Dairy News Australia February 2021

Dairy farm going carbon-neutral PAGE 14 NEXT BIG THING? New method keeps milk fresh for 60 days.

PAGE 5

SMALL STEPS, BIG DREAM

Shipping containers make perfect start up dairy.

PAGE 16

FEBRUARY, 2021 ISSUE 124 // www.dairynewsaustralia.com.au

RETURNING TO DAIRY Life had previously taken Ebony Bannister away from dairy farming, but you can’t fight destiny.. destiny. PAGE 12

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NEWS // 3

Dairy week sale goes online. PG.7 Bega’s product line has now expanded to include Big M, Dare and Farmers Union.

Dairy career gets nudge. PG.19

Aussie brands back onshore THE WEBSITES are updated and the new

Pasture improvement feature. PG.26

NEWS .......................................................3 – 23 OPINION ......................................................... 6 MARKETS ...................................................... 8 ANIMAL HEALTH ............................ 24 – 25 PASTURE IMPROVEMENT

package shots taken — Bega Cheese has officially bought Lion Dairy & Drinks for $534 million.

On January 25, Bega Cheese Limited confirmed it had fully acquired Lion’s dairy and drinks arm, onboarding brands such as Dairy Farmers, Pura, Big M, Yoplait, Farmers Union and the Daily Juice Co. The acquisition has doubled the size of the company, which owns Vegemite and Bega Cheese alongside Tatura Milk and the Strathmerton cheese factory.

For a few of the brands it is a return to Australian ownership after a stint with the Japanese-owned Lion.

Dairy Farmers in particular is of interest — the brand is one of the largest and oldest dairy manufacturers in Australia and was influential enough in the north Queensland dairy pool that the North Queensland Cowboys played at ‘Dairy Farmers Stadium’ from 1998 to 2013.

Lion is now focusing on alcoholic drinks and up-market juices, including Iron Jack, Furphy and a range of kombuchas.

Bega executive chairman Barry Irvin said January 25 was a significant day in the history of Bega.

“This goal of creating a great Australian food company with the capacity to service our customers in Australia and around the world took a step forward today,” Mr Irvin said.

“The acquisition of Lion Dairy & Drinks doubles the size of the company with revenue of $3 billion and brings together great brands.”

The change of hands has been welcomed by Lion’s largest supplier group, Dairy Farmers Milk Co-operative (unrelated to the Dairy Farmers brand).

The Bega-Lion sale came to fruition after Chinese company Mengniu Dairy bid to buy Lion Dairy & Drinks for $600 million, but the deal was knocked back by the Federal Government in November.

Canadian-based Saputo also showed an interest, but ultimately withdrew its offer in November as well.

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4 // NEWS

India is new focus for trade AS TENSIONS with China grow, the dairy

Dairy Australia is leading a project to grow partnerships with the Indian dairy industry

COPRICE DAIRY MODEL FARM FOCUS Benevento Holsteins – Undera Date: January 20 th 2021 Farm Area: 120ha Milking Platform: 75ha

PRODUCTION Cow Numbers........................................................................................................... 259 Current Calving Split (Spr: Aut:Ext)....................................................... 60:30:10 KG Milk Solids/cow/day.................................................................................... 1.94kg Litres/cow/day....................................................................................................... 27.5L Fat %......................................................................................................................... 3.85% Protein %................................................................................................................ 3.20%

GRAZING AND SUPPLEMENT FEEDING (kgDM/cow/day)

CopRice 12.5/16........................................................................................................ 6kg PMR (Ryegrass Silage)...................................................................................... 13.5kg PMR (Lucerne Hay)................................................................................................. 2kg Summer Crop (Fescue)....................................................................................... 1.5kg Total DM Offered................................................................................................... 23kg

2426655 129 mm W X 233 mm H

DIET DETAIL

Crude Protein (%).................................................................................................... 19% ME Density (MJ/kg DM).............................................................................................11 NDF (%)...................................................................................................................... 33.2 Starch (%)....................................................................................................................... 13 Forage:Concentrate Ratio................................................................................. 73:27

INCOME % feed cost as milk income................................................................................ 63% IOFC (cow/day).................................................................................................... $5.48 IOFC (hectare/day)........................................................................................... $18.90

COMMENTS The milking herd are currently offered a PMR ration through the day, and are grazing limited summer irrigated pastures at night. Sorghum grazing will re-enter the diet in the coming days, reducing the requirement for conserved forages. Heat stress mitigation is assisting to maintain production as autumn calvers begin to exit the milking herd. Dry cows and heifers are grazing sorghum crops off the milking platform and preparations have begun for autumn calving. Maize crops are looking exceptional with additional area planted due to favourable water pricing.

NUTRITION THAT STACKS UP

industry is turning its attention to India with a new project to strengthen relationships with our northern neighbours.

Dairy Australia has received a $74,600 grant to drive the project, which will focus on building research and development collaborations, sharing technical expertise and developing relationships to benefit the dairy industry.

India is the world’s largest dairy producer and the fastest growing large economy — it is projected to be the third largest country in the world by 2035 with 1.6 billion citizens.

Dairy Australia managing director David Nation said the Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation project was timely to help focus Australian dairy businesses on possible areas for cooperation and relationships.

“Joint activities are supporting trade to India, with comprehensive research into the Indian dairy market to gain an understanding of India’s supply chain, state of the industry, key stakeholders and consumer behaviours — to inform where there are the greatest opportunities for strategic partnerships that benefit both Australian and Indian dairy farmers,” Dr Nation said.

“As part of the project, a report on the Indian dairy sector has already been produced to provide an overview for Australian industry participants to better understand the Indian production systems and market.

“It is hoped this initial step will help focus Australian dairy businesses on possible areas for cooperation and relationships.”

Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the deal came at a time when dairy demand was growing in India.

“Consumer demand in India for dairy milk products is expected to outpace supply until 2035 and there will also be enormous demand for value-added milk products,” Mr Littleproud said.

“Our dairy farmers and processors are renowned here and abroad for their highquality products.

“The ATMAC project will support long-term strategic engagement between the Australian and Indian dairy sectors to explore ways to improve collaboration and identify mutually beneficial opportunities.

“The project is taking a long-term focus and aims to position Australian dairy farmers, processors and supply chains as preferred partners for their Indian counterparts into the future.”

The strategy focuses on long-term opportunities to collaborate and build relationships, based on an analysis of where Australia is positioned to provide initiatives of value to the Indian sector.

Initiatives will be co-designed with the Australian dairy industry and Indian stakeholders and will involve industry consultation and in-market partners.

SHARE PLAN TO BUILD FACTORY The Camperdown-based Australian Dairy Nutritionals Group is seeking $1 million to help fund an infant formula factory through a public share purchase plan.

The company is building a new processing plant for fresh and nutritional products about 2 km from its existing factory.

The plant should be capable of producing 400,000 to 600,000 tins of infant formula annually for the Australian market.

The board of the company announced the share offer on January 11, which follows a similar share purchase plan offered to investors in December.

The closing date for the offer is February 10.

Last year the company, which owns five dairy farms, announced it intended to become one of the few

producers of organic A2 milk and the company is seeking to transform its farms into organic certified suppliers.

It intends to have all farms complete the process by the end of this year.

The company recorded a net loss before income tax of $7.5 million for the last financial year.

The result was impacted by the writedown of goodwill in the acquisition of Camperdown Dairy for $3 million.

The company sells its products under the Camperdown, Jonesy and Ecklin South labels.

Chairman Martin Bryant told a meeting last year the company was seeking a partnership with a distributor into the Asian market to open the way for organic infant formula.

Negotiations with a “significant supplier” were suspended last year due to COVID-19.

The Camperdown company is seeking capital for expansion.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

NEWS // 5

Funding for milk invention A QUEENSLAND company which discov-

ered a way to triple the shelf life of fresh milk is one step closer to commercialisation after receiving $1 million from the Federal Government.

The funding will go towards building a pilot plant in Coolum, a goal the company has been raising money for since 2019.

Sunshine Coast-based Naturo Technologies is best known for creating always-green avocado slices, but it expanded into dairy three years ago with the Wholey Milk Co and a tightly guarded pasteurisation secret.

Not much is known about the method which keeps milk fresh for 60 days, except it uses intense cold instead of intense heat to kill pathogens in the milk.

Naturo Founder and agricultural engineer Jeff Hastings is the inventor of the method — now internationally patented and named the ‘Haelen Method’.

“The primary difference between our milk and pasteurised milk is the fact we don’t ‘cook’ the milk to make it safe for human consumption,” Mr Hastings said.

“Put simply, our technology kills more of the bugs and has a significantly superior shelf life.”

The non-heat method also kills the common milk pathogen Bacillus cereus, which until now has been a thorn in the milk industry’s side.

Wholey Milk Co has been on a well-oiled sales pitch since 2019 promoting the product to media in an effort to gather investment, but the massive lump sum from the Federal Government has now boosted the company’s time line.

It’s expected a range of premium milk products processed with the Haelen Method will be available in select Queensland stockists in March or April this year before being expanded nationally in 2022.

Federal Industry Minister Karen Andrews said the million-dollar grant would help turn a bold idea into job-creating reality.

“This grant will help the company build a pilot plant in Queensland to create their product and then export it to the world, while also paving the way for a full-scale facility to be built in Tasmania,” Ms Andrews said.

If the technology proves commercially scalable, it could overhaul Australia’s milk export market opportunities.

“Our milk can be shipped to all parts of the world that have limited or no access to fresh milk,” Mr Hastings said.

“There is also massive potential for the development of a wide range of dairy products to use by industries where unpasteurised milk is desired, such as cheesemaking.”

In the past, Naturo received $25,000 in like-for-like funding from the Queensland Government to help develop the technology.

Inventor of the new fresh milk preservation method, Jeff Hastings, on a south-east Queensland dairy farm.

NEW NAME FOR COON CHEESE

Jeff Hastings and Andy Cartright in the lab.

Inside these freezers are trays upon trays of milk bottles.

Australian cheese brand Coon has a new name: Cheer.

The decision by owner Saputo Dairy follows a review that considered “current attitudes and perspectives” after community objections to the original name, which is also a racial slur.

“Our decision to change the name of Australia’s much-loved cheese reinforces this commitment to build a culture of acceptance, inclusion and respect where everyone feels a sense of belonging,” the global head of Saputo, Lino A. Saputo, said.

The new name, Cheer, was chosen because it signals happiness.

“Cheer cheese enriches everyday moments, with our signature taste that brightens your morning, noon or night,” Saputo Dairy Australia commercial director Cam Bruce said on January 13.

Cheer cheese will be on supermarket shelves nationwide from July 2021.

Coon cheese has been sold in Australia since the 1930s and was originally named after the American who developed the maturation process, Edward William Coon.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

6 // OPINION

EDITORIAL

Always searching for the cream of the crop Have you ever opened the door of your fridge to find your milk expired?

Headed to the supermarket and found the expiry date just wasn’t long enough?

Those days could be numbered, thanks to new technology being trialled in Queensland.

The possibility of a 60-day chilled shelf life for milk could be a game changer for the dairy industry, opening up a suite of new markets and opportunities.

Currently Australia exports a bit over a third of our milk production, totalling more than $3 billion, with most exports in the form of cheese, butter, ultra-heat treated (UHT) milk and milk powders.

Coon cheese selling on Facebook

While fresh milk is just a small portion of the export pie, if the new technology works then we could see countries that have not been viable export opportunities receiving fresh Aussie milk right to their port.

It’s an ambitious project, but one that is generating some buzz around the industry.

ENTREPRENEURS HOPING to make some

money are pouncing on stocks of Coon Cheese before it disappears from supermarket shelves under that name.

The opportunists are advertising the Coon cheese for up to $1000 on Facebook.

Last month the brand’s owner, Saputo, announced it was changing the name to Cheer Cheese following complaints that the name referenced racist slang.

Meanwhile, one of the opponents of the Coon name, indigenous man Stephen Hagan, has raised another issue with a dairy product — Pauls’ Smarter White milk.

Dr Hagan has been quoted as saying that there is an inference in the name that it’s for smart white people, not for smart black people.

The label has been used to sell low-fat milk since 2002. Dr Hagan said lots of Indigenous people had raised the issue with him.

Just like the goal to turn Gippsland-based research facility Ellinbank into a carbon-neutral dairy farm — it’s a change that would place the Australian dairy industry at the forefront of the world.

For many years the dairy industry has been the focus of criticisms about the high levels of methane it emits.

It’s often used as a key argument for pivoting away from milk and the dairy industry.

But researchers at Ellinbank are taking the figures in their stride, trying to develop smarter and cleaner ways to run a dairy business.

With 430 cows heading through the dairy each day it’s a sizeable project and one that will take many years to perfect.

The packet of Coon cheese advertised on Facebook Marketplace. The same sort of product was on sale at Coles for $6.

These projects are the latest steps by the dairy industry to become more efficient and grow opportunities.

It’s nothing new.

Dairy farmers have been among the first adopters of solar power to reduce energy bills, consume less power and be more environmentally friendly.

They’ve always pored over statistics and data, comparing results to get just that little bit more efficient.

While not every project or move can and will pan out, there’s always a willingness to give it a go.

At the end of the day, Australia’s dairy farmers are always focused on being the best.

Getting the most out of the season, pushing their efficiency just that little bit higher and being the best in the world.

Advertising Max Hyde 0408 558 938 max.hyde@dairynewsaustralia.com.au Editor Alana Christensen (03) 5820 3237 editor@dairynewsaustralia.com.au Dairy News Australia is published by Shepparton Newspapers Pty Ltd. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the staff, management or directors of Shepparton Newspapers Pty Ltd.

Regional editor news@dairynewsaustralia.com.au

Publisher Shepparton Newspapers Pty Ltd Printed by Newsprinters Pty Ltd Head Office 7940 Goulburn Valley Highway Shepparton, VIC 3630 Phone (03) 5831 2312 Postal address PO Box 204 Shepparton, Victoria 3632 Australia

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Dairy News Australia welcomes contributions from stakeholders in the dairy industry, and particularly from organisations wishing to advance the industry.

Contributions and photos can be sent to: editor@dairynewsaustralia.com.au Letters to the editor on topical issues are also welcome.

Letters should be concise and carry the name and town address of the author, as well as a contact phone number, not for publication.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

NEWS // 7

Dairy week online sale is a winner

Top-price cow View Fort Sidekick Lorie VG87 (pictured) sold for $22,000 and was complimented for her superb teat placement. Source: View Fort Holsteins

DANEKA HILL

INTERNATIONAL DAIRY Week enthusiasts

left bereft without their beloved January visit to Tatura have made the 2021 Winners Circle Sale one to remember, spending big and buying out the virtual auction.

Normally the Winners Circle Sale is run by Dairy Livestock Services during IDW, but the event’s cancellation pushed the sale into the brave new world of virtual auctions.

Despite fears the sale wouldn’t be well supported in its new format, buyers turned out far better than expected.

All up, the January 21 sale grossed $244,000 and achieved a 100 per cent clearance rate.

Optional pre-bidding opened two days before the live auction and proved popular.

DLS auctioneer Brian Leslie said the pre-bidding seemed to generate a lot of interest from people with “not a lot to do” without a proper dairy week.

“The pre-bidding definitely had a lot of interest,” Mr Leslie said.

“We had near 200 people register to be bidders and 360 on top of that as viewers on the day.

“Including those who watched it through Facebook it was towards 1000 people who viewed the sale. It was wonderful exposure for all breeds of dairy cattle.”

All up 15 Holsteins, 12 Jersey, two Brown Swiss, two Ayrshire and a Guernsey went under the virtual hammer alongside some embryos.

Despite the success, Mr Leslie vowed when IDW came back, so would the ‘real’ auction.

“People miss dairy week,” he said.

“I didn’t think so many would but I’ve been getting calls all the time from people ringing up to say how much they miss it.”

Included in the pre-bidding was a ‘set and forget’ feature, which allowed a computer to bid on a buyer’s behalf during the live simulcast.

Mr Leslie said there was certainly a few who weren’t afraid to ‘set and forget’.

“You don’t know these sorts of thing on the day because of confidentially and all, but there were definitely a number who used the feature.”

Lot 1 was the highlight, topping the sale with $22,000.

The two-year-old from View Fort Holsteins in South Gippsland had a starting price tag of $5000 and caused competitive bidding before being bought by a four-way heavyweight partnership.

View Fort Sidekick Lorie VG87 is now proudly owned by Rocky Allen of Rockstar Holsteins, Gorbro Holsteins, John Holloway and Canada’s Weeksdale Holsteins.

“She’s a wonderful young cow with a lot of potential,” Mr Leslie said of Sidekick Lorie.

Second-priced lot at $14,000 was Lot 4, CP Capital Cinnamon, bred by Avonlea Holsteins.

The heifer would have shown at IDW as an October senior yearling had the event gone ahead and was promoted as a great opportunity to buy into one of Australia’s best cow families.

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8 // MARKETS

US impacting global market SOFIA OMSTEDT SENIOR INDUSTRY ANALYST

GIVEN RECENT events in Washington DC, the

United States has unsurprisingly dominated the news cycle as of late.

As the country continues to break daily COVID-19 death records and harsher pandemic restrictions are announced, a new stimulus package is being rolled out.

With it comes renewed support for the US dairy industry, which could further impact broader patterns of supply and demand.

Throughout 2020, the US has emerged as a key milk production growth driver, and thus any change to the local market balance is likely to be felt, even 15,000 km away in Australia.

Despite an ongoing pandemic, global appetite for dairy has remained remarkably resilient, underpinned by strong Chinese demand.

This demand has been a contributing factor to the four per cent increase in global dairy trade in the 12 months to August.

Milk powder demand has been particularly strong, driven by Chinese stock building, in part due to a renewed focus on local food security.

In comparison, demand remains uneven in some price sensitive markets, where economic pressures and increased unemployment is a hinder to growth.

During this pandemic, sales of milk fat products have been the most impacted, due to the high exposure to the foodservice industry.

However, since the start of 2021, milk fat prices have made a resurgence and are closing in on pre-COVID-19 levels.

While new lockdowns in the Northern Hemisphere continue to suppress demand from the global foodservice sector, consumers across the world have been buying more dairy products in retail stores.

This increase in retail interest has helped to partly offset the loss from sales in the foodservice industry, however, the longevity of this demand is a concern. Some of this demand is currently fabricated by various government stimulus packages.

For example, in the US, the USDA’s Farmer to Families Food Box program has, according to industry experts, accounted for around two

per cent to five per cent of total domestic dairy demand. This has helped to absorb additional milk produced during 2020 and made up for the loss of other sales channels.

While this sort of government stimulus has been successful at keeping the market buoyant, it is a temporary Band-Aid which eventually will be phased out as economic pressures mount. When this occurs, the strength of consumer demand is expected to be put to the test.

Turning to the supply side of the dairy equation, growing global milk production was earlier in 2020 flagged as a potential worry.

For the first time since 2014, production in the four largest dairy exporting regions (Europe, New Zealand, US and Australia) was increasing for more than four months in a row.

However, a dry spell in NZ and the EU curbed milk flows at the end of 2020.

In Australia, milk production growth has faltered over the spring as a smaller national dairy

herd and issues around labour availability have formed limitations.

These constraints are unlikely to be resolved in the immediate term, and after February, yearon-year comparisons will be against much stronger prior-season numbers.

With that in mind, Dairy Australia now expects milk production to track towards the lower end of the current one per cent to three per cent growth range for 2020–21.

In stark comparison to the slowdown in other regions, the US continues to record solid growth in milk production — with an expanding herd.

In addition to a demand stimulus, US COVID-19 support packages have incentivised production, driving significant monthly growth rates.

In December milk production increased 3.2 per cent in the US, with milk flows in the last quarter of 2020, three per cent higher than the year prior.

As the dairy herd in the US is estimated to have increased, with more than 100,000 cows in December 2020 compared to the year before, continued growth is to be expected.

As COVID-19 vaccinations are rolled out and dairy demand continues to hold, there is definite cause for optimism heading into 2021.

A slowdown in global milk production growth combined with new government stimulus packages is likely to keep the market relatively well balanced for now.

However, there are still some risks to this balance, as COVID-19 related restrictions continue to cause significant strain on the global economy and stimulus packages are phased out.

While we are facing a year with many new developments, including a new US president, the one thing we have not yet been able to shake, is this pandemic.

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MARKETS // 9

Global milk volumes rising GLOBAL MILK supply has continued to expand

but so far demand is keeping pace, according to an ANZ report.

Released mid-January, the report found there has been an enduring lift in milk supply in some of the major dairy exporting regions of the world, including the United States, European Union, Australia and New Zealand.

“It was feared that this extra supply would not be able to be absorbed by the markets, but thus far demand appears to be holding up well, despite some consumption channels being compromised by social distancing restrictions put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” the NZ Forecast Update: Farm gate milk price report said.

“Both Australia and New Zealand benefitted from excellent conditions for pasture production during the spring and early summer,” it said.

“This has resulted in solid growth in milk production in both countries, with Australia up 1.3 per cent for the season to date (JulyNovember) and New Zealand ahead by 0.6 per cent in the first half of the 2020–21 season (June-November).

“In Australia, dairy herd numbers are falling as access to labour and water, and many years of low profits, is resulting in farms moving into alternative uses.”

Global milk volumes are increasing, but there’s only modest growth predicted for Australia.

ANZ predicts growth in the second half of the season to be more muted than in the first half due to less favourable pasture growth.

The report predicts milk production growth to be about one per cent for the full 2020–21 season for both New Zealand and Australia, a

rate of growth that it expects can typically be absorbed by demand growth.

The recent growth in EU milk production has mostly been achieved through increased yields as cow numbers have decreased.

In 2021 growth is expected to remain modest.

“Any significant growth in the EU will no doubt result in larger volumes of product being exported, which potentially would be negative for global prices,” the report found.

“However, at present production is at its seasonal low and output won’t peak until about April/May.”

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COPRICE DAIRY NUTRITION TEAM QUARTERLY UPDATE MANAGING THE DRY PERIOD, A TIME FOR REST AND RECOVERY. The dry period is a time for rest and recovery, for dairy farmers and milking cows alike! While we plan to make the most of a break with our families, it is imperative we understand this critical stage of the lactation cycle to ensure the success of the following lactation. The management of dry cows is a focus of the CopRice Model Farm Project, an initiative that utilises independently operated dairy farms to execute CopRice nutrition research and product innovation since 2018. The Model Farms have focused attention on providing best practice management of dry cows, and this has demonstrated significant milk production increases, increases in colostrum quality, increases in reproductive performance, and decreases in calf morbidity and mortality.

This best practice has seen that the modern dairy cow has a propensity to produce large quantities of milk containing many nutrients, including fats, proteins, and minerals. At the end of a lactation, the cow must restore these reserves, to ensure her supplies for the coming lactation.

During the dry period, a number of critical metabolic processes must be supported including; tissue regeneration to renew mammary cells, bone remodelling to replace mineral reserves, mammary involution to rest and recover from the previous lactation, the upregulation of the immune system to prepare for calving, colostrogenesis (colostrum production), and the maintenance of body condition in preparation for the coming lactation.

For many autumn calving herds, these increased requirements coincide with higher edian temperatures, access to sub optimal forages, reduced access to shade and

therefore increased heat stress risk and reduced monitoring. As a result, a large focus should be placed on dry cow management to ensure we can achieve increased profitable production.

Ensuring the following dietary requirements and environmental conditions are managed, will ensure a smooth transition into the springer paddock onto a profitable milking herd; • Ensure dietary protein requirements are met. Diets with a low crude protein content (less than 12%) lead to mobilisation of lean muscle and can also inhibit milk protein production in the coming lactation.

• Ensure essential macro minerals are offered. Feeding suboptimal mineral levels reduces minerals available for mobilization in early lactation, further increasing the risk of metabolic diseases and decreasing milk production.

• Ensure some high quality forages are available such as summer crops, or legume hay are available. Feeding increased dietary NDF can limit DMI further and lead to early mobilisation of fat and lean muscle. This can exacerbate the duration of negative energy balance in early lactation, delaying the resumption of cycling.

• Ensure access to clean shade and cool water. Heat stress during the dry period affects the cow’s mammary gland development, metabolism, and immunity during the transition period.

For more information on how you can set the foundation for the success of the coming lactation, including data collected from our research farms, please see our full article at www.coprice.com.au

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

10 // NEWS

Pest is a growing threat be vigilant following the detection of fall armyworm in several states.

The plant pest, which has now been detected in Queensland, NSW and Western Australia, has the potential to cause significant damage to a wide range of crops.

Fall armyworm is reported to feed on more than 350 plant species — including maize, cotton, rice, sorghum, sugarcane, tropical pastures, wheat, and vegetable and fruit crops — and has caused significant economic losses overseas.

For dairy farms relying on C4 grasses, maize and sorghum for grazing, hay and silage, there is likely to be an ongoing risk and potential impact, according to Dairy Australia, particularly in Australia’s warmer regions like Queensland or NSW during the summer months when maize and sorghum crops are grown.

Local land services as well as state government agriculture departments have been active in recent weeks monitoring and detecting fall armyworm, with pheromone traps laid in several areas of Queensland, NSW and northern Victoria.

For dairy farms in cooler regions, fall armyworm may represent an annual issue in summer as the pest moves in from the north when conditions allow.

Consult your local agronomist immediately if you suspect that fall armyworm is present in any of your crops this summer.

Find out more about fall armyworm, including an action plan for your farm and links relevant to your area, at: dairyaustralia.com.au/feed-andnutrition/growing-feed-for-the-herd/ fall-armyworm

Fall armyworm larvae have been detected in a number of states. Photo: EPA/Aaron Ufumeli

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NEWS // 11

Jerseys back with live events A VIRTUAL sale of top-class Jersey cows

and a tour of some of the best Jersey herds in the Central Gippsland area will highlight one of the first major post-pandemic dairy conferences.

Jersey Australia will return to an in-person annual conference in 2021 with a four-day event in May based at Warragul.

The 2020 annual meeting was moved online due to COVID-19 and other major rural events such as agricultural shows, International Dairy Week and Sungold Field Days have been cancelled in early 2021.

But Jersey Australia is confident the conference can happen and expects strong interest from members keen to return to live events.

The conference, from May 25 to 28, will start with the inaugural Dairy’s Finest Showcase Sale at Kings Ville Jerseys, featuring about 25 of the very best Australian Jersey cows.

There will be a live auction but cows and their families will be presented in photos and videos and won’t be there in the flesh.

The conference is being organised by the Central Gippsland Club and president Reece Attenborough said the sale would be a big drawcard.

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“COVID has shown there is huge interest in the online bidding system for cattle sales,” Mr Attenborough said.

The sale committee and vendors will extensively market each lot online in the lead up to the sale.

“Everyone attending the AGM will witness the excitement of a live auction and internet bidding will be in place for anyone unable to attend,” Mr Attenborough said.

“The big difference will be that all sale lots will remain on their vendor properties. We believe this format reduces the traditional costs for vendors and removes the need to prepare and transport animals to the sale.

“We have a lot of studs committed and every lot we have confirmed so far is top class.

“It has great potential and we believe it will be one of the best catalogues put together.”

Mr Attenborough predicted strong interest in the AGM and four-day conference.

“The AGM is one of the first things to happen after COVID,” he said.

“With no dairy week, this is going to be one of the first events for over a year where a large group of Jersey breeders can come together for a great few days of fun and to share our passion for the Jersey cow.”

27/1/21 3:37 pm

Jersey Australia will mark a return to live events with a sale, tour and AGM.

The AGM will include herd visits to the Wallacedale, Kings Ville and Araluen Park studs, as well as visits to some of the area’s local attractions.

The conference will finish on Friday at the Mercure Warragul with the Jersey Australia annual general meeting.

Jersey Australia general manager Glen Barrett said the virtual sale was a new concept that could became a regular part of the AGM and conference.

“We’ve tried to create something that can continue year-on-year and we’re sure it will attract a lot of interest,” he said.

Mr Barrett said he was confident the conference and AGM could go ahead in 2021 after the cancellation of 2020’s in-person event.

“We have contingency plans to go online like (last) year but at this stage it’s looking positive.”

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

12 // MANAGEMENT

Ebony Bannister and Brett Anderson manage a farm for Ashgrove Cheese in Tasmania.

Doing what she loves best SOPHIE BALDWIN

LIFE MIGHT have previously taken Ebony

Bannister away from her love of dairy farming, but you can’t fight destiny, and in July last year she found her way back to the industry she loves so much.

And Ebony couldn’t be happier.

The move came after she and her fiancé Brett Anderson were offered an opportunity to manage a Riana dairy farm for Ashgrove Cheese — a premium dairy company in Tasmania.

Ebony was looking for a change after spending a significant amount of time involved in the livestock industry.

“I have always been driven to dairy farming,” she said.

“I love milking cows and rearing calves and when the opportunity came up with Ashgrove we jumped at it.

“There is nothing I don’t like about dairying even though it is hard work, it is early mornings and seven days a week.”

This is the first time Ebony and Brett have worked together in the industry and, with each playing up to their own strengths, it is working really well.

“Some people say it is hard working with your partner but for us it has been really good,” Ebony said.

“The cows and dairy are my side and the grass is Brett’s, which means we aren’t always in each other’s pockets because we have different areas of focus.”

They hope to eventually have enough equity to buy their own farm, and are well on the way as they build up equity in their own dairy herd.

“We are on a three-year contract with Ashgrove at the moment and it is working well,” Ebony said.

“Our plan over the next three to five years is to build up our own herd to around 500 cows.”

They are well on their way, with their own herd numbers currently sitting around 180.

The Ashgrove herd consists of 500 autumn and spring split-calving cows (including the couple’s 180).

The majority of the herd is Friesian, but Ebony has a personal love for Brown Swiss while the owners like the red and white Montbéliarde, a French breed.

“We actually have a bit of a mixture of breeds and that has been a good thing for the herd,” she said.

“I like Brown Swiss because of their temperament and fertility and they make a great outcross with Friesian.

“We have 40 to 50 litre crossbreed cows and they are always the first on the platform to be milked, they rarely get sick or go lame and they are just great animals to milk and we love them.”

The Riana farm is a showcase among the five Ashgrove dairies, with a state-of-the-art rotary dairy including cup removers.

The milking herd is also fitted with collars.

“At times the system can actually be a bit too complicated and I would like to change that and possibly get rid of the collars in the future,” Ebony said.

The cows are fed about 6 kg of grain in the dairy, but there is an option for individual feeding in the bail.

The home farm consists of 323 ha and is run alongside a 80 ha runoff block.

“We like to grow grass because it is the cheapest way to feed cows,” Ebony said.

When it comes to pasture, the couple is transitioning away from the previous use of annuals and moving to permanent plantings of Shogun rye-grass, which is direct-drilled into the pasture. They plan for it to be replaced every fourth or fifth year.

“With annuals we lose too many paddocks out of the rotation, which is why we decided to move to permanent pasture,” Ebony said.

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MANAGEMENT // 13

Tasmanian dairy farmer Ebony Bannister’s lifelong love of dairying has brought her back to the farm.

This season has been one of the best the Riana farm has ever experienced, and has included a first silage cut of about 800 tonnes off 60 ha.

“It has actually been an abnormally good year and apparently we have had some of the best crops this farm has ever seen,” Brett said.

“The whole north-west coast of Tasmania has had a great season with really good rainfall and we are only just starting to irrigate in January.”

The rains have been so good and so consistent, the silage harvest has been delayed a few times. The hope was for some drier weather in January.

All silage is baled into round bale silage because they find it easier to work with and feed out to the herd.

It had been a pretty hectic first few months on the job for Ebony and Brett, and initially

they were doing all the work themselves. But in November, they employed their first fulltime worker — which turned out to be fortunate because just a couple of days later, Brett was injured in an off-farm quad bike accident.

“Brett was riding his bike and ended up busting all the ribs on his left-hand side and broke his pelvis and his shoulder blade,” Ebony said.

“He was in hospital for 10 days, but thank God he is up and about now because it was a pretty tough time for us all in between harvest and joining cows.”

Ebony’s sons, aged 15 and eight, stepped up and helped out when Brett was off work.

“Dairying is a great life for kids — my 15-yearold helped out on harvest while the eight-yearold has been a great help with the calves.

“We plan to have our own dairy one day and I honestly can’t see us ever doing anything else.”

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14 // NEWS

Farm goes carbon-neutral GEOFF ADAMS

VICTORIA’S PRIMARY research and innova-

The solar array erected on sheds at Ellinbank.

tion facility for dairying, Ellinbank, is aiming to become a carbon-neutral farm.

While the scientists will be looking at a range of strategies to reduce carbon emissions, they will also be developing information on which measures will be practical and economic on a commercial dairy farm.

“It’s a case of working our way through the best options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while demonstrating to industry there are a range of options which may be useful for their respective farming system,” Ellinbank Animal Production Sciences research director Joe Jacobs told Dairy News Australia.

“And we can look at how all of these technologies work together but also understand what each one individually contributes to the overall system.

“I think that’s important for farmers because in some cases there is quite a lot of cost associated with technologies and a real need to understand where they fit, how they fit within a given system and what the payback period would be.”

The 230-hectare research farm, established in 1950, currently milks about 430 cows on the West Gippsland site south of Warragul.

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NEWS // 15 The site was visited by new Victorian Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, who officially launched the Ellinbank SmartFarm.

“We have used the Industry Accredited Greenhouse Accounting Inventory based on the Australian National Greenhouse Gas Inventory to work out where our emissions were occurring,” Professor Jacobs said about the foundation for the project.

“It’s no surprise that just over 60 per cent are from enteric methane (cows burping), about 14 per cent from energy use and about 14 per cent from manure management.

“Collectively those three accounted for just under 90 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions.

“The calculations were carried out early in 2020 and have formed the basis for our approach to reducing and offsetting emissions.”

Prof Jacobs said enteric methane could not be totally eliminated so they were faced with the challenge of working out how it could be reduced.

Basically ruminants are adapted to digest fibrous material and part of that process results in methane being produced.

“There are a number of factors we can look at,” Prof Jacobs said.

“We can look at naturally low emitting animals and use this as the basis to ultimately develop a genomic trait for low methane emissions.

“Improved feed efficiency is another factor. We know that if we feed better diets, overall animals will produce less methane per unit of feed fed.

“And the longer that animals stay in the herd the less the replacement cost and the lesser time

The dairy herd is responsible for the largest share of emissions from Ellinbank.

Cattle in the dairy herd at Ellinbank.

when animals are not producing, but are emitting methane. So longevity in the herd is important.”

The other key factor is the use of feed additives that reduce methane emissions and this is an ongoing research focus at the site.

Waste is a constant issue for dairy farms, so Ellinbank will be looking at how gases generated by the waste could be captured.

While waste treatment systems such as biodigesters are operating in many overseas countries with more intensive housed farming systems, transferring that technology to the Australian landscape will require some adaptation.

“The challenge is how do we implement a biodigester into a pasture-based dairy system that is efficient and pays its way,” Prof Jacobs said.

He said the farm currently consumed energy through the electricity grid, as well as diesel and petrol.

So Ellinbank was looking at how it could generate its own energy but also how it could generate more energy to offset the enteric methane production from dairy cows at the site.

The centre recently installed a 100 kW solar array with about 130 panels on shed roofs, coupled with a 100 kWh battery to store energy produced at peak times and which could be drawn down in low solar production periods.

The biggest energy consumers are the milking plant, refrigeration and powering the equipment used for research projects.

Some smaller farm vehicles could eventually be powered by farm-generated electric power, with two electric side-by-side vehicles already being used at the site.

They will also look at wind power and one of the most creative would have to be the possibility of introducing a small hydro system (utilising the natural hills), which will harness the power of water running downhill, with the water being lifted back up the hill by solar-powered pumps. Like a tiny Snowy hydro scheme.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

16 // MANAGEMENT

Small steps to a big dairy dream SOPHIE BALDWIN

SOME OF the best ideas start out small, and

The six-metre shipping container is set-up with a small milk room.

The four-unit, walk-in walk-out dairy has been built from shipping containers.

Luke currently milks seven cows.

dairy farmer Luke Wieland might just be on to something after he built himself a start-up dairy for under $7000.

The four-unit, walk-in walk-out dairy was purpose-built by Luke in a shipping container so he could start milking on the 24 hectare block he currently leases at Oakey, in southeast Queensland.

“My theory behind the dairy is because there is no concrete it is fully portable and I can take it with me to another block without too much hassle,” Luke said.

He built the dairy over a 10-week period with some help from his father, father-in-law and a couple of mates, in and around his other job as a contractor and being husband to Tanya and dad to Andrew, Ethan and Laura.

“I just tried to fit in as much as I could, whenever I could, between work, hay season and school runs.”

Luke found the process relatively challenging, but once things were sorted out around measuring and design, he was able to get on with the job without too much trouble.

“I am not a great designer but I can build — and I spent two weeks doing nothing but working out measurements.

“But I can’t take all the credit either — I had help from a great friend in New Zealand who built a dairy similar to mine, except in a full shed.”

Luke said it was helpful to bounce design ideas off someone and it proved to be quite handy when it came to getting the measurements right.

“I thought I had things pretty good and they said to me, ‘no you really need to fix this’,” he laughed.

Luke added a fold-out hinged awning where the cows walk in to create a bit of extra space and shelter, but he can still lock the container up tight for transport in the future.

The six-metre shipping container is set-up with a small milk room. He has allowed 3.1 metres for the bail.

To keep costs down, Luke was able to pick up an old nine-a-side swing-over dairy which he converted to fit in the container, obviously with a few spares for the future.

He welded the bail into the dairy and the cows walk in to be milked and back out when they are finished.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

MANAGEMENT // 17 He has five portable panels and a gate for fencing around the dairy, and for entry and exit points.

“The cows walk in through a gate and I left a gap alongside the container where they walk out.

“I need a few more panels to make some more yards, but so far it is going pretty well.”

Luke buckets 4 kg of a mixed ration into the bail every milking and has plans to automate a feed system in the future.

He currently milks seven cows — some stud Jerseys and a few crossbreeds that belong to his children.

Milking takes about 20 minutes.

“The cows were pretty cautious the first day they walked in but I had a heifer and she came in no worries. I had to halter the cows to lead them in at the start but it only took a couple of days and then they were right.”

Milking such a small number is just the beginning for Luke.

“One day I will have a full Jersey herd, but at the moment I am just milking anything as long as it has the right attitude and is a good cow that milks well and gets into calf.”

He currently uses the milk to feed calves and pigs, but hopes when he builds numbers up to about 30, he will be able to find a processor he can supply. That’s also when he will organise some sort of vat.

“I will have to get as much production out of the cows as I possibly can — considering my herd size — so once I get going, I will milk three times a day.”

The dairy is currently operating off mains power and a few extension leads until Luke gets the container hard-wired.

Luke posted his shipping container dairy on Facebook and in no time at all he was inundated with queries and questions and a lot of positive feedback from people around the country.

“I had massive feedback and a lot of people have thought it was a really great idea.”

And according to Luke, the shipping container dairy is surprisingly versatile.

He envisions setting up another one parallel to the existing shed, effectively doubling his shed size, again with minimum investment.

“I could cut the ends out of two containers and join them up, or I could put them side by side and elevate them and have a pit in the middle.

“When you think about it there is a lot of options and the beauty is, I can pack it up and take them to my next place if I need to.”

Luke wasn’t too fussy about the original condition of his container.

“I bought a pretty rough old one that had a few holes in the roof but after buying a bit of iron and some guttering, I fixed the problem for about $100. The iron is also dual purpose acting as a bit of insulation for the roof.”

Luke comes from a long line of generational dairy farmers, and all he wants to do is own his own farm milking about 150 cows.

“There is no opportunity to lease a dairy farm around here so I decided to find my own way into the industry.”

Luke might only be at the start of his dairy journey, but he sees his portable dairy and his lease block as a stepping stone to one day achieving his ultimate goal — his own dairy farm.

Luke Wieland has received a helping hand to build the dairy from his father, father-in-law and a couple of mates.

The portable dairy is a stepping stone into the industry for Luke, who hopes to one day have his own dairy farm.

Five portable panels and a gate make up the fencing around the dairy, and entry and exit points.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

18 // NEWS

Help with dairy code disputes DAIRY FARMERS facing disputes over the

Dairy Code of Conduct are being encouraged to get in touch with the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman.

It comes after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission released a report reflecting on compliance with the code, which was implemented on January 1, 2020.

The report found in general, dairy processors were engaging with their obligations under the

Dairy Code of Conduct but there were areas where improvement was needed.

Identified issues included failure to make milk supply agreements (MSAs) freely viewable by June 1, failure to publish non-exclusive MSAs alongside exclusive MSAs, failure to report on MSA disputes by reporting period deadline, failure to make MSAs a single document, MSAs allowing processors to terminate the agreement for non-code compliant reasons, failure

to specify end dates in MSAs and the inclusion of automatic rollovers and renewable clauses which are in breach of the code.

Ombudsman Kate Carnell said the issues raised by the regulator highlighted the need for dairy industry participants to understand their rights and obligations under the code.

“The mandatory Dairy Code of Conduct gives Australian dairy farmers a framework to negotiate a fair price for their product,” Ms Carnell said.

“The code applies to all milk supply agreements entered into, or amended, on or after January 1, 2020.

“My office can provide small and family business owners in the dairy industry with information on the code, as well as options to resolve disputes and access to mediation and arbitration services.

“The Dairy Code of Conduct provides dairy farmers and other industry participants with avenues for dispute resolution within a fairer framework.”

The ACCC revealed it was currently investigating alleged instances of non-compliance in milk supply agreements and hadn’t ruled out taking enforceable action.

For more information, visit: fasbfeo.gov.au

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

NEWS // 19

Dairy career gets a nudge JACK HUTT was still in primary school when

he first fell in love with farm life. By the start of secondary school he was milking cows for pocket money and eyeing a career on the land.

He was employed on Brad Couch’s dairy farm at Brucknell in south-west Victoria as a 17-yearold, and was barely 20 when Peter and Jenny Corneby, the parents of his partner Isabelle, came up with a share agreement to manage a 102 hectare dairy farm at Bostocks Creek.

The 23-year-old father of two was recently announced as the recipient of a $5000 DemoDAIRY Foundation scholarship to complete his Diploma of Agriculture at RIST. He said the scholarship and diploma were important steps towards one day owning his own herd and buying some land for his family.

“I didn’t grow up on a farm, but my uncles had farms and my grandparents had a dairy farm down Simpson way,” Jack said.

“I spent a lot of time down there when I was a kid.

“Farming was just something I knew I wanted to do. I milked at Woody’s (Greg Darcy) around the corner when I was 12 for pocket money — I just wanted to do it.”

Jack said he was fortunate to have great mentors around him, but he wanted more knowledge and improved business skills so he was less reliant on the help of others.

“Izzy and I are doing more on the business side of things now and rather than getting people

Bostocks Creek farmer Jack Hutt takes time out for a bit of fun downtime with son Max.

like Peter and Jenny to help us, I want to be able to run the farm myself,” he said.

“I think the diploma will give me the skills to run the books myself and do a good job of that rather than relying on accountants to sort things out for me.

“I’m passionate about growing quality pasture and healthy cows as well, so it will also improve my agronomy knowledge and just help me take on more myself.”

Jack said the young family of four was loving life on the farm. He said he enjoyed the commitment and getting the rewards for hard work.

“It can be tough, but if you get through the tough times it’s pretty rewarding.

“When we took over this place it was a bit rugged, but now we’re starting to see some rewards and the hard work is paying off.

“The lifestyle is great — especially with the

Jack Hutt with son Max.

family. I can have the cows milked by 8 am and have breakfast with them.

“Then, if I’m doing something nice and safe around the yard or in the shed, the kids will come and knock around with me for a bit. It’s great — we love it.”

The DemoDAIRY Foundation offers a range of grants and scholarships. For more information or to apply, visit: demodairy.com.au/ scholarships-and-grants

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THE BENEFITS ARE: • Loading up a fully mineralised ‘bone bank’ allows the springing cow to call on minerals during transition and into early lactation.

• When fed as a precursor to AMS Get Set Cow leed feed, we see reduced sub clinical milk fever symptoms such as leaking teats, mastitis, and greatly reduced withheld placental cleanings.

• Calves are born stronger, healthier, and of great colour, due to mother building minerals into the growing foetus in utero. Born calves then drink higher immunoglobulin concentration in colostrum.

• Enhanced breeding rates from building healthier eggs long before they are needed, due to feeding the year-long mineral program.

• Less lameness through Zinc supplementation over the dry period which continues to keep hooves hardened throughout growth, so you don’t experience a period of soft hooves eight weeks into lactation.

For more information about how AMS Dairy Lick and the enhanced mineral program of AMS Go Cow Dairy Mineral Supplements, can improve your herds nutrition contact: Animal Mineral Solutions /Dairy Business Centre Call: 03 5831 2176 Vist: www.animalmineralsolutions.com.au email: hjm@dairybusinesscentre.com.au

Northern Victoria Gippsland Maxi Cow Consulting Huggins Nutrition Services Dan Huggins 0448 805 334 David Huggins 0455 099 196 Western District Progressive Agribusiness Charlotte Graesser 0438 939 275

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

20 // NEWS

Business tool gets update A REVAMPED dairy farm business tool is set

to help dairy farmers better future-proof their business.

The updated Dairy Australia tool, DairyBase, allows farmers to budget and forward plan by making forward estimates of their business performance.

First launched in 2015, DairyBase now allows users to leverage their historical data and estimate business performance for the current season, which will assist with forward planning and risk management.

Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the tool would support farmers in identifying more opportunities to drive profit and manage risk.

“This is another advance in digital tools to assist dairy farmers in their forward business planning,” he said.

“The existing DairyBase tool only allowed users to assess the historical performance of their business without enabling any forward planning.

“Now, with the new budgeting feature farmers will be able to adjust financial parameters, such

as milk income, the cost of fodder and water, and the number of livestock — and receive useful estimates of what their operating cash surplus will be at the end of a year.”

Farmers will be able to select a year from the historical data that resembles the current budget year, based on expected seasonal conditions and physical results from the farm, and make adjustments to better prepare them for the current season.

For more information, visit: dairyaustralia.com.au

The new DairyBase tool is allowing dairy farmers to draw on historical farm data to better forward plan and budget.

DROUGHT HITS BOTTOM LINE IN QUEENSLAND Low profitability, dry seasonal conditions and high purchased feed prices have led to a number of Queensland dairy farmers ceasing production, according to a new report.

Compiled by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, the survey of 55 dairy farms found a number of factors continued to put downward pressure on milk production.

Milk production in the state fell by 47 million litres in 2019–20 to 311 million litres, representing 3.5 per cent of Australian production.

Queensland’s annual milk production has fallen by more than 100 million litres since 2016–17.

The report, Balancing dairy production and profits in northern Australia, examined four business traits — liquidity, profitability, solvency and efficiency.

A third consecutive year of drought conditions took its toll on profitability, yet there were improvements from 2018–19.

Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) per cow was $246, up from $113 per cow the year prior, while return on assets

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In 2019–20, feed-related costs represented more than 60 per cent of milk income.

The top 25 per cent of producers are achieving higher EBIT per cow through higher production, selling more litres of milk for more, lower farm working expenses

and better labour efficiency than the remaining seven per cent, according to the report.

On average the top quarter of farmers produced 1491 litres per cow more, selling 1.09 million litres of milk and having 104 more cows than the rest of the surveyed dairy farms.

This translated to a higher income of 2¢/ litre, with farm working expenses 1.6¢/litre lower than the remaining 75 per cent.

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NEWS // 21

Tasmanian farmer John Leech dropped his per-cow, per-day grain reliance and is still ahead of production budgets because of his strategic use of high-strength probiotics. Photo: The Paperbark Diaries.

Probiotic numbers add up NUMBERS DON’T lie. And John Leech loves

to count.

John manages a 900-cow operation on 500 hectares at Scottsdale in north-east Tasmania.

His focus on cow comfort and animal health led to some operationally significant results during the 2020 spring calving.

He has been able to drop their per-cow, perday grain reliance from 10 kg (in 2019) to 4.5 kg (in 2020), and still be comfortably ahead of production budgets at more than 480 kg milk solids per cow on a herd that walks up to 7 km a day.

This spring they flew through calving with unprecedented ease, which undoubtedly contributed to half the herd getting AI during the first week of joining at an average 57 days in-milk.

John believes the “X-factor” has been a strategic use of high-strength probiotics.

The farm feeds the full range of Australian Probiotic Solutions’ products — from the calf pens right through to the milking herd.

Secret probiotic ingredient With the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract ­driving 70 to 80 per cent of all mammals’ immunity, John resonated with the theory that if the cows were healthy, they could fight infection and ­illness themselves.

John uses BioCalf and BioBoost in his calf shed, and BioPro Direct Fed Microbial (DFM) — an in-feed probiotic rumen stimulant — in the dairy. The DFM has negated the need for well-known antibiotic in-feed buffers.

In spring 2020, he introduced BioPro SuperStart — a pre-calving high-strength ­probiotic-based lead feed supplement — 16 days before calving.

It has 29 professionally formulated c­ ompounds, including high strength ­probiotics, anionic salts, vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes and live yeast.

“One of the things with our business is that everything is cost driven,” John said.

“We have been able to drop the grain ration and hold production, because the

cows can ­u tilise the feed better with the probiotics.

“It’s costing us 16 cents a cow a day for the DFM, our components are higher, and we have fewer animal health challenges.”

Easy calving This spring, the 700 cows who were fed the BioPro SuperStart calved in with the following results: ■ Five assisted calvings (0.7 per cent).

■ Five milk fever cases (0.7 per cent).

■ No left or right displaced abomasums (LDAs or RDAs).

■ No retained membranes.

■ No ketosis.

(Note: The 700 included 250 cows who were fed DFM last season and the BioPro SuperStart this season. Those individuals had a 0.4 per cent assisted calving result.)

The vet in Australian Probiotic Solutions’ team, Robyn Plunkett — who is a former dairy farmer — said the BioPro SuperStart represented the next generation of lead feed.

“Because the lead feed contains the full ­complement of anionic salts, as well as high levels of probiotic bacteria, enzymes and yeast, it acts by driving appetite, and the cows don’t stop eating during those 24 to 48 hours prior to calving,” Dr Plunkett said.

“That leads to higher blood-glucose levels, additional energy at calving, stronger uterine muscle contractions and ultimately a swifter, and trouble-free, calving.

“Stronger muscle tone and energy and the correct balance of minerals also reduces the incidence of milk fever and retained membranes.”

With the established herd already carrying high levels of probiotics, BioPro SuperStart simply completed the circle.

Better SCC average Last season the herd’s average somatic cell count (SCC) consistently ran at 220,000. For the same

cows in 2020 — who are in their second year on the DFM — their average SCC numbers have dropped 65 per cent to 77,000.

With the exclusion of 44 high-SCC cows (who were included within an additional group of 450 bought-in animals during 2019 with no grain-fed or probiotic background) the 900-cow herd a­ verage SCC is now running at 90,000.

It came off the back of a wet autumn and winter, which included 1056 mm of rainfall to November.

“To pull off an SCC drop that drastic in that amount of time, over that number of cows with a decent production [29-litre average] in a wet season — with no other change — proves to me the probiotics have worked,” John said.

John’s nutritionist Jim Wade wasn’t surprised.

“What’s so positive is that the high production is across the whole herd, and their overall health is good,” Jim said.

“The high levels of probiotics in the blend [35 billion colony forming units per dose] stabilise the rumen, so it’s protected against acidosis, and that encourages the cows to eat more grass.

“That, in turn, reduces the cows’ reliance on grain to achieve production.

“What we’re seeing in this herd is that these cows aren’t milking off their back — despite them being fresh, and not being given a big grain ration.

“Because ultimately production reflects the amount of grass cows are able to digest.”

John said for him, probiotics were the best way to manage animal health.

“I’m very conscious of trying to do better by the animals within farming,” he said.

“I believe these results have only happened because of the way we’ve used and managed the probiotics.

“I couldn’t imagine farming without them now.”

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

22 // NEWS

Helping build resilience A MAXCARE video series is focusing on building

stronger rural communities and improving the wellbeing of calves and the wider farming community.

In the latest episode of the series, Liane Corocher talks about her role as a farmer and carer and her journey of personal and professional resilience.

Ms Corcoher manages the NSW Department of Primary Industries Business and Social Resilience Program, which is designed to support farmers and fishers to build connections, confidence and skills to manage healthier farming businesses.

“Farmers and fishers are naturally resilient.

They deal with a variety of challenges and risks every day,” she said.

“The work my team does across NSW supports farmers to prepare for these challenges, adapt to change and to think about what the long-term future looks like for their business.”

Industry and the community need to rally together to support farmers and rural communities through challenging times, according to MaxCare business manager Tom Newton.

“We are aware of the challenges and unpredictability of life on the land,” he said.

“Mental illness in the bush can be hard to detect — tough exteriors built by the harsh landscape we owe our livelihoods to, and the signature attitude of ‘she’ll be right’ can sometimes get us into to strife.

“With this video series we want to help remove the stigma around mental health and help our farmers address the challenges.”

For more information about the Growing Stronger Every Day video series, visit: maxumanimal.com.au/growing-stronger-every-day If you are going through a tough time, you can get help and support at: Lifeline: 131 114 Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 crmh.com.au headspace.org.au saneforums.org

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A new round of grants is seeking to drive innovation and sustainability in the agriculture sector.

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Businesses with innovative ideas, fewer than 50 full-time employees and turnover of less than $25 million in annual revenue are eligible to apply.

Since it was established in 2015, the Coles Nurture Fund has awarded more than $24 million in financial support to more than 60 Australian businesses to help them introduce ground-breaking technology, improve sustainability, establish new products and drive productivity.

Previous Coles Nurture Fund projects include Australia’s first quinoa processing plant; an automated indoor facility that grows highly nutritious cattle fodder in just six days; and fence posts made from recycled soft plastic.

National Farmers’ Federation chief executive Tony Mahar said Australian farmers were among the most innovative in the world.

“For five years the Coles Nurture Fund has recognised and rewarded Aussie farmers who are leading the way in ingenuity and innovation,” Mr Mahar said.

“Each round of the Nurture Fund uncovers inspiring farm businesses pushing the boundaries when it comes to processes, technologies and valueadding.

“The fund’s focus on sustainability and increased efficiencies is in direct alignment with the NFF’s vision to grow Australia’s overall farm gate output to $100 billion by 2030, up from $60 billion today.”

Applications close at 5 pm on Friday, March 19.

To apply, visit: www.coles.com.au/ nurturefund

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

NEWS // 23

US guidelines back dairy MILK’S ROLE as a nutrient-dense, healthy food

has been reaffirmed by a recent dietary update from the United States.

The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans document advised that fat-free and low-fat milk, yoghurt and cheese and “fortified soy alternatives” were one of six core elements which make up a healthy dietary pattern.

SEXED SEMEN LEADS AI TRENDS Sexed semen and Aussie Reds were 2020’s big winners in the artificial insemination industry.

The AI industry had an overall strong year, seeing total dairy semen sales increase by 10 per cent.

Interesting trends in the cattle semen world include: ■ A marked increase in sexed semen sales, growing 60 per cent year-onyear.

■

Sales of daughter-proven and genomic polled semen growing by 52.6 per cent.

■

Total doses of semen sold from bulls selected for A2 increasing by 21 per cent.

Australian dairy advocacy body Dairy Connect applauded the continued advice that milk was part of a healthy diet and deserved its own food group.

The US National Dairy Council’s global chief science officer Gregory Miller said historically the guidelines only included guidance for those aged two years and older.

“Now, for the first time, the DGA provides recommendations for pregnancy and

lactation and from birth to 23 months,” Dr Miller said.

“And dairy plays a role in these life stages, too.”

The guidelines advise people to consume three cups of dairy per day.

“About 90 per cent of Americans fall short of meeting the recommended daily dairy servings,” Dr Miller said.

“Milk, cheese and yoghurt not only taste great but are nutrient-rich, affordable, ­r eadily available and adaptable to cultural ­preferences — making dairy foods realistic options to help people build healthier meal plans.”

The guidelines counted dairy as an important food group because it offers nutrients hard to replace with other foods for a similar calorie level and price point.

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“Prior to this year the annual increase in sexed semen sales was around the 12 to 15 per cent mark,” Mr Gillian said.

“Rapid improvement in the quality and reliability of sexed semen has seen wider adoption across the industry.”

The continued uptake of genomics on farms was confirmed by the increase in genomic semen sales from 869,000 doses to 976,000.

In terms of breeds, Holstein semen sales increased by 14 per cent and Aussie Reds by 10 per cent, with all other dairy breeds declining in sales.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

24 // ANIMAL HEALTH

Make the most of your vet LUCY COLLINS

A RECENT Canadian study found that dairy

farmers who engaged in regular veterinary counselling and frequent herd data discussions were more likely to be satisfied with their veterinary services and more prepared to follow veterinary advice.

This makes sense.

We are more likely to trust those we feel have a good understanding of our business’ individual strengths and challenges.

Level of education, experience and duration of the professional relationship also influenced the results.

COVID-19 has disrupted a lot of these relationships over the past year — with farm visits from external service providers kept to a minimum, and many consultancy and discussion sessions held online.

On the one hand, this has meant that new channels of communication have likely opened between farm and service provider, with everybody needing to think outside the box for information and service delivery and receival.

On the other, this has led to challenges in maintaining useful working relationships and

Dairy News Australia columnist Lucy Collins.

difficulties in engaging with new or existing clients when everybody started feeling a bit of “online overload”.

The key to any good vet-farmer relationship is regular contact and data sharing, and a deep understanding of your individual business strengths, weaknesses and goals.

This can be especially difficult to nurture in an online environment. Therefore, it’s important to remember to make the most out of your vet when you do see them face-to-face!

In researching the role of vets in knowledge transfer in the dairy industry, UK Nuffield dairy scholar Owen Atkinson concluded that “farmers and vets must strive for a more intelligent veterinary input”.

“Paying vets to plug holes in a breaking system is not as effective or valuable as paying vets to help improve the system,” he said.

Unexpected preg-testing result? Sit down over a cuppa afterwards and discuss your next steps.

Thinking about updating your calf-rearing system? Contact your vet and ask them to come take a look.

Unsure what drying-off strategy is appropriate for your herd? Ring for a chat.

Again, what this looks like in reality depends entirely on your system.

Plan an annual review if you like. By gathering your support team, actively looking for areas of weakness in your operation and applying the seven Ps (‘proper planning and preparation prevents piss poor performance’) can help save you time and money in the long run.

And I know for a certainty that vets get far more pleasure out of helping clients plan preventative health programs and set herd improvement goals than helping you pick up the pieces when the wheels have fallen off (but don’t worry, we’ll be there to help you through that, too).

Across many animal industries, including dairy, we are seeing a shift towards preventative medicine and away from merely attending to animals once they become sick.

Although some degree of urgent care will always be necessary (they aren’t wrapped in cotton wool, after all), social licence, environmental stewardship and an increased emphasis on ‘One Health’ demand that we move towards caring for livestock in ways not previously considered economical or viable.

Despite increasing numbers of veterinary graduates and stable national dairy herd numbers, the demand for large animal vets is increasing.

This is partly due to difficulties in attracting and retaining veterinarians to rural country

practices — an issue we are seeing across many labour forces in Australia.

Experienced cattle vets are becoming a rare breed.

If you are lucky enough to have an existing relationship with a vet, make sure they’re kept well informed about your operation so when the time comes, they’re delivering good bang for your buck.

If you’re in a situation where you’re developing a new relationship with a vet, it’s important you both take the time to learn from one another, be patient, build trust and figure out how you both communicate.

These things take time, but to use another adage: the trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.

By including your vet in your on-farm advisory team, you will maximise the success of both your business and your animal welfare outcomes on-farm.

Lucy Collins is completing her Dairy Residency with The University of Melbourne.

She works as an on-farm veterinarian in Kyabram with Apiam Animal Health, and alongside her partner on his family’s 650-cow dairy farm in Dixie. She is a 2021 Nuffield Scholar supported by Gardiner Dairy Foundation.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

ANIMAL HEALTH // 25

Help cows keep cool HEAT STRESS in livestock is a major issue in

both production and animal welfare, but there are precautions you can take to avoid it.

The ideal temperature range for cattle is between 5°C and 25°C. High-producing livestock such as dairy cows are most sensitive to heat stress.

To avoid heat stress taking a toll on livestock welfare and production levels, check on them daily and monitor for signs of heat stress during hot weather.

If you are not living at a property, arrange for a neighbour to check on animals in your absence.

Heat-stressed livestock will seek out shade,

drink more, eat less, stand rather than lie down, pant, may produce less milk and be less fertile.

On hot days, give livestock unlimited access to shade or shelter and good quality, cool drinking water.

Avoid moving animals during the hottest part of the day and try to avoid it altogether on extreme heat days.

High quality feed should be given during the evening when it is cooler, as livestock are more likely to consume it.

All producers have an obligation to ensure livestock in their care are free of pain, suffering and distress.

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26 // PASTURE IMPROVEMENT FEATURE

PASTURE IMPROVEMENT FEATURE

Choice easy with forage tool GROWING AND managing pastures has become

a key driver of profitability for Tasmanian dairy farmer Duncan MacDonald.

Running two dairy farms of around 550 cows at Yolla in north-west Tasmania, grazed rye-grass pasture makes up a large proportion of the diet on both farms.

On one farm there is no grain fed to the cows.

When selecting rye-grass cultivars for sowing, Duncan has turned to Dairy Australia’s Forage Value Index to make the best choice of perennial rye-grass cultivar.

The Forage Value Index (FVI) rating system provides an independent assessment of the potential economic value of perennial rye-grass cultivars in different dairy regions of south-east Australia.

Selection of better performing cultivars helps to increase pasture productivity at key times of the year and ultimately, farm profitability.

Every year, the FVI is updated with new trial data to ensure the rankings are as accurate as possible and that any new commercially available cultivars are represented.

“Over the last few years, I have looked at the FVI rankings for Tasmania when selecting a ryegrass cultivar to sow,” Duncan said.

“Our farm system is spring calving only, with a very large proportion of the cows’ diet being grazed pasture, and so it’s important that we are using the best pasture genetics available to grow and utilise as much feed as possible.

“While the seed companies all provide useful performance data on their cultivars, the independence of the FVI rankings give me extra confidence in its accuracy.”

The current perennial FVI is based purely on yield, with other traits of economic importance such as nutritive value and persistence to be added in the coming years.

Duncan’s farm is different to many farms on mainland Australia in that persistence is usually less of a challenge.

“We would generally aim to get 10 years off a stand of perennial rye-grass,” he said.

Tasmanian dairy farmer Duncan MacDonald uses Dairy Australia’s Forage Value Index to choose the best rye-grass for his business.

“I find that once the sward is established well in the first year, the irrigation of the sward during summer plus a strong focus on good pasture management means that our perennial rye-grass swards will persist for several years in our environment.”

There are five FVI seasons in the index — early spring, late spring, summer, autumn and winter.

“Last year, I used the seasonal yield tables in the FVI to trial a different cultivar, which according to the tables has greater growth in a particular season than the cultivars I normally use,” Duncan said.

“As we are a predominantly pasture-based farm under irrigation, having a cultivar that has good growth in summer, autumn and winter is very important.”

The index places a greater relative value on cultivars where more DM is produced in these three seasons than during spring, and users can find the economic values used in each FVI season on the latest update of the FVI for 2021.

Find out more about the Forage Value Index at: dairyaustralia.com.au

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

PASTURE IMPROVEMENT FEATURE // 27

Plan to grow best pasture WITH THE right planning and preparation,

sowing a new pasture should deliver a significant positive return in farm productivity and the bottom line. Seed business Barenbrug has provided some key steps to help achieve a successful outcome.

Taking the time to assess the state of a paddock is vital to executing a new pasture renovation.

This should be carried out at least 12 months prior to sowing and ought to start with an assessment of pasture content.

This includes how much and what proportion of desirable versus weed species are present.

If weeds are present, it’s important to establish if they are annual, perennial, grass or broadleaf so an appropriate management plan can be put into place.

Now is also the time to be looking for any damaging pasture pests.

If they are present, determine whether they are above economic thresholds for control measures.

Thirdly, soil constraints and fertility need to be considered including drainage, soil type and pH. This can be addressed by conducting a soil test then formulating a fertiliser/ lime program to raise fertility and/or fix soil constraints.

It is advisable to correct major issues well ahead of sowing to avoid a disappointing result.

This is particularly important with some soil types, where lime can take years to move to the sub-soil if broadcasting without incorporation.

Once the paddock has been fully assessed, an action plan can be created. A good starting point is to determine what sowing technique will be used.

Over-sowing by drilling directly into the existing pasture can be a suitable option if the weed burden is low and there is a high proportion of desirable species with good soil moisture.

Termination of the existing pasture, then direct drilling into a spray-fallow may also be viable if weed-seed burden is low and there is good soil moisture with rain forecast.

Full cultivation with sowing can be best if you are wanting to incorporate lime/gypsum, smooth out the surface of the paddock, or looking to help break lifecycles for pests such as slugs, snails and some grubs.

Timing can have a major impact on the success of your new pasture stand.

Early season growth can be substantial under the right soil moisture or temperature conditions, however for long-term pasture species it is more important to have the timing right than risk a failure due to dry conditions or extra weed burden.

Seed business Barenbrug has provided some key steps to help prepare paddocks for pasture.

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For further information on Zoom contact our regional agronomists: EASTERN VICTORIA, NORTHERN NSW & QUEENSLAND ADAM SHEEDY Ph: 0428 132 096 NORTHERN VICTORIA & SOUTHERN NSW SVEN KOLJO Ph: 0429 375 452 WESTERN DISTRICTS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, TASMANIA BRUCE HUME Ph: 0427 607 375

Cropmark Seeds Australia Pty Ltd Freephone: 1800 889 039 Freefax: 1800 889 037 www.cropmarkseeds.com

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

PASTURE IMPROVEMENT FEATURE // 29

New grass for a new climate MODELLING UNDERTAKEN in 2016 by the

University of Melbourne found that profitability could drop by 10 to 30 per cent by 2040 due to climate if dairy farmers did not adapt to the warmer and drier conditions.

Dr Brendan Cullen and Dr Margaret Ayre’s research showed year-to-year profit variability that depended on the production system — more intensive systems are more reliant on high milk prices and lower feed prices and capable of making a large profit (and conversely a large loss).

Less intensive systems have a similar average level of profitability but did not have the same levels of variability — meaning in the future less intensive systems in some regions could carry less risk and drive a reverse in current trends to smaller herd sizes, less grain feeding and a lower stocking rate.

The project demonstrated that for dairy farming to be viable into the future farmers need to continue to adapt to the changing climate, and part of that adaption is growing the best pasture for the conditions.

Pasture is one of a dairy farm’s biggest assets and the Australian dairy industry’s ability to grow good quality home feed is a competitive advantage in the international market.

To better understand the way that future climates will affect the seasonal pattern of pasture growth and digestibility, Agriculture Victoria research scientist and University of Melbourne professor Kevin Smith has been working on the Future Forages project funded by Agriculture Victoria.

The project aims to use climate modelling to determine what the future temperature and rainfall looks like in 2030, 2050, 2070 and 2090 at a regional level to determine future forage needs.

“Climate analogues are where the expected future climate of the place of interest is matched with the current climate of somewhere else,” Professor Smith said.

“They allow us to see in a practical way what the climate of the place of interest will look like in the future.”

The project investigated six different general circulation models (GCMs) and determined that the CSIRO-BOM GCM was the most appropriate one.

The researchers then used the climate forecast model with a Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) of 8.5.

A research project is aiming to arm dairy farmers with the tools to grow quality pasture for a warmer and changing climate.

General circulation models Climate and climate system component models are used to make projections about the response of the climate system to changes in initial conditions and applied climate forcing.

Applied forcing may, for example, include changes to the level of the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration.

The computing power required by these complex models is huge. For example, in 2002 Japan’s Earth Simulator was the largest supercomputer on Earth and capable of completing 40 trillion calculations per second.

“We used the climate scenario predictions with a focus on rainfall rates, and minimum and maximum temperatures alongside historical climate records from 1986 to 2015 to create a baseline and model the predicted changes,” Prof Smith said.

“The results for each area were calculated using low, moderate and high rainfall and temperature ranges and then compared to what current climates are elsewhere to choose climate analogues.”

The benefit of this research for future forages is that nurseries and trial plots can be located at the climate analogues to ensure adaptation to the future environment.

“Unfortunately using the current breeding and evaluation sites will not facilitate breeding for the future environment, except at Hamilton where the site remains relevant — now and into the future,” Prof Smith said.

Representative Concentration Pathways RCPs are based on historical data and plausible assumptions that lead to values that define specific emissions trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) and the resulting forcing effects — 8.5 refers to the pathway that in 2100 there will be 8.5 watts per metre squared of radiative forcing in the lower atmosphere.

After determining the climate analogue sites for Shepparton, Traralgon, Warrnambool, Bega and Burnie, the researchers found that the species that are adapted to these analogue sites lack the qualities for dairy grazing, including digestibility and nutrition.

These changes to yield, persistence and nutrition from climate are anticipated to affect all temperate forages.

Perennial rye-grass will be further affected by the forecasted increased extreme heat events in spring as early spring is the key season for production.

This project has identified that there are a number of research priorities for future forages to allow time for the dairy industry to adapt to the future climate.

“We need to expand the modelling work and include sub-tropical grasses in all environments,” Prof Smith said.

“We need to be also including persistence in the modelling with the increased frequency of extreme weather events and re-sowing requirements for all species.”

Targeted breeding of forage species with a focus on quality is essential, as is investigating and improving the digestibility of warm season (C4) grasses.

It is also essential to develop breeding and demonstration sites now that will be future climate aligned with dairy areas to breed and test forages.

“The climate and pasture modelling project findings will prove invaluable to developing future forages for the dairy industry,” said Kevin Argyle, the director of major innovation projects and DairyBio co-director.

“We know that the climate is changing and we need to adapt for it,” he said.

“This is the continuation of the DairyBio forage programs’ pasture species work into the proposed 2021–26 program.”

The Future Forages project used outcomes from DairyBio and DairyFeedbase research projects, including the pasture parameters, the F1 Hybrid perennial rye-grass, model validation and the future forages economic value index.

DairyBio is a research and innovation initiative of Agriculture Victoria, Dairy Australia and Gardiner Foundation.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

PASTURE IMPROVEMENT FEATURE // 31

Legume trial shows promise A TASMANIAN Institute of Agriculture legume

trial will provide valuable insights for farmers to help improve their pasture resilience, even during drought.

In early December, NRM South’s Regional Agricultural Landcare Facilitator, in collaboration with TIA and the East Coast Primary Producers Association, held a successful Legume Management for East Coast Grazing Systems field day at Milton that showcased the perennial legume trial.

The field day provided updates about the trial onsite and presented some useful tips on managing lucerne to the farmers, agronomists, researchers and local experts in attendance.

The trial has been running at the site since 2017, testing legume varieties that can persist in dryland pastures on Tasmania’s east coast.

According to Dairy Australia, perennial legumes such as red clover and lucerne are more adapted to grow under drought conditions than most perennial grasses.

The nutritional value of these species is less affected in summer than perennial rye-grass and have benefits including increased milk and milk solids production, reduced methane emissions and more efficient nitrogen use, the dairy body says.

The aim of the trial is to improve pasture resilience by boosting dry matter production through an increase in perennial species (legumes)

A field day at Milton in eastern Tasmania showcased the results of the perennial legume trial.

in the pasture which improves ground cover, resulting in a lower risk of erosion, improved soil health and a reduction in weed incursions.

The trial is demonstrating the benefits of legumes for stock and pasture and the challenges of getting legumes to persist in dryland pastures over the long term.

TIA research fellow and trial manager Rowan Smith said some of the commercially available legumes in the trial looked promising and had persisted despite the tough drought conditions over the past three years.

“From the November 2019 sowing, the three lucerne cultivars and two red clover cultivars have performed well,” Dr Smith said.

“These have continued to maintain green foliage later into the season compared with that of the volunteer sub clover and sown white clover, which have dried off.

“The lucerne cultivars in particular have regrown significantly following a simulated grazing in November.”

Lucerne expert, David Squib from Wrightsons Seeds, spoke at the field day about the

importance of understanding different lucerne varieties and how plant persistence relates to its activity scale — a ranking given to all lucerne varieties based on winter activity.

He said if managed well, the right varieties could persist for up to 10 years.

Work on the trial continues, with one plot being re-sown in autumn after poor growth.

Learnings from the trial will continue to be shared with farmers in the coming months through NRM South’s Regional Agricultural Landcare Facilitator.

Get the proven perennial ryegrass for your farm needs

One5O is a late-heading perennial ryegrass providing outstanding dry matter production and high quality feed for silage and hay. One5O is high yielding with excellent summer, autumn and winter production and reliable in farm systems so you can plant with confidence. Plant One5O today.

• High yielding perennial with AR37 • Excellent quality • Proven performer in Australian conditions For more advice when planning your autumn pasture, try our SEED SELECTOR. USE YOUR MOBILE CAMERA APP AND SCAN THE QR CODE TO FIND YOUR IDEAL SEED AND...PLANT FOR THE FUTURE TODAY.

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The benchmark for production and performance

Proven, reliable, persistent and high performing.

Matrix Enhanced® perennial ryegrass truly is the benchmark for production and performance on Victorian dairy farms. It is thoroughly proven, reliable, persistent and high performing.

Many farmers would argue that there is simply no better perennial ryegrass. The cows won’t argue with that either. They find it very palatable and eat it readily.

Farmers tell us the milk production lifts when the cows are grazing Matrix.

Matrix is suitable for all pasture renovation, including over-sowing and great value for money at about $100 per hectare cheaper than some varieties.

MATRIX IS AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL SEED MERCHANT OR FARM MERCHANDISE OUTLET

For further information on Matrix contact our regional agronomists: EASTERN VICTORIA, NORTHERN NSW & QUEENSLAND ADAM SHEEDY Ph: 0428 132 096 NORTHERN VICTORIA & SOUTHERN NSW SVEN KOLJO Ph: 0429 375 452 WESTERN DISTRICTS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, TASMANIA BRUCE HUME Ph: 0427 607 375

Cropmark Seeds Australia Pty Ltd Freephone: 1800 889 039 Freefax: 1800 889 037 www.cropmarkseeds.com

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

PASTURE IMPROVEMENT FEATURE // 33

Choosing the best rye-grass WHEN IT comes to selecting a perennial ryegrass for your farm, it can be difficult to know where to start. Notman Pasture Seeds has provided some tips to determine what works best for your property.

There are four main points you have to consider when choosing the right perennial rye-grass: endophyte strain (relative to insect pressure), flowering/heading date, ploidy (tetraploid or diploid), breeding and endophyte strains.

Choosing and understanding the correct endophyte strain is important for the longevity of your pastures, with insect pests stripping valuable dry matter and can even kill rye-grass pastures.

Black beetle, cockchafers, lucerne flea, grass grub and field crickets ( just to name a few) pressure the persistence of perennial pastures.

SE, AR1, AR37 and NEA2 are all novel endophytes and have been developed by plant breeders to help protect grasses from insect attack.

Standard heading rye-grasses have good early spring growth when quality is at its best.

However, in mid-spring when growth rates are high, pasture quality may deteriorate when feed supply becomes a surplus and grazing is not precise.

Late flowering varieties such as Matrix SE (+23 days), Base AR37 (22 days) and Reward

Endo5 (24 days after Nui) come into their own as the earlier varieties lose their quality.

The industry is benchmarked and defined relative to the variety Nui, which has a heading date of zero.

Heading date is when 50 per cent of plants have emerged seed-heads.

Heading/flowering date is important, as it controls the extent of early spring production and late spring quality.

Seed head development reduces feed quality in late spring and the heading date determines when this occurs.

Diploids are densely tillered, competitive with weeds, cope with lower fertility, ideal for grass-tograss situations, can handle wetter environments and can be set-stocked or rotationally grazed.

Meanwhile, tetraploids are fast to establish, extremely tasty and palatable, excellent pasture utilisation, very high quality, higher animal dry matter intakes, great for silage and hay quality and clover friendly.

Perennial rye-grass has evolved over millions of years, and just like top quality breeding stock, it’s important to understand the bloodlines of your grasses and whether by nature they belong on your farm in your environment and able to survive your conditions.

Real News in Real Time 260 mm W X 186 mm H

Log on to keep up to date with industry and breaking news from around the country every day. www.dairynewsaustralia.com.au

The high yielding persistent Italian ryegrass

Appeal is a very persistent and very high yielding diploid Italian ryegrass.

Appeal has shown consistently high yield performance in trials with fast establishment, high winter, early spring production, and an ability to hold on well over the summer, even under moderate insect pressure.

At +28 days heading date, Appeal is nearly two weeks later heading than traditional Italian ryegrasses, enabling it to maintain forage quality for longer into summer.

Appeal produces high quality forage, of high nutritive value, high digestibility and high palatability. In addition, it has strong disease resistance including against rust, resulting in improved animal acceptance. And unlike some Italian ryegrasses, Appeal will not cause grass staggers.

APPEAL IS AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL SEED MERCHANT OR FARM MERCHANDISE OUTLET

For further information on Appeal contact our regional agronomists: EASTERN VICTORIA, NORTHERN NSW & QUEENSLAND ADAM SHEEDY Ph: 0428 132 096 NORTHERN VICTORIA & SOUTHERN NSW SVEN KOLJO Ph: 0429 375 452 WESTERN DISTRICTS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, TASMANIA BRUCE HUME Ph: 0427 607 375

Cropmark Seeds Australia Pty Ltd Freephone: 1800 889 039 Freefax: 1800 889 037 www.cropmarkseeds.com

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

PASTURE IMPROVEMENT FEATURE // 35

Maximise your autumn pasture DURING SUMMER in south-eastern Australia,

with limited rainfall on rain-fed areas of the farm, leaf emergence rates slow, pasture growth rates decline and there is increased grazing pressure on any irrigated areas of the farm.

As a result, the average pasture cover of the farm tends to decrease.

The autumn break occurs when there is a significant rainfall event with follow-up rain that leads into winter.

Sometimes there are ‘false’ autumn breaks when there is a significant rainfall event but no follow-up rain in the following weeks.

In a ‘false’ autumn break, pasture will become green, but there is little growth and once soil moisture becomes limiting again, this growth will stop.

Once the true autumn break does occur, it provides the opportunity to build pasture covers across the grazing platform prior to cooler conditions and slower pasture growth during winter.

To get the greatest benefit from the autumn break, consider: grazing management, nitrogen use and pasture renovation.

Nitrogen fertiliser is generally a cost effective tool for increasing pasture growth and could be considered when extra feed is needed.

Nitrogen is only effective on boosting the growth of pasture that is growing — it shouldn’t be applied to dormant pasture and where soil moisture is limiting.

Nitrogen can be applied as soon as there is a significant rainfall event (>25 mm) and continue until soil temperature becomes too low.

Temperate pasture (for example, rye-grass) will generally respond to nitrogen when soil temperature is above 4°C. Sub-tropical pasture (for example, kikuyu) will respond to nitrogen when soil temperature is above 10°C. There are three principles to follow to maximise pasture consumption and ensure good pasture quality.

3. Ensure grazing residual targets are reached Aim for a post-grazing residual height of 4 cm to 6 cm between the clumps, equivalent to 1400– 1600 kg DM/ha to maintain quality.

— Dairy Australia

Dairy Australia has released a range of tips to maximise autumn pasture.

PREMIUM QUALITY AFFORDABLE PRICES

1. Set grazing rotation based on leaf stage For rye-grass-based pastures, this means grazing at the 2.5 to three-leaf stage or before canopy closure to maximise the amount of pasture grown. The difficulty of achieving this will depend on how the farm was managed during the dry period.

If a leaf stage-based rotation was maintained on the rain-fed area of the farm despite there being only a small amount of growth, this should be continued.

If a fast-grazing rotation was used or rainfed paddocks were not grazed during the dry period there would be a bulk of paddocks at a similar leaf stage.

In both circumstances, there will need to be some compromise to establish the right rotation and achieve an orderly feed wedge.

2. Grazing duration In slowing down the rotation, it is important to ensure an area isn’t grazed for longer than two to three days. If cows are grazing the one paddock for more than three days, they will start to eat the pasture regrowth, which will slow growth rates and reduce pasture yield.

Use back fencing to avoid this. Ensure if young stock or dry cows are following the milkers the grazing is completed within three days.

Blade is a new premium quality Italian ryegrass with high yields and high pasture quality.

BENEFITS:

12 – 18+ months pasture subject conditions Fast establishing and high yielding Strong winter activity High pasture quality Lush and palatable A week or more later heading (+24 days)

Blade has lush leaves, is highly palatable and being a week later heading than most other diploid Italians, its pasture quality is carried through longer into spring.

If you are looking for the latest Italian ryegrass to help lift your farm’s milk production, then look no further.

Ask for Blade Italian ryegrass.

Benalla Office: 03 5762 5288 Mike Smyth: 0407 309 866 www.smythseeds.com.au

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

36 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Tech helps smooth operators WORK PLANNED in the office will seamlessly

translate to an automated set-up experience in the tractor cab, with the launch of Work Planner via John Deere Operations Center mobile.

A centralised solution for planning and tracking the work that needs to be done, Work Planner is being brought online as part of the latest upgrades to the John Deere Digital Ecosystem.

It will help farmers and contractors ensure their workflow is running smoothly and data is being collected accurately, while allowing operators to start work as soon as they are in the paddock.

John Deere Australia and New Zealand’s Precision Agriculture manager Benji Blevin described the technology as a “game changer”, and one that was aligned with John Deere’s focus on helping farmers synchronise the management of their people, equipment and data.

“This technology means farmers can plan and communicate much more efficiently with their operators about work that needs to be completed,” Mr Blevin said.

“Because the information is synched, everyone is working off the same plan.

“This helps reduce mistakes, and also assists farm managers to more effectively monitor overall job quality as they can see exactly what’s happening and make adjustments if needed.”

Plans can be created, modified and actioned instantly either from the office, or on the go through a mobile phone.

John Deere Australia and New Zealand’s new Precision Agriculture manager, Benji Blevin, says the technology is a game-changer.

The latest John Deere Digital Ecosystem upgrades will help farmers and contractors ensure their workflow is running smoothly.

“For the operator, this means when they drive into a paddock a pop-up will appear on the Generation 4 CommandCenter with the Work Plan for that field, and they can click one button to set up data collection on the display and get started,” Mr Blevin said.

Announcing the John Deere January upgrades was one of the first tasks for Mr Blevin in his new role, which started in November.

Previous John Deere Australia and New Zealand Precision Ag segment manager, Ben Kelly, has been promoted to production system manager for Production & Precision Ag. Raised on a horticulture operation in Zimbabwe and with qualifications as a ­m echanical engineer, Mr Blevin started his career in the John Deere graduate

program in 2016, and later worked as a precision ag ­specialist in Western Australia, then Queensland.

The improved Operations Center mobile is active online, while the iOS version for Apple mobile products is available in the Apple App Store.

The Android version will be available from Google Play.

IT’S NO FURPHY, BULK MILK STORAGE TANKS ARE IN STOCK AND READY TO GO For over 40 years Furphy Engineering have been leading suppliers of Tanks and Silos to on farm and Dairy Producers across Australia.

NOW BLE AVAILA K! IN STOC

Brand new 33,000 litre and 40,500 litre Horizontal on farm milk tanks now stocked in Shepparton, Victoria.

These bulk milk storage tanks are made in Australia to suit our Australian environment and dairy standards.

Key features include: • Furphy Engineering’s proprietary Dimple-Q, laser welded dimple plate which allows for efficient maintaining of the milk temperature.

• Polyurethane spray foam insulation applied prior to cladding to avoid insulation gaps for 100% effective cover.

• Top entry agitators to maintain milk homogeneity.

• Multiple internal spray balls for thorough cleaning inside the tank.

• Side manway access for safe entry into the tank.

• Fully welded stainless steel cladding.

• Calibrated site tube with a level indication strip or electronic sensor option.

• Large diameter design to reduce the required length and footprint in the dairy.

Why not take advantage of the instant asset write off and upgrade your milk storage capacity.

Horizontal and Vertical tank options available from 20,000 litres to 56,000 litres (56,000 litres tanks pictured)

Contact info@furphyengineering.com.au or call 03 5832 1400 to enquire today.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 37

Big award for a big baler NEW HOLLAND Agriculture has taken home a

prestigious international award for its BigBaler 1290 High Density.

An international jury of design professionals, leading industry specialists, design journalists and critics awarded the BigBaler 1290 High Density a 2020 Good Design Award.

The range, designed for delivering allout efficiency and productivity, has already received recognition from the industry, having been awarded both an Agritechnica Silver Innovation Medal and a Machine of the Year 2020 award.

The BigBaler 1290 High Density was one of the product designs selected by the jury from a record number of submissions from the world’s leading manufacturers and industrial and graphic design firms from more than 48 countries.

The award recognises the most innovative and cutting-edge industrial, product, and graphic designs produced around the world, and the selection is based on the criteria of quality design of the highest form, function, and aesthetics a standard beyond ordinary consumer products and graphics.

New Holland brand president Carlo Lambro said it was an honour to receive the award.

“The BigBaler 1290 High Density is a winning example of how the collaboration between the CNH Industrial Design team and our Product Engineering teams enable New

New Holland BigBaler 1290 High Density.

Holland to keep raising the bar on performance to the advantages of our customers,” he said.

The New Holland BigBaler 1290 High Density is designed for delivering efficiency and productivity.

It produces bales of up to 22 per cent higher density than conventional large square balers, significantly increasing transport and bale handling efficiency.

The unique patented Loop Master knotting technology ensures solid tying and protects

both the environment and forage by eliminating twine offcuts.

By introducing a loop-style second knot, during an average 10,000-bale season, this system eliminates more than 6 km or 46 kg of twine offcuts.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

38 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

New milk tanks ready to go FURPHY ENGINEERING has its ear to the

ground and it’s heard the rumblings — dairy processors want bigger on-farm milk tanks to improve logistics and farmers are getting onboard.

With dairy clients in all states of Australia, the 150-year-old Shepparton manufacturer has taken this information and done something about it, creating a new line of stocked, on-farm milk tanks.

Made ahead of time and stored, the horizontal stainless steel tanks leave the shop and arrive on farm in a fraction of the usual time.

Furphy sales manager Darren Leeder said the two stock sizes of 33,000 litres and 40,500 litres were chosen because of the industry trend towards bigger volumes.

“We’ve been getting feedback from dairy processors that they want farmers to increase their milk storage capacity so pick-ups can be decreased,” Mr Leeder said.

“So we’ve chosen these two bigger sizes, but we also have a range available from 20,000 litres to 56,000 litres.”

Mr Leeder said the stock milk tanks would have “rapid” delivery times compared to the custom tanks currently available.

Furphy Engineering has been supplying dairy farms with custom milk tanks — or vats as some farmers know them — since the 1980s.

Alongside milk tanks, the fifth-generation family owned business designs and

Furphy Engineering has released a new range of milk tanks.

The new tanks offer two larger sizes — 33,000 litres and 40,500 litres.

manufactures tanks, vessels and silos for other industries such as brewing, pharmaceutical, chemical and water.

The Victorian-made tanks are built with fully welded stainless steel cladding, a polyurethane insulation system, low speed agitators to

maintain milk homogeneity, internal spray balls for cleaning, calibrated volume sight tube and a manway door in the end of the tank for safer access when needed.

Higher tech features include a laser-welded dimple plate for maintaining milk temperature

with rear connection points for the farmer’s chilling system and an option for electronic level indication in lieu of the traditional volume sight tube.

The stock milk tanks were launched last month, and are available to interested buyers.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2021

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 39

Sales soar to 40-year high

Tractor sales are reaching levels not seen since the 1980s, according to new figures.

MACHINERY SALES are soaring to levels not

seen in four decades, with tractors continuing their runaway trend into the new year.

Figures from the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia continue to show sharp increases in sales, with 13,000 units of tractors sold in December, up more than a quarter compared to the same time last year and up 24 per cent on the year prior.

“The year has seen a continuation of recent trends as demand for bigger horsepower machines increased along with demand for low emissions engines,” TMA executive director Gary Northover said.

“The used equipment market, supported by the Instant Asset Write-Off Scheme, has been strong and finance rates continue to be set at extremely attractive levels.

“The much talked about supply challenges have been felt across all size categories and for the first time in a long while, dealers have been forced to move stock around amongst themselves to satisfy orders.”

NSW continues to drive sales, up two-thirds on the same time last year and 40 per cent ahead for the year.

Victoria reported a solid lift up 17 per cent in the month and finished 22 per cent ahead yearto-ate, meanwhile Queensland was up 31 per cent to be 18 per cent up for the year.

We s te r n Au s t r a l i a s a l e s p i c ke d u p seven per cent in December and is now in line with last year; while sales in South Australia were steady, ending 27 per cent up; and Tasmania finished the Year 27 per cent ahead.

“The increase in sales numbers is again due almost entirely to the ongoing strength in the smaller end of the market supported by the Instant Asset Write-Off scheme,” Mr Northover said.

“The under 40 hp (30 kW) range was up 72 per cent for the month and ended 36 per cent ahead for the year-to-date.

“The 40 to 100 hp (30–75 kW) range was again up strongly 16 per cent in the month, 27 per cent ahead for the year.

“The 100 to 200 hp (75–150 kW) category was again up 28 per cent and ended the year up 26 per cent whilst sales in the large 200 hp (150 kW) plus range dipped again leaving this category eight per cent for 2020.”

Mr Northover said many suppliers were predicting strong levels of demand to continue throughout 2021, underpinned by both the ongoing favourable weather conditions and the Instant Asset Write-Off Scheme.

“We do, however, expect to see some unevenness in supply as the main manufacturing centres in North America and Europe continue to struggle with the impacts of the coronavirus,” he said.

“This may lead to some ‘lumpiness’ in sales reporting, however, we expect 2021 to be another strong one.”

TF

TOW AND Fert

Grow more grass using less Urea New Zealand farmers have been forced to reduce their N use, the Tow and Fert has proven it can be done!

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Reduced their ‘N’ inputs across their farms by up to 33% Went from a farm average of 246 units ‘N’ per ha to 173 units ‘N’ per ha Reduced their milk urea from 20 to 25mg/dl to between 3 and 5mg/dl

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Setting new benchmarks for late season quality

Dash annual ryegrass is the newest addition to livestock menus. It is fast establishing, high yielding, high quality and very palatable. At +24 days relative heading date (relative to Nui = zero) it is up to 10 days later heading, so that higher pasture quality will be maintained for longer into spring, translating into higher stock performance during this critical period.

DASH IS AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL SEED MERCHANT OR FARM MERCHANDISE OUTLET

If you are looking for an 8-10 month winter feed, then add Dash to your stock’s diet. It is a great feed and makes great silage and hay.

For further information on Dash contact our regional agronomists: EASTERN VICTORIA, NORTHERN NSW & QUEENSLAND ADAM SHEEDY Ph: 0428 132 096 NORTHERN VICTORIA & SOUTHERN NSW SVEN KOLJO Ph: 0429 375 452 WESTERN DISTRICTS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, TASMANIA BRUCE HUME Ph: 0427 607 375

Cropmark Seeds Australia Pty Ltd Freephone: 1800 889 039 Freefax: 1800 889 037 www.cropmarkseeds.com