resources on feeding systems design, development and management via their respective websites.
By Pioneer Dairy Specialists Leighton Hart and Greg Morris
The awards recognise the hard work farmers put into maintaining the health of their dairy herds and the quality of their milk.
Photo: Megan Fisher
Pioneer Dairy Specialists Leighton Hart and Greg Morris.
HART AND GREG MORRIS
For the love of cows
BY RICK BAYNE
NOTHING GETS in the way of Jessa Laws’ love of cows — not even a wedding.
Four years ago, Jessa experienced 15 minutes of fame when she interrupted her wedding with Ben to help deliver a calf.
Photos of Jessa in a muddied wedding dress went viral, not only across Australian media and social media but around the world. A BBC interview about the disrupted wedding has had more than 34,000 views on YouTube.
But Jessa has no regrets about giving priority to a cow in distress, and she’d happily do it all over again.
“I have zero regrets,” she said.
“The calf grew into a beautiful healthy cow that is being milked by my friend in Warragul and is a very valued herd member.
“The memories are amazing — my friends and I still laugh about it and how it went viral. I still get recognised from it, which is quite amusing.”
Being around animals is nothing new for Jessa.
“I was a horse person as a kid but I’ve always loved animals and being outside. I was always the kid in a mud puddle when I was growing up, as you can tell by my wedding photos — biggest day of my life, in the mud, don’t care.”
Her commitment to cows continues today. “Yesterday morning I was up at 5am to milk the house cow and to check on a sick heifer before I did a 12-hour shift at the Portland Smelter,” she said.
“It’s what I do.”
Jessa started in the dairy industry around 2008 when she met her first husband and they farmed at Gorae West. Their partnership came to an end in 2018 with the sale of stud Holsteins.
As part of the settlement, Jessa kept 17 cows she had bred.
Jessa and Ben bought a small organic apple farm near Portland in 2020 but with only 25 hectares, there wasn’t enough land to milk a commercial herd.
“We still had seven cows in milk so we milked them once a day with a bucket milker and reared the calves while working full-time off farm,” she said.
As numbers grew, they sent the milking cows to be housed with friends in Warragul.
“My friends needed numbers, we knew the cows could produce well and we still wanted to build our herd so it was a win for both of us,” she said.
“The cows are still very much a huge passion for me and they herd test and have a rotary dairy with collars so we get all the information.”
All up they have about 75 cows, mostly Holsteins, around 15 Normandes, crosses and a few Brown Swiss.
Jessa is secretary of the newly formed Australian Normande Cattle Association, which aims to educate people about the breed’s dual purpose for beef and dairy, and drive-up local numbers.
“We think they will excel in three-way crosses, cross-breeding herds or hobby farms,” she says.
“They have a high carcass yield for beef but you’re not sacrificing dairy to use them - they are still a good dairy producing cow with a beautiful quality of solids, high fertility, low cell count, and they’re really hardy with low health issues.”
While her dairy cows are at Warragul, Jessa and Ben are branching into paddock-to-plate Normandes, raising them as beef cows and rearing their calves on their small farm near Portland.
They also milk a house cow, though with legislation around raw milk they can’t go into sales.
“We’d be too small to be a viable dairy enterprise but we plan to breed the Normandes,” Jessa said. “Anything that is a good milker or who has the high-end genetics from the imported embryos from France will be sent to the commercial dairy in Warragul and then we will have a beef Normande herd for paddockto-plate beef for the local area.”
They still have apples on the farm, though on a smaller scale, with Jessa and Ben both working close to full-time off farm.
They have no plans to go to full-time dairy farming. “I’ve been there and done that,” Jessa said.
“The volatility of the milk market is something that doesn’t interest me. It was an incredibly stressful time when we went through the milk price wars and horrific seasons on farm.
“I love the cows and being out on the farm but it was just too stressful. Personally, I would never commercially milk again.”
But Jessa likes having a toe in each pond.
“I’m in an incredibly lucky position where I’ve got milking cows at a friend’s place. They do all the work and the milking but I still benefit from that,” she said.
“I can sell a good cow or embryos, and at the same time bring the beef calves home and set that up. I’ve spent a lot of money on cows and semen but it pays for itself.”
Ben, Jessa and their two young daughters love to live off the land.
“I love the sustainability of the cows,” she said. “I can have my house cow, rear her calf and I’ve also got fresh milk for cream and butter. Then we’re growing vegetables and we’ve got fresh beef and we know where our food is coming from.”
Jessa is still in the genetics game and has sold Holstein embryos to Western Australia
and South Australia in recent years
One of her cows shown at International Dairy Week this year won her class and she’s the photo cow for the number one Holstein bull in Australia.
“They’re using a cow that was born on this farm that I raised in the apple orchard on the ABS Australia semen catalogue,” Jessa said.
“That’s pretty cool.”
Ben with some of the cattle on the property.
Jessa went viral when footage of her pulling a calf in her wedding dress was released.
Photos: Rick Bayne
Jessa and Ben on their wedding day.
The couple bought a small 25 hectare organic apple farm near Portland and are rearing Normande cattle.
Jessa Laws is secretary of the newly formed Australian Normande Cattle Association, which aims to educate people about the breed’s dual purpose for beef and dairy, and drive-up local numbers.
Jessa is branching into paddock-to-plate Normandes, raising them as beef cows and rearing their calves on their small farm near Portland.
Dairy Week just around the corner
BY SOPHIE BALDWIN
INTERNATIONAL DAIRY Week 2026 will be here before we know it, with the event kicking off January 17 to 22.
Director Declan Patten said the program was designed to showcase excellence across every level of the industry and includes seven national breed shows, a national youth show and the chance to compete for Australia’s Supreme Champion.
It also caters for the wider community with family-friendly entertainment, music and activities designed to introduce visitors to the Australian dairy industry.
IDW will get under way with the popular Tatura Food Truck festival which features around 14 different food trucks and over 2000 people.
“The food truck festival is a way for us to give back to the Tatura community for allowing us to host our event in such a great town and great venue,” Declan said.
There will be all the usual things including the Power of Women in Dairy event, presentation of the Lex Bunn award and the ST Creates Future dairy sale, which is always a highlight of the week.
Declan said this year’s judging panel featured a star-studded line-up of international judges.
“We always bring the world’s best judges to IDW,” Declan said.
As always, there will be focus on the youth, and this year there will be a branding opportunity for businesses to get behind the event by donating milk shakes in their brand colour.
To streamline the process for exhibitors a new check in entry system — the showmen app
will be trialled for the first time.
“Once the cow is entered in the system she will stay on the database, so all you will have to do is click on her, and she will be automatically entered in the appropriate class.
“We are expecting this to be a great asset and a game changer for us and our exhibitors as we move forward.”
Entries can be found via the IDW website under the cattle show tab.
Organisers have also done away with hats
for paraders this year, numbers will now be attached to a harness worn by the leader .
Declan said IDW coverage had grown each year, supported by media manager Casey Trealor and Around The Barn.
“We started out with around 200,000 views, and last time I looked, we had had 8.5 million engagements,” he said.
“Casey has travelled to World Dairy Expo and is taking Around the Barn to Italy in December as well.”
AUSSIE DAIRY PRODUCTS ARE WORLD CLASS
AUSTRALIA’S DAIRY industry is embracing a bold new flavour frontier — one that blends global inspiration with local excellence.
At the recent Australian Grand Dairy Awards, two grand champions and 21 champions were crowned from a record-breaking 471 entries, showcasing the creativity, quality and multicultural influence shaping the future of Australian dairy.
Hosted by Dairy Australia and the Royal Agricultural Societies, the awards, now in their 27th year, celebrate the best in dairy craftsmanship.
Australian producers are not just following global flavour trends, they’re redefining them, drawing from the rich cultural melting pot that is Australia.
World-renowned cheese expert and chief judge Russell Smith praised the calibre and creativity of this year’s entries, noting the strong international influence.
“The quality of Australian dairy is world class and what was particularly impressive this year was how producers were able to blend a mix of cultural and world-class methods to make it their own,” Mr Smith said.
“From Indian flavours in Sharma’s Kitchen Milk Badam, The Standard Market Company’s Italian Pistachio Cannoli ice cream, to Olympus Cheese’s Mediterranean Labneh Original Herbs flavoured cheese, there was no shortage of international flavours among this year’s winners.”
This year’s grand champion cheese was awarded to Prom Country Cheese for its Inverloch Blue and the grand champion dairy product was awarded to Riverina Fresh for its Lactose Free Milk.
Fifth-generation dairy farmer Daniel Hales prides himself on Prom Country Cheese’s premium Farmhouse cheeses that come from rich organic milk on the South Gippsland farm in
Victoria.
Having taken over the farm with his wife, Chelsie, in 2022, Daniel couldn’t be prouder of the grand champion cheese win.
“Our Prom Country Cheese Inverloch Blue reflects the hard work, care and connection to the land that goes into this limited-edition cheese,” Mr Hales said.
“This was the first time for us making the cheese because we wanted to make something truly unique, and it has really delivered.
“The uniqueness of this cheese lies in that it can only be made in late spring or early summer because we use new and tender grape vine leaves, so we’re proud to see it recognised nationally.”
The grand champion dairy product, Riverina Fresh’s Lactose Free Milk, produced in the Riverina region of NSW, impressed the judges with its clean, creamy taste and exceptional freshness.
Declan said with more than 150 breeders on site, elite cattle sales, and opportunities to explore progeny and technology tours, the week was a hub for both commerce and knowledge exchange.
“Industry breakfasts, dinners, and networking events further provide a relaxed and accessible environment for learning, collaboration, and inspiration, and let’s not forget what we are all here for, a great week of dairy cows.” Declan said.
“This award is a proud moment for our team and for our Riverina dairy farmers,” Riverina Fresh chief executive Craig Shapiro said.
“Our local dairy farmers are committed to high-quality dairy that meets the taste, nutrition and health needs of today’s consumers, and our Lactose Free Milk is a great example of how quality dairy and taste can go hand in hand.”
Dairy Australia head of marketing Glenys Zucco said the Australian Grand Dairy Awards shine a spotlight on the incredible diversity, flavour and craftsmanship of our local dairy industry.
“With champions from every state, the Australian Grand Dairy Awards truly reflect the
rich diversity and talent across our country,” Ms Zucco said.
For products to be eligible for an award, entries must be produced in Australia with 100 per cent Australian milk and have been awarded gold at a state qualifying competition.
Each product was judged by a panel of Australian and international experts, assessing each product’s flavour, aroma, texture, body and appearance through a rigorous blind tasting process.
Australians can get a taste of the indulgent goods produced by the nation’s dairy champions by looking for the blue and gold medal on the packaging.
Exhibitors across the country will be busy preparing their cattle for the big dance in January.
Grand champion cheese was awarded to Prom Country Cheese for their Inverloch Blue
Grand champion dairy product was awarded to Riverina Fresh for its Lactose Free Milk.
Photo: silvia zanon attico melbourne
GIPPSLAND REGION
Bega Cobram Cohuna Colac Corryong Dumbalk Eskdale Finley Foster
Heywood Kiewa Koroit
Korumburra Leongatha Maffra Numurkah Orbost Rochester Simpson Swan Hill Wangaratta Warragul Wonthaggi Yarram
Chair’s message
Rain brings relief
BY SARAH O’BRIEN
IT’S BEEN a relief across Gippsland to finally receive some welcome rain. Silage is coming off, dams are filling, and here in the Macalister Irrigation District, the weir has spilled — resetting our irrigation season and bringing a collective sigh of relief.
For Mike and I, this season feels even more special as we celebrate a major milestone: purchasing the dairy farm we’ve been share-farming on.
This moment is more than just a business step forward — it’s a reflection on the journey that’s brought us here. As first-generation farmers, we’ve always appreciated the openness and support of the dairy community.
From the beginning, people have been willing to share knowledge, offer advice and lend encouragement. That willingness to support one another is what makes this industry so strong.
Surrounding ourselves with positive and resilient people has been essential.
Dairy farming can feel like a rollercoaster — milk price fluctuations, workforce challenges, changing commodity markets, interest rates and land values all pulling in different directions.
Through it all, setting clear goals, staying focused on the bigger picture and putting in the hard work every day has helped us stay grounded.
Some years, progress came in small steps
to celebrate each of those steps.
Adversity often brings opportunity.
Budget pressures, weather challenges and workforce shortages have prompted us to refine and improve our systems.
Regularly assessing how and why we do things has been key to running an efficient business, and the reward is seeing your hard work translate into a thriving farm and a future built from your own efforts.
We’ve made it a priority to keep learning — through extension programs, discussion groups and resources from Dairy Australia.
Staying connected to best practice has been strategic, and our focus has always been on profitability — because profitability allows growth and reinvestment. The foundation of
that success lies in growing more homegrown feed, maintaining healthy cows through good husbandry and breeding, and making sound short- and long-term decisions that support our goals.
The opportunity to build equity through share-farming has been vital.
It works best when all parties benefit—farm owners earning a return on their investment, and share-farmers building equity for their future.
It’s a partnership built on trust, communication, and shared progress, supporting financial viability while weathering the highs and lows of the dairy industry.
As we take this next step into farm ownership, we do so with gratitude — for the people who’ve guided us, the lessons we’ve learned and the opportunities still ahead.
Our journey has shown with resilience, hard work, curiosity and community, it’s possible to build something lasting from the ground up.
For anyone working towards the next step, my advice is simple: have clear short- and longterm goals, seek out the best opportunities that are fair and equitable to all parties, and surround yourself with people who will teach, encourage and guide you — mentors, consultants, or networks like GippsDairy or the Young Dairy Network.
Talk to your accountant and bank manager early — they can help you plan and navigate the next steps. And above all, commit to upskilling. Your skills in farming and business are the foundation of your success.
— but we’ve learned
A winning combination
BY JEANETTE SEVERS
AN IRRIGATED dairy farm in the Macalister Irrigation District has managed to produce the grazing and fodder requirements for more than 1000 cows.
When rainfall is short, the farm’s 1250ML of irrigation is supplemented by the strategic purchase of additional temporary or permanent water shares.
The MID irrigation season extends from August 15 to May 15, and the farm benefits from a swamp that is normally filled in May, and an additional 130ML bore.
Comprehensive automation has been implemented across 92 per cent of the farm’s irrigation infrastructure.
Five centre pivots irrigate paddocks, using a variable rate irrigation technology that is managed using smartphones (see separate story). One of the centre pivots irrigates using the bore.
This irrigated 400 hectare dairy farm at Newry, in Victoria, is owned by James and Erin Clyne. They milk about 1000 cows, using a 50-unit rotary dairy.
Consistent milk production is maintained throughout the year since James implemented a four-times yearly calving system, to improve labour unit management.
The split-calving composite herd is bred by joining all heifers to Jersey semen, and all heifer progeny is kept. Joining is by fixed time AI, with two opportunities.
Calving is kept to five weeks, and occurs four times a year.
Enough sexed semen is used among the milking herd to breed replacements, and the remainder are joined to beef. Calves not kept for replacements are ideally sold by 10 days old.
“We milk crossbreds, Holsteins, stud Jerseys, a little bit of everything,” James said.
James is realising a long-standing dream by sourcing stud Jersey cows from families that were sold by the Clyne family in past generations.
“We found their genetics and we’ve bought them into the herd,” he said.
“It’s fun, and now I’m starting up the Holstein stud side of things too.”
But he is doing it with a business perspective.
“None of them are pets. They’re all commercial cows and they’ve all got to carry their weight or they’re gone,” James said.
The rotary dairy platform includes automatic cup removers and yield-sense and cellsense monitors. These monitors provide yield in litres, fat and protein percentages, and cell count on each cow’s production.
“I use the data as a rolling 10-day average to feed the cows,” James said.
Soils are a mix of river alluvial and deep loam profiles, laying over clay. The country has an historic issue with bloating, so James excludes clover from the pasture mix. Because prairie grass is endemic to the area, peak spring grazing is on a 15-day rotation to maximise milk production and control pasture growth.
“I work with the prairie grass and oversow with ryegrass to bulk it out,” James said.
He underscored his knowledge about growing pasture for grazing and to harvest fodder, by completing Dairy Australia’s Feeding Pastures for Profit course twice, several years apart. He monitors paddocks daily for grazing, irrigating and spraying.
“I use the principles of that course to manage pastures and I use data to help with decision making,” James said.
“I gather electronic data daily and I assess all paddocks visually to see if I agree with the electronic data.”
In 2023-24, about 15 per cent of the farm’s productivity was impacted by irrigation pipeline
construction as part of infrastructure development in the MID by Southern Rural Water.
This was compounded in 2024 by a flood that damaged pastures. The farm was also under pressure because James and Erin offered to stock their neighbour’s heifers alongside their own.
“My neighbour’s farm was completely underwater, so we helped them out, but that did impact the heifer block,” James said.
“We were feedlotting about 400 heifers at one point. I spent about $700,000 on feed alone. There was a truck showing up all the time with feed.
“The weather was cold so we didn’t get the yield on the grass that we needed after the flood.
“Everything stacked up.
“But with heifers you’ve got no choice — you’ve got to keep going. There was nowhere to sell export or excess heifers.
“I could have sold some cows to free up that grass, but it was a $10 milk solids year, so I’m not just going to do that.
“The numbers still stacked up to feedlot the heifers and keep putting the milk into the vat.
“It’s probably cost neutral, but it still means keep doing it.”
The irrigation season is August 15 to May 15 each year, and allocation depends on catchment runoff into Lake Glenmaggie.
A 1250ML irrigation licence is utilised through five centre pivots, fixed sprays and flood irrigation.
The pivots have all been connected to an automated variable rate irrigation system that James manages with his phone.
“We bought all the pivots. The VRI system on one of the pivots was co-funded, as part of a trial, and we’ve bought the VRI add-ons for the other pivots. It was a no-brainer investment,” James said.
About 300ha of the farm is irrigated by the centre pivots — an eight span, two five spans and two four spans.
“You still need somewhere for trees to go,” James said.
“I wanted to put a sixth pivot in, but then I realised I wouldn’t be able to calve my cows down without trees for shelter.”
About eight per cent of the farm’s grazing country is still dryland.
James harvests corn crops into multiple silage bunkers and grows standing crop every summer. He harvests pasture, oaten and lucerne silage into bunkers, and as stacks and wrapped.
“I would love to have tonnes of fodder left over every year,” James said.
“That comes from those three years of drought — scrounging for everything we had and never having anything left.
“The pipeline construction definitely worked into my stockpile, but I’ve built it back up again.
“I need about 900 tonnes in the bunker to get through each year.
“A thousand tonnes sitting around is a lot, but it’s hard to find when you need it and you don’t have it.
“During summer I shut down a lot of stuff and just run the pivots on 300ha of pasture and crop.
“If I use 200-and-something megalitres for each irrigation, I’ve only got six waterings for the whole farm.”
In 2024, James had completed two irrigations within a month of season opening, and in October the farm was flooded.
He purchased an additional 200ML of temporary water shares in November to help him through the summer.
This year, regular rainfall in spring has been an advantage for MID dairy farmers.
Heifers are joined to Jersey genetics relating back to generations of cow families bred by his own predecessors.
Photos: Jeanette Severs
James implemented a four-times yearly calving system to improve labour unit management.
James and Erin Clyne milk a composite herd in a 50-unit rotary dairy on their 400 hectare dairy farm at Newry, in Victoria.
James harvests pasture, oaten and lucerne silage into bunkers and individual bales.
James manages the endemic prairie grass on his farm by oversowing with ryegrass to provide pasture volume and grazing his milking herd on a 15-day rotation during peak spring growth.
James needs at least 900t of fodder each year to support the milking herd.
Robots slash on-farm labour
BY JEANETTE SEVERS
LEESA AND Grant Williams of Athlone, in West Gippsland’s foothills, Victoria, have been using robotic milking machines for 16 years.
They have been through the installation process three times.
Their most recent installation was swapping from a 40-unit rotary dairy on their home farm, installing A5 Lely robotic units.
Leesa and Grant milk 600 cows in two dairy sheds, off 270 hectares of hill country. The herd is seasonal calving.
Their first installation of the automatic milking system was in 2009, when they installed three A3 Lely robotic units.
They had bought a neighbouring farm in 2008, with a 20-a-side herringbone unit, which they decided to decommission and install automatic milkers.
It was a retrofit. The pit was filled in and the shed floor and undercover yard were used to house the three robotic units.
A key reason for the change was to centralise labour units to their home farm, where they milked through a rotary dairy. While they were milking 280 cows in the rotary dairy, they were able to grow the milking herd to 180 cows, with capacity for 210, on the second farm.
In 2013, they upgraded the shed on their second farm and put in four A4 Lely robots. Prior to the upgrade, Grant and Leesa had quantified a 10 per cent production improvement from the cows accessing the robot system, compared to the cows milked in the rotary dairy.
Leesa continued to milk cows twice-a-day in the 40-unit rotary dairy on their home farm, but the couple re-assessed their priorities for a number of reasons, including wanting to spend time with their grandchildren.
This led them to install six A5 Lely robots into a new build positioned next to the rotary unit.
Once the cows transitioned and the robots were fully operational in September 2021, Leesa and Grant closed the rotary unit to daily milking. Leesa said they keep it operational to use for springers, transitioning them into the robot units.
“The heifers don’t go on the rotary, they go directly through the robot units,” she said.
Transition for the cows from the rotary dairy to the AMS units was easy, Leesa said.
“We’d been walking them through the robots on their way to the rotary milking shed,” she said.
“I think they were doing that for about four days, and it helped. The cows experienced walking through the robot units during the building work, so they weren’t scared of them.
“We were calving at the same time as they
were transitioning, and we wanted it all to go as smoothly as possible, given the additional work.”
The herd now milks through two dairies, which are both fitted with Lely robots.
“The reason we went down the AMS milking system initially was to try and keep it as a family-run business,” Grant said.
“We like farming and we wanted to be able to keep doing it.
“We like the relaxed, voluntary nature of the whole milking system. The cow flow is entirely voluntary.
“It’s still farming, but we’re not having to put cups on cows while they’re kicking at us, and you’re stretching to reach their udders. We didn’t want to be doing the physical slog of putting cups on for another 20 years.
“I still have to work as a farmer, doing those routine jobs. I’m still fencing, or sowing paddocks, or fertilising.”
The cost of installing robots is offset by savings in labour costs.
“Labour is hard to get these days and it’s
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expensive,” Grant said.
Prior to transitioning in 2009, the couple looked at what was available and have continued to be happy with their choice.
“When we first started looking at installing robots, we knew they would work for us,” Leesa said.
“The robot units have enabled us to have a better quality of life physically and mentally.
“In a number of ways, it’s quite draining to know that in a conventional dairy system you have to be in the milking shed, whether it’s 5.30am in the morning, or 3.30/4pm in the afternoon.
“This style of milking cows gives us more flexibility and it’s better on our bodies.”
Leesa is able to spend time with their grandchildren, something she enjoys doing.
Grant is able to commit himself to supporting local sports and community groups as an administrator and community leader.
Leesa and Grant adapted easily to the technology involved in using robot units and in analysing data about cow health. For Leesa, in particular, managing herd health through the Lely system has saved her a lot of worry.
“We get so much data from the system,” she said.
“The information about cow health is amazing. Using the data we can pick up cows that are sick pretty quickly.
“In our old rotary system, we definitely had to be watching cows all the time.
“It used to worry me, but now I’m confident that anyone can look at the information on the Lely system and pick up a cow that’s sick.”
Whichever dairy the cows choose to be milked in, they all pass by a feed pad that Grant fills every day.
next day,” he said.
“We use the feed pad most of the year.
“Maybe in the spring peak growth time for pasture, we might not use it every day, or I’ll put out less fodder for the cows.”
Keeping only one side of the feed pad accessible to the cows means only one side needs to be flood washed daily.
Pasture management is a challenge on the farm, with steep country and a high rainfall and wet winters in most years.
A junction of the Lang Lang River runs through the farm and in wet weather up to 25 acres of grazing country is underwater.
Grant and Leesa started using multispecies plantings more than 10 years ago, to supplement pasture.
Grant has noted improvements in butterfat and protein levels and good cow health indicators with a cell count of 63-100.
He said the multispecies approach required 60 to 80 days to establish on his farm, and he has spent years of trialling different times of sowing.
Now, 50 per cent of plantings in autumn and spring are with multispecies pastures. The balance of pasture is a ryegrass and clover mix.
“As a result, we have reduced most of our fertiliser inputs,” Grant said.
“Last year I only put 100kg of fertiliser on the farm.
“I don’t put a lot of nitrogen on because we seem to have enough and the plants have a good colour.
“And soil tests show no decrease in soil nutrient levels.
Ch ris Ca meron
“Pasture utilisation doesn’t appear to have changed since we changed both dairies to robot units.”
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The feed pad was built for 420 cows when Grant and Leesa were milking about 340, and planning growth.
Since switching to robot units in the two dairies, they have now found only one side of the feed pad needs to be made available to the cows, as they transition between milking and grazing.
“We load up the feed pad with fodder in the morning, and that quantity usually lasts until the
Grant uses a slurry truck to spread effluent from the dams, and makes compost from components including the washdown from the two dairies and the feed pad, that he spreads regularly to feed the soil.
“The slurry and compost makes us pretty well self-sufficient,” he said.
Grant and Leesa said the most recent installation (2021) was paid off within three years.
Entering the robot milking unit for milking.
Photos: Jeanette Severs
Leesa and Grant Williams, of Athlone, have invested in three multiple-unit robot milking system installations on their farm, with a focus on cow and human wellbeing.
Leesa and Grant Williams, of Athlone, have invested in three multiple-unit robot milking system installations on their farm, with a focus on cow and human wellbeing.
The 40-bale rotary milking unit situated next to where the most recent Lely robotic units were being installed enabled a good transition for the cows.
Investing in calves — investing in the future
BY JEANETTE SEVERS
ROB AND Heather Calder from Wandilla Holsteins at Leongatha North use Lely units to help rear calves, in a new shed set up specifically for the future.
Rob, awarded a master breeder by Holstein Australia, admits to a passion for genetics that has historically included 27 on-farm sales to sell surplus animals.
His parents established the dairy farm and Rob followed them into the industry.
“When I left school, I had a great passion for genetics and used to do a lot of showing cattle,” Rob said.
“We used to go to Melbourne Show and do about 15 local shows a year, and I had a lot of success.
“We ran on-farm sales to sell our surplus animals, and we’ve sold them at up to $12,000 for one cow.
“Since the export heifer sales have created an easier income stream, though, the on-farm sales have disappeared, because it was an expensive thing to do.”
About 90 per cent of the herd is bred to sexed Holstein semen. The remainder are bred to either Wagyu or red Akaushi semen, in a value-adding enterprise.
“The cows that do the best calve in March, because the weather is warmer,” Rob Calder said.
“We calve March and July.
“July is normally fairly cold and wet, and it takes a while until the spring comes for the cows to get going.”
The 450-head milking herd typically calves down 400 progeny in a split-calving system each
year. Milking is twice a day, using a 30-a-side herringbone dairy.
The total dryland property is 700 acres, with about 400 acres used for the milking herd.
“We’ve got a lot of river flat that follows the river around, that’s the best part of our farm,” Rob said.
The property is set in steep country, and 300 acres is used to harvest fodder.
Heifers are grown out on another 450-acre farm at Leongatha, then brought back to the dairy farm prior to point of calving.
Rob and Heather employ four permanent staff and two part-time workers, and Rob still works on the farm.
“I’m floating around, but I don’t do too much,” he said.
Installing the Lely calf rearing system was about creating efficiencies in workflow.
“The reason we built this shed was to cut down on workload,” Rob said.
“My job has been to rear the calves, and I’m just not as young as I used to be.
“Carrying the buckets of milk around has become too much work. We used to feed the calves in a trough system, filling it using buckets.
“Now I’ll just come into the shed in the morning and just check that every calf has fed.
“I top up the milk powder and do any cleaning, and just have a look around at the calves and the conditions they’re living in, and make sure everything’s sort of laying down happily.”
The software in the system identifies calves by their eartags and collaborates with a mainframe database to ensure they receive their daily measured ratio of milk and grain.
The purpose-built shed was designed to include a five-station Lely Calm calf feeder, five
automated grain feeders, rapid empty drinking troughs and two different styles of automated brushes.
The calf feeders were installed supported with automated cleaning software, to ensure hygiene.
Installing the calf feeders created an instant change in the system where previously milk powder was mixed with water, then transferred from buckets to a trough system.
Rob said he and his manager, Steve White, now spend only 20 minutes each day in the shed, because of system automation.
They have been using the new system since autumn calving in 2023.
“We were weaning good calves before we built this system, but it was pretty hard work,” Rob said.
“We were feeding them in troughs using buckets. The lifting of the buckets is why we went this way.”
The introductory area of the shed contains two training pens, each with automated feeders.
“When calves arrive in the shed, they receive four litres of colostrum, over three feeds if possible. Then we spend time training them to suck milk using teats,” Rob said.
“Previously we had them feeding in troughs and we couldn’t monitor how much milk each calf was getting.”
The calves move into the greater area of the calf rearing shed, preferably aged about seven days. But they could be up to a fortnight old, depending on how long it takes them to learn to use the automated milk and grain feeders.
This shed is where they live until weaning.
As the calves progress through the shed, each milk feeding stall enables 30 calves to access
milk at a daily rate of two litres each.
“Now I come down in the morning, put the milk powder in the machine, and everything is all fed,” Rob said.
“I check there’s no faults in the system, and make sure the cleaning system is working.”
The automated grain feeders ensure two kilograms of grain is available to each calf.
“We set the grain portion per calf as part of a grain feeding plan, based on what we want the calves to try and achieve,” Rob said.
“They come in and have their milk, come back at their leisure and get their grain.
“The feeding plan here is seven days on three litres of milk, then another two weeks where they ramp up from three to five litres, then they’re on five litres for 40 days.
“Then over 10 days they’re weaned from five litres to one-and-a-half litres of milk.
“The grain plan is 10 days of 200 grams, then it’s ramped up over a couple of weeks from 200 grams to two kilograms. Then for the next 100 days, even after weaning, they can access two kilograms of grain a day, until they’re taken out of the shed.”
Ad-lib hay and water are available to each calf.
Rob said he and the team monitors the data to identify if any calf is not taking its allocated milk and grain ration each day.
“If you’re looking at the graphs reporting milk and grain intake, you’ll get to know the calves that are struggling,” he said.
“You want a calf that eats two kilograms of grain and if they’re only eating 0.5kg, we’ll go and push it in and see if it’ll eat a bit more.
“The same system applies to the milk, you may go and get a calf and push it in to drink more milk.”
The calf rearing shed was built in 2023 and has improved working conditions for the owners and staff.
Photos: Jeanette Severs
Photo: Jeanette Severs
The shed infrastructure and automated milk feeders are cleaned twice a day, at 8am and 1pm.
“We’ve set the system for two circuit cleans a day of the milk feeders, and it puts water through the lines then as well,” Rob said.
The water troughs are designed to tip and fill and are set up over concrete. Manually, somebody pulls a lever to tip the trough, then it is flushed, cleaned, righted and filled with clean water. It can also be cleaned automatically.
“When calves defecate into the trough — which happens — the regular tip and fill means they have ready access to clean water,” Rob said.
“When it tips out the dirty water, or when calves flick water out of the trough, the water drops on to the concrete pad and that’s connected to a drain.
“It means the area is easy to clean, and the animals’ bedding stays clean for longer.”
Rob said the automated brushes were popular with his calves.
“The calves don’t seem to choose one brush over the other,” he said.
“The blue brush will do around the body, whereas the other one the calves use to get under the top and bottom of their necks and then to brush their backs.”
MACALISTER DEMO FARM REVIEWED
BY JEANETTE SEVERS
THE MACALISTER Demonstration Farm, one of Victoria’s research farms located at Riverslea in Gippsland, has undergone a review in the past year.
That review will be reported on at the AGM on November 19, when attendees will also hear the latest news about regulations enabling virtual herding and fencing in Victoria.
On May 21, Victoria’s Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence announced a trial at Ellinbank’s research SmartFarm had proved the validity of using collars on dairy cows to enable farmers to adopt virtual herding and fencing technology.
A one-year project at the SmartFarm fitted a group of dairy cattle in the commercial herd with collars that enabled animal health and husbandry to be monitored, and identifying the cows’ behaviour when the collars were used to confine and guide them to areas of the farm for grazing.
The collars use GPS and wireless technology to control livestock without physical fences.
At the Ellinbank SmartFarm, solar-generated power is used to support the commercial dairy farm’s activities.
The Victorian government undertook to develop regulations for using the virtual fencing and herding technology on dairy and cattle farms.
The third manager was appointed in October.
At last year’s AGM, the board reinforced its commitment to operating the dairy farm as a demonstration farm.
The board members contracted a review of the potential of the farm, which will be reported against at this year’s AGM on November 19.
Plans include extending into an outdoor grazing area for the older calves. That will require extensive earthworks.
“We’ve got plans for that excavation and then we’ll be able to let the calves out on a sunny day,” Rob said.
“We’ve just got about 30 other things happening at the same time, at the moment.”
A more recent addition to the shed is solar power, to offset the risk of storm outages, which is a regular occurrence.
A storm in spring 2024 caused the power to be out for six days, which meant the shed needed generator backup to keep the automated system working.
“It took a few days to get back on track after the power outage and make sure all the calves were being fed right,” Rob said.
A line of pipe has also been installed that would enable milk to be pumped from the vat to the calf shed, but that hasn’t been initiated.
“I think powder is probably easier and the calves are going okay on it,” Rob said.
After weaning, the calves go to the second farm at Leongatha to grow out. They return to the dairy farm as grown heifers just prior to point of calving.
Guest speaker Caitlin Adlam, from Halter, will discuss the potential for using virtual fencing technology on farms in Victoria.
Agriculture Victoria is also contributing to the development of the Australian Animal Welfare Guide for Virtual Fencing, a project led by the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to support a consistent regulatory and animal welfare approach across all Australia’s states and territories.
The AGM will be held at the Newry Hall, in Newry, beginning at 6pm.
The demo farm is a commercial working and research dairy farm and is located in the Macalister Irrigation District in Gippsland, Victoria.
The farm is co-operatively owned by about 200 shareholders, under the governance of an elected board of directors, and has been operating on the Riverslea site since the 1960s.
The farm’s 260-head commercial herd of mainly Holstein-Friesian cows is milked in a 22-a-side swing-over dairy.
A full-time manager is supported by parttime and backpacker staff.
This year has seen considerable staff turnover – with the manager’s role changing three times.
The review has analysed the role of the farm, its potential as a demonstration and research farm as well as its potential as a commercial entity, how it can best serve the community, and what type of operational model would support it.
This year, the Macalister Demonstration Farm partnered with Wellington Shire Council, Federation University, Healthy Farming Systems and Gippsland Agricultural Group to study the effects of amelioration practices on flood damaged land and pastures.
The project will compare rye-grass and mixed species pastures.
A number of workshops relevant to the dairy industry have also been held on the demonstration farm throughout this year – topics included animal health, irrigation, fodder production and pastures.
The AGM on November 19 is open to the public and dairy farmers are encouraged to attend to hear the results of the review into the demonstration farm’s operations and about the next steps to implementing commercial trials of virtual herding and fencing in Victoria. RSVP is essential by November 15 for catering purposes, email willwritecommunications@ outlook.com
The Calder farm at Leongatha North is on steep country, with about 400 acres used for grazing the milking herd and 300 acres used for harvesting fodder.
Rob Calder from Wandilla Holsteins is a Holstein Australia master breeder.
A calf enters the Lely Calm calf feeder for its daily milk portion, or part thereof.
The Macalister Demonstration Farm, at Riverslea in Gippsland, runs a herd of 220-260 head of mainly Holstein-Friesian milking cows. Photos: Jeanette Severs Photo: Jeanette Severs
The Macalister Demonstration Farm partnered with Wellington Shire Council, Federation University, Healthy Farming Systems and Gippsland Agricultural Group this year to study the effects of amelioration practices on flood damaged land.
New look for GippsDairy board
BY JEANETTE SEVERS
THE GIPPSDAIRY board of directors changed at the recent AGM, with the appointment of a professional director replacing a retiring industry representative.
Tony Platt has been a specialist director of the GippsDairy board for some years and chose to retire this year.
After a recruitment process, he has been replaced with Corrie Goodwin, in the specialist director role.
Corrie’s experience includes governance roles with Fonterra, Australian Dairy Industry Council and Australian Dairy Products Federation.
She grew up on a dairy farm in north-east Victoria.
Sarah O’Brien and Mick Hughes, both farmer directors, were re-appointed to the board after seeking re-election.
Sarah O’Brien was re-elected chair, with Ken Anderson (farmer director) also re-elected deputy chair.
Mick Hughes was re-elected to the secretary and public officer role.
Welcoming Corrie to the board of directors, Sarah said she brought considerable governance experience to her new role.
Other farmer directors on the GippsDairy board are Aaron Thomas, Lisa Broad and Raylene Hanratty.
Other specialist directors on the GippsDairy board are Martin Fuller, CEO of West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority and Peter
At the 2024 AGM, the GippsDairy board undertook to appoint young dairy farmers to the role of associate director, to provide training and experience in governance skills.
At the 2025 AGM, the board reiterated this goal.
Speaking to GippsDairy’s annual report, delivered at the AGM, Sarah O’Brien noted the Q fever program that has been delivered in Gippsland in the past year and continuing, was being replicated elsewhere.
She also said dairy was the biggest agricultural
contributor to the economy of the Gippsland region, with a farm gate market value of about $1.3 billion.
This value was generated by 917 dairy farms in the region, milking a combined 299,000 cows, and eight dairy factories operating in Gippsland.
“Gippsland is one of Australia’s most productive dairy regions, producing 1.930 million litres. Gippsland contributes 23 per cent of Australia’s total milk supply,” Sarah said.
“In a survey conducted by Dairy Australia, 25 per cent of Gippsland’s dairy farmers expect to
grow their business over the next five to 10 years.
“Four-in-10 Gippsland dairy farmers will make on-farm improvements, investing in new infrastructure, equipment and technologies.”
GippsDairy has two key annual events — the Dairy Muster and the Women in Dairy Christmas lunch, both of which provide personal development opportunities and feature a panel of industry speakers.
In addition, GippsDairy has sponsored industry events including Cows Create Careers, which was delivered to 20 schools across Gippsland in 2025.
GippsDairy Muster 2026
Save the date
Thursday 23 April 2026 - Toora, Gippsland
•Held on-farm
•Guest speakers and panels
•Tickets on sale early 2026
Fort from Burra Foods.
The GippsDairy board personnel changed at the recent AGM, with Tony Platt retiring and Corrie Goodwin being appointed. Pictured: Lisa Broad (farmer director), Corrie Goodwin (specialist director), Martin Fuller (specialist director), Raylene Hanratty (farmer director), Tony Platt (retiring), Ken Anderson (farmer director), Mick Hughes (farmer director) and Sarah O’Brien (farmer director).
Photo: Jeanette Severs
Breeding knowledge shared with Zimbabwean farmers
ZIMBABWEAN DAIRY farmers are looking to Australia to boost their herd numbers and productivity.
Genetics Australia hosted 12 representatives from the Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers on a week-long tour set to expand connections between the two countries.
Zimbabwe is seeking to become more food self-sufficient with less reliance on imported milk solids.
ZADF CEO Paidamoyo Patience Chadoka said the chance to see Australian herds and how farmers use data would inspire Zimbabwean farmers to grow and improve their output.
ZADF represents more than 4500 members, mostly from small farms producing less than 200 litres of milk per day, but also medium and large-scale farmers with more than 2000 cows.
Mrs Chadoka said Zimbabwe’s dairy industry could use breeding to save on feed and production costs while producing more milk at a more competitive price.
“We believe our smaller farms have the capacity to grow and that we can increase milk production,” she said.
“We have been aggressively trying to grow our dairy herd size; that’s why we’re here.
“We don’t just want more numbers, we want higher productivity from the existing cows, especially through our breeding.”
While Zimbabwe’s milk production has grown by more than 10 per cent in recent years as a result of a value chain multi-stakeholder approach and now sits above 130 million litres, Mrs Chadoka said growth needed to accelerate and breeding and data would be the key.
“Some Zimbabwean farmers have used Australian semen, but very few are doing genomic testing or using breeding indexes when the rest of the world has gone in that direction,” she said.
“We are part of a global industry and cannot be ignorant of the developments in breeding.
“That’s why it has been invaluable to look at the breeding framework in Australia to see what we can benefit from.
“Australia has been investing in research and systems, and we don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
“We can use that information; that’s the power of knowledge sharing.”
The ZADF delegation visited Genetics Australia’s collection centre at Camperdown, Dairy Australia, Ellinbank Research Farm, DairyBio, DataGene, Holstein Australia, Jersey Australia, and Kings Ville Jerseys, Jelbart dairy farm, Kate and Jason Kirk, Wallacedale Jerseys, Homedale Australian Reds, Dehne and Sarah Vinnecombe, Loxleigh Jerseys, Long Road dairy farm, Emu Bank Holsteins and Jerseys, and Tesbury Holsteins.
“We saw a wide cross-section of farms, and while there’s no right or wrong breed, it’s obvious you should have data support,” Mrs Chadoka said.
“Data management is the biggest takeout –we need data to promote sustainability for the future.
She said farmers needed to be deliberate on what traits they were trying to address and they needed a pool of expertise to share.
“Farmers need to follow breeding systems in great detail and know what they’re breeding for.
“All the farmers we spoke to in Australia had breeding information at their fingertips.”
Mrs Chadoka said there were a lot of dairy
industry similarities between Zimbabwe and Australia.
“I can see our connections growing and from a breeding perspective, we can look at using genetics and genomics to promote growth.
“The farmers on this Genetics Australia tour are dairy farmer representatives, lead farmers from different areas, and they will share their knowledge.”
To become self-sufficient and potentially export dairy products, Zimbabwe needed to look for smaller framed, heat-tolerant cows that could produce on pasture or total mixed
ration systems, she said.
Mrs Chadoka, who sits on the International Dairy Federation as part of the science and program coordination committee, said the delegation also learnt about the power of Australia’s associations in tackling environmental, political and social issues and supporting farmers.
“We might not necessarily mimic these supporting pillars of the industry, but we’ll take out different functions from them,” she said.
ZADF, established in 2013 to promote, advance and develop milk and dairy product production in Zimbabwe, and is pursuing a
strategic plan with nutrition, breeding, policy and environment, and economic pillars.
ZADF advocates for levy-paying dairy farmers and provides extension services and communication.
It aims to reduce the cost of feed and compliance, improve competitiveness to create a sustainable environment for dairy farmers, introduce new technologies such as solar and biogas, and reduce the cost of production to allow Zimbabwe to sell milk at a competitive price while maintaining margins for farmers.
“This is critical for survival of the Zimbabwe dairy industry in view of various regional and international trade, especially the African Continent Free Trade Area Agreement,” Ms Chadoka said.
ZADF also aims to promote the role of women and youth in dairy and is pushing for a school milk program and plans to run trials on multispecies pastures and emissions reductions.
Genetics Australia export manager Rob Derksen said the Zimbabwe dairy industry had a lot of challenges in the past, but was now growing.
“We feel the use of Australian genetics would set a great platform to build on in the future,” Mr Derksen said.
“I am sure the ZADF delegates will go home and spread the word on the importance of using genetics best suited to their farming systems.
“Australian genetics are performing exceptionally well in South Africa and we are confident we will see the same performance in several other African counties, including Zimbabwe.”
Mr Derksen acknowledged the openness of Australian organisations and farmers who were keen to share information with the delegation on what made them successful.
Genetics Australia recently hosted a group of Zimbabwe dairy farmers.
ZADF CEO Paidamoyo Patience Chadoka said the trip would inspire Zimbabwean farmers to grow and improve their output.
Beef to grow
GLOBAL BEEF trade is poised for growth over the next five years, driven by increasing demand from Asia and export expansions by South American countries, according to a new report by agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank.
The report and accompanying world beef map highlight global beef trade has increased substantially over the past five years, with exports rising by 14 per cent from 2019 to nearly 13 million metric tons in 2024.
Rabo Research senior animal proteins analyst Angus Gidley-Baird said Brazil and China have emerged as dominant forces, with Brazil leading exports and China becoming the top importer.
“Brazilian beef exports have surged from 2.3 million metric tons in 2019 to an estimated 3.6 million metric tons in 2024, largely fuelled by China’s growing market demand.”
These volumes are double those of the second-largest exporter in 2024, Australia, the report said.
The global beef market has experienced significant volatility in the last five years due to disease outbreaks, geopolitical tensions and shifting economic conditions.
According to Mr Gidley-Baird, this unpredictability is expected to persist, impacting traditional trade flows and creating uncertainty.
“As tariffs and market access restrictions continue, the geopolitical environment remains a key factor in ongoing market fluctuations. Companies that can navigate this volatility and capitalise on favourable conditions will be well-positioned for success,” he said.
Mr Gidley-Baird said Australia and, more recently, the US have experienced historically-low beef cow inventories and record-high cattle prices.
“The uncertainty and unpredictability have led to increasing volatility in global beef markets, with prices regularly reaching record highs and dropping to historic lows,” he said.
The report says the second half of the decade is set to witness continued growth in global beef trade, driven by increasing consumption in Asia.
American countries, particularly Brazil, are expected to meet this demand through productivity improvements and enhanced management practices.
“Other established exporters – such as the US, Australia, and New Zealand – are expected to see more value-driven growth, leveraging quality attributes and established supply chains.”
Global beef production has increased by 5.5 per cent over the last five years, but, the report says, a temporary decline is anticipated in the coming years, particularly in the US, Brazil and Europe.
“This reduction will support cattle and beef prices, shifting margins to producers,” Mr Gidley-Baird said.
“However, production levels are expected to recover, bolstered by improved genetics and increased carcass weights.
“With lower global supplies of beef expected in the next couple of years, and our expectation that growth in beef consumption will be driven by net-importing countries, there is likely to be a growing tension between global and domestic customers.
“Australia, New Zealand and Brazil have experienced this recently, as very strong demand from US consumers has led to increased export volumes and prices, and this has supported beef and cattle prices in those countries.”
The global beef trade is set for continued growth.
Shelter stops mud in its tracks
PEOPLE OFTEN tell Kevin Jones that there’s money in mud when it comes to farming — but he’s never seen it.
Kevin and his wife Helen have been farming at Foster in Victoria’s southern Gippsland region since 2002, now along with their son Mitchell, and needed to find ways to cope with their 1200mm annual rainfall.
“We get that wet and muddy here that even the ducks leave,” Kevin jokes.
While regular rainfall is handy, the resulting mud and damaged paddocks in winter have been a hindrance.
A five-span, clear-roofed, deep litter shelter from Dairy Shelters Australia is helping to solve the dilemma.
“Land is expensive, so we wanted to make sure what we have is more efficient,” Kevin said.
The farm has been on a huge growth curve over the past two decades and has expanded to 302 hectares and up to 892 cows last year.
They also have land 40 minutes away at Yarram to run young cattle and grow fodder in a different environment with only about 800mm average rainfall.
Earlier, they had been sending cows away on agistment to avoid the boggy winters.
“We worked out that with what we were paying on agistment we could pay the interest bill on the land and could get all the spring fodder and graze cattle on it as well,” he said.
The new shelters are further easing the burden on the home farm, even though Kevin said it had been the toughest season he has endured.
The usual stockpile of fodder is nearly wiped out, and for the first time, they have had to pump water from the river running through the property.
Their Cypress Grove Holsteins is a registered stud.
Kevin has been registering cattle since his early days of sharefarming, seeing it as a way of value-adding to their asset.
The Jones family now runs two herds because they don’t all fit in the cow yard or the feed pad, with top cows and average cows in each herd divided along age lines.
Kevin is as much looking after their welfare as his paddocks with the introduction of the shelters this year and an earlier feed pad.
“The shelters are the add-on to the feed pad,” he said.
“The feed pad is good, but we still had to let cows go to the paddocks after we fed them.
We found they would walk 10 metres wide all the way up the paddock; 200 cows do enough damage, let alone 800.
“With the feed pad, we increased milk solids per cow from around 580-600 kg/Ms and this year we went over 700.
“I hope the extra benefit we get from the shelter with them saving energy from less walking and being warmer will lead to another increase in production on top of that.”
They have a high stocking rate, well over four cows per hectare on the milking area, which puts pressure on the farm, even with the other land providing top-up feed.
“We usually sell 150 to export, but that market died last year, so we’ve had to cull some that we didn’t want to lose and we still have too many with a lot of young cattle coming through,” he said.
The feed pad built five years ago was the first part of addressing the problem, the shelter’s the second part.
“We grow a lot of grass, but we get so wet in winter, we couldn’t put tractors on the paddocks and you waste a lot of feed,” Kevin said.
“People say there’s money in mud, but I say the mud’s too deep to find the money.”
The shelters have been installed to use over winter, allowing the cows protection after using the feed pad.
“The paddocks are a bit firm at the moment so
we’re not making much mess, but this is highly unusual,” he said.
“That will change fairly quickly because the drains are starting to trickle.
“If it starts to come in wet, we’ll house them there at night so they only have to walk once.
“They’ll stay there until the run-off water has gone and then they’ll be back out grazing.”
Kevin investigated the option of a solid barn but found the clear-roofed shelter could achieve his goals at a tenth of the price.
He also looked at adding a roof over the feed pad, but didn’t want the cows standing too long on concrete.
“We were looking for something that would work in our environment so went to western Victoria to look at shelters in action and sourced a lot of information,” he said.
“Even before we came home, we knew this was what we wanted to do.
“We could see it working for us. They are successful in like-for-like areas so they tick all the boxes.
“If we can protect the paddocks, it makes it easier to manage the cows.
“There’s nothing worse than sending a herd of cows out into the mud.”
The shelters will help the farm to rebound after a tough year.
“We always carry a year’s silage ahead of us,” he said.
Now it’s gone, but we’ll build up, and having the shelters will help us to prepare the farm with as much fodder as we can for the next season.”
The shelters were finished in July and have already been successfully used for calving cows.
Kevin has built a five-span shelter, two for each herd and one for calving.
“The calving shed hasn’t grown at all, but the herd has, so this can help to ease that pressure and it’s good to have airflow for the calves,” he said.
The farm recently hosted an open day that attracted strong interest.
“Everyone inside commented how it was warmer when the rain stopped and the sun came out,” Kevin said.
ɋ For more information, visit https://dairysheltersaustralia.com.au/ or https://www. facebook.com/dairysheltersaustralia
Gippsland dairy farmer Kevin Jones.
Variable rate drives efficiency
BY JEANETTE SEVERS
INVESTMENT IN an automated variable rate irrigation system is about drought tolerance for one dairy farmer.
“I’ve only got 1200ML of water for my land, which is not enough for 1000 acres,” James Clyne said.
“It’s more about just being able to irrigate through the year and keep as much grass growing as possible through the summer.
“So next drought we’ll be able to go that little bit longer, grow the grass we need to keep the cows going and grow crop.”
James and Erin Clyne operate an irrigated 400-hectare dairy farm at Newry, in the Macalister Irrigation District, in Victoria.
They milk about 1000 cows, using a 50-unit rotary dairy.
They had a problem with some of their undulating land where limited drainage capacity meant pasture was underwater longer than necessary. This occurred both in wet weather and from using traditional irrigation methods.
A Victorian Government Sustainable Irrigation Program Grant supported the installation of a variable rate irrigation system, utilising a centre pivot irrigator and was able to be managed from James’ phone.
“We applied the variable rate irrigation system through a centre pivot on what was originally a dryland paddock,” James said.
“The paddock has a lot of undulations in it and an old creek.”
The undulations varied the paddock’s topography by up to three metres, and waterlogging was a common issue around the centre of the pivot’s span.
“If we had chosen to laser grade that paddock, that work wouldn’t have been cost effective,” James said.
“When we used the pivot to irrigate at full rate (the traditional normal rate), it was causing puddling and pooling in the areas with poor drainage.
“About 10 per cent of the irrigation area was boggy and when we grazed the cattle there, that led to mastitis issues and lameness.”
There were other ongoing problems with the land and herd, out of this boggy area. James was also conscious of a cultural heritage overlay on this part of the farm, that he accommodates with any planning or work.
When the rest of the farm was producing 13t/ha, the 2.5ha affected area in this paddock would produce 7t/ha.
Initial assessments revealed significant inconsistencies in water application – while aiming for 13ml of application depth, actual
measurements varied from six to 22ml.
A drainage pipeline was installed through the paddock, to help the area recover quicker after rainfall.
Soil moisture probes were placed in three different locations, to monitor the effect of the variable rate irrigation system.
Each sprinkler on the centre pivot was also checked and issues fixed, which resulted in a 92 per cent application efficiency curve accuracy, a significant improvement.
Survey mapping of the farm’s topography and drainage used a sensor to identify the soil texture and therefore the wetter and drier zones of the property, and this data informed decision making around irrigation.
The VRI system allows multiple irrigation plans to be scoped and managed, using a dropdown menu interface.
These plans can be switched between easily, and allow James to vary the application rate of irrigation water through each sprinkler, using GPS and mapping and enabling him to irrigate with lower volumes on the boggy areas.
“Each sprinkler on the centre pivot is programmed to irrigate a fixed volume at a fixed time in a particular zone,” James said.
“Each zone has a different rate for volume and length of irrigation.
“You might notice that not all the sprinklers are on.
“If you want to change that application rate, you change it on your phone or another device.”
Using the VRI application, the system achieved 95 per cent accuracy on what the system was programmed to achieve.
“In those areas that were boggy, they’re now ameliorated and when it rains, they’re drying out and the cows aren’t wallowing in them,” James said.
“They’re grazing those areas like they graze the rest of the farm, and productivity has definitely increased.”
Soil moisture was also able to be maintained in traditionally drier elevated areas of the paddock.
“I can also tell it where the pasture growth is up to — whether it’s second leaf or third leaf — and it will actually then create an irrigation plan,” James said.
He has also been using the system to fertigate pasture.
James can choose to manage the system on his phone, on a computer, or at a hardwired modem housed near the centre pivot.
He has noted a significant difference in how pasture responds in the past couple of years.
“In the couple of years we’ve been using this system, that part of the farm has dried out,” James said.
“There were parts of the 2.5ha that were like wetlands almost, they had reeds growing in them, and they were just wet.
“Now it’s growing productive pasture, and that volume of pasture is increasing each year.”
In the first year, water savings were 18 per cent, and 26 per cent in the second year.
James extrapolated out the use of VRI across all his centre pivots by late 2025.
“I’ve got five pivots and I’ve put this technology on all of them,” he said.
“Water use efficiency has improved by 20 per cent, and the cows are no longer
or
lame
James Clyne manages his variable rate irrigation software through his phone.
Photos: Jeanette Severs
After installing variable rate irrigation systems on his five centre pivots, James can automate sprinklers to vary the rate of irrigation for boggy or dry areas or exclude watering on laneways, around troughs or neighbouring properties.
mastitic from grazing in boggy or puggy areas.
“This system has stopped paddocks from getting over watered or under watered.”
The system can also be programmed to identify from the survey mapping data that the centre pivot is crossing a laneway — so it will stop irrigating for that period.
“It’s probably a job to do once a year. To go along and have a bit of maintenance on your machine, check the sprinkler head, check the system to make sure I’m getting the right pressure.
“There’s about 270 sprinklers, so if you have four valves that aren’t opening or closing, you’ll only know if you go and check if it’s working.
“The system will alert you if the sprinkler’s working pressure gets too low.”
Using lower volumes of water has also decreased the risk of groundwater seepage into the surrounding catchment, retaining nutrients on the farm.
James was able to establish several zones within the management software that identified when the centre pivot was approaching a shared boundary fence, to prevent irrigation water from going onto his neighbours properties.
He was also able to exclude the area around troughs, to prevent unnecessary pugging, and reduce irrigation application rates around the base of each centre pivot tower, to reduce waterlogging and help with wheel tracking issues.
The Victorian Irrigation Drainage Program aims to mitigate the risk of salinity, waterlogging and water quality impacts to the environment, by removing excess water from irrigated areas.
This helps protect the laneway and keep it in better condition for the cows.
James and Erin have spent $150,000 on gravel to improve their laneways, so retaining their integrity was critical for reducing maintenance hours and for herd health.
“It means 90 per cent of the pivot’s sprinklers could be turned off, or 50 per cent, while it’s crossing that area,” James said.
James said the VRI system was also a useful tool when a gale wind is blowing or there has been heavy rainfall — the centre pivot can be turned off.
Regular maintenance includes ensuring the sprinklers are not blocked.
“I don’t watch them run to see if they work all the time,” James said.
James agreed to participate in a trial of the variable irrigation system on one of his centre pivots. Within a year of using the system, he had adopted the software across four of his centre pivots because of pasture and milk production and cow health improvements, even in a wet year
At the time of his interview with Dairy News Australia, James was looking forward to a family holiday in Finland when he would be using his phone to monitor and manage his irrigation remotely.
Milking 1000 cows off 400 hectares with 1200ML of water means maximising pasture and crop growth to meet fodder and productivity goals.
Using the variable rate irrigation system enables James to turn off irrigation while the centre pivot is traversing laneways.
Lely talks calves at open day
BY JEANETTE SEVERS
AN OPEN day on a dairy farm at Leongatha North saw attendees discuss raising calves and milk volumes.
The event was held at the farm of Rob and Heather Calder, Wandilla Holsteins, and was co-hosted by Rob with Lely Center Gippsland.
In 2023, Rob and Heather commissioned the building of a new shed for raising their calves – 400 each year.
The shed was designed with several pens, a five-station Lely Calm calf feeder with hygiene boxes for automated cleaning, five automated grain feeders, rapid drinking troughs and automatic brushes for calves to enjoy grooming themselves.
Rob said he or a worker only spend about 20 minutes per day in the shed, thanks to automation.
Glen Monson, from Lely Center Gippsland, who helped set up the feeding system, explained the Calder’s feeding program and other available options.
“We find there are two main benefits with the Calm machine,” Glen said.
“The system is flexible for the operator, whether that’s the farmer or the labour unit, who can set it up for the calves then go home to have breakfast with their family.
“Then they can return to the calf shed later in the morning and check the calves. That’s the biggest thing.
“Then there’s the consistency of the milk for the calves – whether that’s powdered milk or from the vat, the calves are getting the same consistency of powder and water ratio or milk volumes that the calf is allowed to get.”
The Calder’s calves are on a feeding plan of seven days on three litres of milk, then another two weeks where they ramp up from three to five litres, then five litres for 40 days.
“Then over 10 days they’re weaned from five litres to one-and-a-half litres of milk,” Rob Calder said.
“The grain plan is 10 days of 200 grams, then it’s ramped up over a couple of weeks from 200 grams to two kilograms.
“Then for the next 100 days, even after weaning, they can access two kilograms of grain a day, until they’re taken out of the shed.”
A key point of discussion was comparing feeding regimes against liveweight gain.
Of course, feeding good quality colostrum to the calf as soon as possible after birth was essentially to ensure its gut cells worked well. A refractometer was useful to measure the health of the colostrum.
Andrea Meerwath of Lely Center Gippsland said it was to the dairy farmers advantage to store good quality colostrum in the freezer for those times when it is needed.
“It’s important to give them as much colostrum as possible in the first few hours,” she said.
“If I bring the calf in and go and get a cup of tea for myself, then come back to feed colostrum to the calf – the calf has missed out on its best start in life.
“Your colostrum should be between 39 and 40 degrees, and it should be fed at least three times to the calf.
“And they should be fed at least two litres at a time in those first feeds, to encourage the sucking reflex.”
Andrea said it was important to balance energy and protein, to guarantee liveweight gain to grow a heifer for joining in an optimal time frame.
In one example discussed by the group, an
additional 0.2kg of daily liveweight gain in the first eight weeks as a calf could correlate to weaning earlier, joining earlier and up to an extra 800kg produced in the first lactation.
Andrea recommended adlib feeding of milk and grain. Using a milk powder with added protein aided digestibility and growth, particularly in young calves.
“You cannot feed a calf too much,” she said.
“You can use the Lely Calm system to train the calf that it can drink as much as it wants to. Keep that in mind if you want to give it a try.”
One example was giving a calf an allocation of 10 litres of milk a day, then gradually weaning that down, over several weeks, to four to five litres a day.
“Calves then look for grain and hay,” Andrea said.
“You feed it to them from the first few days, so that they smell it, they nibble a little bit on it, so they know it when they are looking for more food.
“You can’t feed a calf too much when you get it all back in their first lactation.”
She said that in a bucket feeding system, an adlib system worked best when calves were housed separately from each other.
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Glen Monson from Lely Center Gippsland, explains the Lely Calm feeding system.
Photos: Jeanette Severs
Dairy farmers gathered for discussion about calf rearing at Rob and Heather Calder, Wandilla Holsteins, Leongatha North.
Lilly Hammond from Buln Buln, Mel and Luke Wallace from Wallacedale Jerseys at Poowong North, and Lely Center Gippsland’s Andrea Meerwath.
All breeds at spring show
BY SOPHIE BALDWIN
THE ALL Breeds Spring Dairy Show held its inaugural event at the Elmore Events Centre in November.
While it was only a small show, organiser Scott Sommerville said exhibitors and onlookers were all blown away by the quality of the cows and the facilities.
“The arena and sheds are all first class, I don’t think you would find a better facility anywhere in Australia,” Scott said.
Grand Champion Cow was Tandara Askn Belle owned by Ben Govett.
Interbreed Intermediate Champion was Westmuir LR Chief Jacobina 9770-Et owned by Dylan Morris from Dylander Park Genetics.
Interbreed Junior Champion was Firework Karlies Karma owned by Jess Eagles.
“There is an interesting story behind the intermediate champion, Dylan won her in an IDW raffle and she has gone on to do very well for him,” Scott said.
Scott said while he was disappointed with numbers, he did acknowledge the timing might not have been ideal, especially considering the longer than normal hay season
“We didn’t realise when we scheduled the show it would also clash with the very popular Noorat show, so we will definitely be looking at a change of date and we will give it another a go in 2026.
“We had great sponsorship, and I am sure all the exhibitors went home happy, including Ben who took home a Bale Up Hayfeeder and fire pit,” Scott said.
Ben said the decision to attend the show was very last minute and only possible because he finished up his hay the day before.
He said Belle was a super balanced fouryear-old with a fantastic udder.
“It was a great little show and the arena was amazing. The facilities were spot on and I think it provided a good opportunity for all the young kids to get in and learn all about showing,” Ben said.
Nadine Lynn said her children Penny and Adam had a ball and a learnt a lot.
“They did all the work getting their animals ready and they did really well,” Nadine said.
“Penny was awarded Red and White Junior Champion with Kanbowro Diamond Big M 4909, and Adam, Reserve with Kanbowro Raeban Brandy 4941. Penny also received Reserve Junior Champion in the All Breeds Youth Show with Big M,” Nadine said.
She said the family was only just starting out in the show ring and they were all enjoying the experience and looking forward to learning as much as they could.
Interbreed Intermediate champion was Westmuir LR Chief Jacobina 9770-Et owned by Dylan Morris (right). He is pictured with Daniel Bacon (left) and Michael Hentschke.
Adam Butcher, Penny Lynn and Sienna Ross. Photos: Fleur Ferguson Photography.
Grand Champion Exhibit was Tandara Askn Belle owned by Ben Govett (right) pictured with Daniel Bacon and Michael Hentschke.
Penny Lynn with Big M who was awarded Red and White Junior Champion.
Mini parader eight years and under was Dusty Billinghurst.
Program prepares for drought with grants and development
FOUNDATION
FOR Rural and Regional Renewal and the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation are pleased to announce the launch of the Future Drought Fund’s Communities Program, funded by the Federal Government.
The program will see $36 million in support delivered to regional communities over the next three years.
This investment builds on the Future Drought Fund’s Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative, Networks to Build Drought Resilience program and the Drought Resilience Leaders program.
The program will offer a mix of grants and capacity building activities, including leadership development, across the country.
The first two granting elements — Small Network Grants and the Regional Drought Resilience Plan Social Outcome Grants — are now open.
Planning is also under way for the Community Impact Program, which will kick off early next year.
Small Network Grants are available across 314 LGAs — with $3 million across three funding rounds (each up to $50,000 and $1 million available per round).
Funding can support locally-based notfor-profit organisations to undertake activities that strengthen professional, social
or community networks; host community events; run training workshops; upgrade small-scale community infrastructure or facilitate professional, personal or leadership development.
The gr ants are specifically designed to help bring to life the social resilience activities and projects already outlined in an RDRP, from up to 50 eligible RDRP regions.
There is a maximum of $100,000 available per RDRP region over the life of the program.
In total, there will be $5 million available through this stream, with about $2 million available in the first round.
Both Small Network Grants and RDRP Social Outcome Grants programs are available to not-for-profit organisations with an ABN or Incorporation Certificate and support remote, rural, or regional communities in agriculture-dependent areas.
FRRR chief executive officer Natalie Egleton said it was important to recognise remote, rural, and regional communities already possess a strong foundation of resilience.
“Through our work with local leaders, we know communities want to be less reactive and do more to get on the front-foot ahead of the inevitable dry times,” Natalie said.
“The aim is for people to be better skilled, informed, connected, and resourced, so
they can draw upon these strengths in times of drought.
“For community groups, this preparedness work will enable them to have greater capacity and access to the rights resources and support that their communities need, when they need them.”
In addition to grants for organisations, individuals in any agriculture-dependent community can apply to be part of a national mentoring initiative, delivered by ARLF.
ARLF chief executive officer Matt Linnegar said the mentoring initiative was just one part of the support offered through this program.
“At the ARLF, we know that the most powerful resource in any rural community is its people,” Matt said.
“This program is about bringing these people together — those who have weathered the worst of drought and those preparing for what is ahead — to share knowledge, support, and strength.”
ɋ For more information, visit: https://rural-leaders.org.au/national-mentoring-initiative/
The Future Drought Fund Communities Program will also offer the Community Impact Program, an integrated package of support for 12 regions, designed to strengthen the social capital, wellbeing and connectedness of communities to prepare
for and build social resilience to drought.
Locally-based not-for-profit organisations within each region will work collaboratively with FRRR and a facilitator to design and agree upon a series of community driven projects or initiatives — all projects will be recorded in an agreed ‘Roadmap.’
To support implementation, each region can access:
ɋ Grants awarded by FRRR: Grants of up to $150,000 each will fund projects identified in a community roadmap that strengthen community networks, capabilities and facilities that support increased drought preparedness. In total, $900,000 is available in each of the 12 regions.
ɋ Leadership Activities delivered by ARLF: A series of complementary activities, chosen by local community organisations, designed to strengthen the leadership capabilities of communities to build individual and community drought resilience.
Over the next few months, FRRR and ARLF staff will meet with organisations and begin planning the engagement process, which will take place in community early next year.
ɋ Applications for grants to support the agreed initiatives will open in July next year.
ɋ To learn more about the program, visit https://frrr.org.au/funding/fdf-communities/
The Future Drought Fund’s Communities Program will see $36 million in support delivered to regional communities over the next three years.
Photo: AAP/Danny Casey
Dedication, determination keeps family farming
FOR THIRD generation dairy farmers Craig and Philip Tate, perseverance has been a defining trait.
Over the past decade, their family business in Albion Park, just south of Wollongong, has faced the challenges of urban expansion, major infrastructure projects and changing community expectations, yet has emerged stronger, more efficient and more sustainable than ever.
T he Tates’ state-of-the-art dairy was a drawcard at the Dairy Research Foundation Symposium, Innovation Tour held in Wollongong in November.
As one of only four farms remaining in the municipality, the Tates’ dairy has been at the centre of one of the most significant regional transformations in the Illawarra.
What began in 2013 as an infrastructure project to ease traffic congestion, the Albion Park Rail Bypass became a 10-year process of land acquisition, legal negotiations and environmental compliance that tested the family’s adaptability and resourcefulness.
“We had to learn how the system worked and we just kept going until we got the best outcome we could,” Craig said.
“You either give up or find a way forward.
“We chose to keep going.”
At the time, the brothers were milking around 600 cows across two dairies, separated by a river.
The road project’s initial bypass design demanded 29ha of their best land and the demolition of key infrastructure.
Through relentless negotiation, community support and the backing of local representatives, the Tates reduced the acquisition to 16ha, but the disruption required a total rethink of their operations.
“We had to completely reconfigure the business,” Philip said.
“With the new freeway cutting through the property, we couldn’t rebuild on some of the high land because of flood access and heritage constraints.
“Every step involved another layer of red tape.”
The process was made more complex when archaeological surveys uncovered Aboriginal artefacts, restricting parts of the farm.
In addition, native title claims, watercourse regulations and development application hurdles extended the project timeline and inflated costs.
Despite the challenges, the brothers transformed adversity into opportunity.
The y invested in new infrastructure, including a 60-stand state-of-the-art rotary dairy, a loafing barn, and advanced effluent management systems, creating one of the most efficient and environmentally responsible dairies in the region.
An underpass was also incorporated into the road project, so the herd can access the rest of the property.
“All our holding yards are now under cover to keep rainwater out of our effluent system,” Craig said.
“It’s about being proactive.
“We’ve got solar panels, Tesla batteries and we are close to Sydney’s major milk market, so our food miles are low, our footprint is small and our operation is sustainable.”
The Tates’ 160kW solar installation and nine Tesla batteries increase the operation’s energy efficiency while aligning with milk
processors’ increasing emphasis on sustainability credentials.
“Our milk goes to Lidcombe, just 100 kilometres away. That’s fresh milk right on the doorstep of the country’s biggest drinking
milk market,” Craig said.
The farm now stands as a model of adaptation, not just in terms of technology but also in community engagement.
The brothers host farm tours, university
groups and school visits, using the opportunity to educate the public about modern dairying practices.
“Most people have no idea how food is produced,” Craig said.
“Once they come here and see how we look after our animals and manage the land, they leave with a completely different perspective. It’s all about awareness and education.”
With the encroachment of suburbia and housing developments now literally on their boundary fence, new challenges such as urban stormwater run-off have the Tates continuing to adapt their operations.
The Tates are acutely aware they operate under constant public scrutiny, and maintaining good community relations has become part of the daily routine.
“We’ve got to be careful about everything we do,” Craig said.
“We plan when we spread effluent so it doesn’t coincide with school hours, spreading it instead during school holidays. We are front and centre 24/7, but that is the new reality of dairying on the edge of town.”
Despite ongoing urbanisation, the brothers remain committed to the future, driven by the desire to create something enduring for the next generation.
“It is about setting things up for the future,” Craig said.
“Our new infrastructure means the next generation can keep dairying if they choose to.
“We have had every challenge thrown at us, legal, environmental, financial, but we are still here, and we are proud of what we have built.”
Craig, Adam, Luke and Karen Tate.
Nicole, Jack, Philip and Lucy Tate.
New breed and a dual purpose
BY RICK BAYNE
NORMANDE CATTLE might number less than 1000 in Australia but a new breed society aims to show how the dual-purpose breed can benefit local dairy, beef and hobby farmers.
The Australian Normande Cattle Association has set awareness and education as its main priorities and secretary Jessa Laws says the breed can play an important role in Australia.
Jessa admits Normande cows won’t compete with Holsteins, Jerseys or other major breeds but says they have wide-ranging benefits.
“You can’t compare them to a Holstein or a Jersey because they are dual purpose,” she says.
“They offer a completely different set of positives. They’re quiet, easy to work with and their
milk quality is amazing, especially the high components, but they also have the dual purpose of their beef carcass. That’s where the breed will really come into its own in Australia.”
With more scrutiny on bobby calves, Jessa says the breed’s high-quality marbled meat could be a game changer.
Formation of the new breed association follows the retirement of south-west Victorian farmer Stephen Cain, who has donated the first Australian-registered Normande heifer for a raffle as a fundraiser to kick-start the association.
“Stephen was very passionate about the breed,” Jessa says.
“Because of his retiring and dispersing his herd about a year ago, a lot of people purchased his animals and we’ve become connected.” Jessa, who farms near Portland, was
introduced to the breed about 10 years ago and more recently invested in a few cross-breds.
“I like their versatility,” she says.
“They are a smaller breed with a lot of strength and are well known for their ability to create quality milk from foraging. The milk is high components and the quality of the cream is amazing. If you’re a cheese maker, it’s the bee’s knees.
“I ended up using one as a house cow and absolutely fell in love with the breed.”
Normande milk makes Camembert, Pont l’eveque, Livarot and Neufchatel cheeses in France and the breed’s meat is labelled for chefs.
“That’s where the dual purpose really comes into its own,” Jessa says.
Based in the country’s Normandy region, the breed’s stud book stems back to 1883 and there
are now about three million pure-breds — about a quarter of the national herd.
Worldwide there are more than seven million Normandes, with South America home to the biggest population outside France.
“They are so hardy and the breed has adapted to the altitude, high temperatures and limited grass in South America and produce top quality milk,” Jessa says.
The association believes Normandes can excel locally in three-way crosses, cross-breeding herds or for hobby farmers and for beef. They can also add much-needed variety to herds.
“They have a high carcass yield but you’re not sacrificing dairy to use them — they are still a good dairy-producing cow with a beautiful quality of solids, high fertility, low cell count and really hardy with low health issues,” Jessa says.
Normande cows won’t compete with Holsteins, Jerseys or other major breeds but they do have other wide-ranging benefits.
Photos: Rick Bayne
Normande milk makes Camembert, Pont l’eveque, Livarot and Neufchatel cheeses in France and the breed’s meat is labelled for chefs.
“The calves they produce for the beef market grow out really well without extra grain or having to push them on supplements.”
Jessa has about 15 Normandes in her mixed herd, and has also sent a pure-bred heifer to a friend’s farm in Gippsland to see how she performs in a commercial dairy.
“They’re on par with other commercial cows in Australia, but we need to focus on utilising everything that we can within the dairy industry,” she says.
“The cows forage and convert grass to milk and then they’re producing beautiful calves to raise for beef.
“Blind taste tests in America have found Normande is on par with their top beef.”
There are less than 50 purebreds in Australia resulting from imported embryos but Jessa hopes the new association will see numbers grow.
“That’s why we’re starting the society to champion this breed and hopefully improve numbers,” she says.
“We understand they’re not for everyone, but
they have their own merits and those who milk them and breed them fall in love with them for a reason.
“The French treat the Normande very seriously and have an extensive genetics selection program,” Jessa says.
“We will be working with AI companies to make sure the semen coming in meets what Aussie farmers need.”
Association chairperson Kaaren Haywood, from the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, says the breed has huge potential in Australia.
“We need versatility in our breeds so we can continue to thrive,” she says.
Kaaren became interested in promoting the breed after visiting Phil and Suzanne Hall in Western Australia and buying four cows from Stephen Cain’s dispersal sale.
“Suzanne wanted to get some recognition for the breed in Australia and there were a number of us able to purchase Stephen’s cows and it grew from there,” she says.
“We want to educate people on the beauty and versatility of this breed and show them that there
are other breeds out there that can do the same thing as those they are currently interested in.
“The breed has been in Australia since the 1970s and the animals themselves have proven that they are suited to our environment. They produce a good volume of milk with good protein and butter fat content and they are wellknown for their meat and its good marbling characteristics.”
Symone and Phil Vines milk up to 270 cows on robots at Simpson in south-west Victoria, predominately Holsteins, then Jerseys and Normandes.
“We were cow parking 17 full-blood Normandes for a friend last year when I fell in love with them,” Symone, who describes herself as an accidental Normande lover, says.
They now have 30 full-blood Normandes on farm.
Fresh Normandes do up to 40 litres, although one hit 50.9 litres and 4.1 kilos of milk solids at 33 days in milk. Mid- to later-lactation Normandes vary depending on lactation length but mostly sit between 18 and 25 litres.
While litre production figures are not as high as the herd average, the Normande solids are excellent, around 4.8 per cent fat and 3.85 per cent protein.
Across the whole herd, the average solids are 4.5 per cent fat and 3.5 per cent protein.
“It is difficult comparing the breeds as Normandes are a dual breed, but if I had to, I would say they sit somewhere between a Jersey and a Holstein,” Symone says.
“We only started milking these girls last year, so I don’t know if they will ‘milk on’ like a traditional dairy breed but they are a strong, large, robust animal.
“We have found they have a longer gestation length than the traditional breeds, but calving them down has not been an issue and the calves are strong.
“We have seen no difference in heat stress across the herd and milk quality has not been an issue.”
The association has members from across Australia and is going through the final stages of registration.
Normande cattle can hold their own in a commercial herd according to Symone Vines from Simpson.
Australian Normande Cattle Association secretary Jessa Laws and daughter Inara.
Kaaren Haywood believes the breed has huge potential in Australia.
Normande milk makes Camembert, Pont l’eveque, Livarot and Neufchatel cheeses in France and the breed’s meat is labelled for chefs.
Keep ‘CattleEye’ on lameness
LAMENESS IS a key issue on dairy farms as it impacts profitability, cow health, milk production, reproduction and animal welfare.
Identifying and treating lame cows takes time and skill, draining important resources that could be better used elsewhere.
There are many different factors that cause lameness, and it is a complex issue to fix.
Prevention plans are essential — such as maintaining laneways and yards and ensuring good cow flow through the dairy.
The next step is scoring the herd to measure the success of these plans and identify issues early.
Unfortunately, the prevalence of lameness is often underestimated, and cases treated late lead to decreased productivity and profitability.
Manual scoring is time-consuming, subjective and prone to human error.
Automated scoring methods are more consistent, require less labour, and provide easy access to long-term data.
This is where technology such as GEA’s CattleEye is changing the game.
Using a 2D security camera mounted over the exit race, combined with ID data, CattleEye uses artificial intelligence algorithms to uniquely identify cows and monitor welfare and behaviour.
These insights are analysed through an easy-to-use app or integrated into an existing herd management system.
Beyond lameness detection, CattleEye also provides automated body condition scoring.
GEAs CattleEye is changing the lameness game. Inset, insights are analysed through an app or integrated into a herd management system.
This feature helps farmers:
track nutritional status and energy balance
• adjust feed rations before weight loss impacts milk yield
• improve reproductive performance and
overall herd health
By combining lameness and body condition insights, farmers can make proactive decisions that boost productivity and animal welfare.
ProDairy can assist you with the development of a tailored
• On-farm visit by a ProDairy veterinarian.
• Review of the current biosecurity principles, the major risks and actions taken to reduce those risks.
• Development of a customised biosecurity plan.
Visit prodairy.com.au for more information.
Farms using the system have experienced a decrease in lameness prevalence and improved herd health thanks to earlier intervention, targeted treatment and more efficient use of labour.
Take control
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The versatile TrailPro sprayer is built for
adaptability. Whether managing commercial properties or smaller plots, TrailPro delivers professional-level performance without the complexity of industrial machinery, making it a favourite among contractors and property owners alike.
Completing TTI’s lineup, the WeedControl range is engineered for targeted weed management. These sprayers combine precision, reliability, and durability, ensuring long-term performance across a variety of terrains and conditions.
By choosing TTI Australia, customers gain access to top-of-the-line weed sprayer equipment that delivers results every time. From paddocks and pastures to commercial and residential spaces, TTI’s sprayers provide an efficient, reliable, and cost-effective solution for keeping weeds under control.
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