Dairy News Australia Issue 017

Processors desperate for more milk supply Page 3

Attention to detail rewarded Page 27

Lely releases new balers Page 33

issue 17: August 2011

Bills to spike under carbon tax PAGE 4

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

3

NEWS This issue Issue 17: August 2011 WA farmer John Giumelli took Coles boss John Durkan to task at the recent WA Farmers conference.

11

SA farmer Phillip Wheaton speaks openly about his battle with depression.

13

Gippsland farmer Peter Hanrahan shares tips on how his family is forging through a very sodden season.

Milk processors want you International demand and expansion in local processing facilities has fuelled renewed competition between Australian processors for southern milk supply.

Warrnambool Cheese and Butter took the unusual step of advertising in local newspapers in south west Victoria and south east SA, detailing its new farmgate payment package.

WCB is seeking another 50 million litres of milk after investing $5 million in new capability in its Allansford powder plant near Warrnambool, and $3.5m to expand its Sungold milk plant by 50%.

It is also upgrading its speciality cheese operation in Mt Gambier.

Gippsland farmers are also being pursued, with Longwarry Food Park planning a new UHT milk line requiring between 20-30m litres each year – or an additional 10-15% more.

Investment has also been increased in Tasmania with the announcement of the new Tasmanian Dairy Products milk powder facility for Smithton, National Foods investment at Burnie and further investment at Fonterra’s Spreyton factory.

Murray Goulburn is doubling the capacity of its sole packaging plant in China, which packages infant formula produced at its

Cobram plant in northern Victoria.

Outgoing chairman Grant Davies says this will require greater output from Cobram and MG will take as much milk as possible.

“We all know the affects drought has had on northern Victoria in the past 10-12 years but the good thing is we’re starting to see a turnaround in milk production,” Davies says.

“It’s not huge, but we’re starting to see it turnaround. We can certainly put that milk to good value at the moment.

“Companies are out and about and they want extra supply. There’s healthy competition out there for milk and we’ll be doing our darnedest to keep that milk within our company.”

WCB CEO David Lord says its 2010-11 year payout of $5.75/kg MS was the second highest in its history and was largely an outcome of strength of international markets for dairy products.

“We have very strong markets in Asia, Japan in particular, the Middle East. Demand for dairy protein in all forms has been steadily growing year on year, and the last 12 months in particular has been very strong,” he told ABC Radio.

“With the strength of the markets being what it is, processors like us want to make sure

they are fully utilised, we want to make sure our plant is full, and that we are manufacturing the maximum amount of products we can to take advantage of those markets.

“I imagine our competitors are thinking in the same way we are and would be looking for more supply.”

Dairy Australia analyst Joanne Bills says all the companies are conscious they need to offer farmers an incentive to produce more milk after some very tough years.

“It’s fair to say all of them are offering the best prices they possibly can to send out positive signals to farmers,” Bills says.

Bills says the companies would probably prefer that their existing suppliers can supply the additional amount.

“A lot of the companies have provided growth incentives in their payment systems to encourage that growth. But certainly if their current supply base isn’t willing or able to grow, they’re equally happy to take on new suppliers.

“Anecdotally, we know there are farmers looking at the different options available, particularly in a region like Gippsland where there are so many companies on the lookout for milk. Some of them may be switching.”

20

News �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3-15 Opinion ������������������������������������������������������������������������16-17 Agribusiness �����������������������������������������������18-19 Management ����������������������������������������������20-24 Animal Health ���������������������������������������25-29 Machinery & Products �����30-33 motoring �������������������������������������������������������������������������34

See how Keith Trevor and his family maintain enviable bulk milk cell count levels in Far North Queensland, where rainfall is measured in metres.

Just leave your smokes at the front gate. Page 25.

4

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

news

Dairy farmers left out of pocket Victorian dairy farmers would be slugged an additional $6054 in increased electricity costs under the Federal Government’s carbon tax while NSW farmers will receive a $7691 hit.

The figures were revealed through Australian Farm Institute modelling on the Federal Government’s $23/tonne carbon tax.

The AFI says the extra bill would reduce income by 7.8% for Victorian farmers and 6.7% for NSW farmers.

The report also reveals that three years after the introduction of a carbon price estimated at $25.36, the additional cost for each NSW farmer would be $13,940 and $11,763 for each Victorian farmer.

This would reduce their income by 10.6% and 13% respectively.

Sally Davison, who compiled the report, says the impact of a carbon price on total farm costs is greatest for dairy and rice farmers in percentage turns.

“This is because of the relatively

more significant processing costs asso- behaviour to cope with this additional ciated with products from these farms, cost burden, as it is largely determined in addition to having a large propor- at the processor level and passed back tion of farm inputs which are reliant on to the producer.”

Davison says the Australian and New energy, and are therefore affected by a Zealand agriculture sectors are “globalchange in carbon price.”

About half of the additional cost is ly-unique” as they are the only two deactually initially accrued by the processing sector but this will “A simple solution to this inequity be passed onto the is to remove the carbon tax on farm in the form of reelectricity from primary producers duced milk prices.

Murray Goulburn and dairy processors.” has already said it will pass all costs onto its veloped nation agricultural exporters suppliers.

“As outlined in the modelling, the worldwide which operate without tariff impact of a carbon price on processor protection, largely without subsidies, costs is potentially significant,” Davi- while paying developed-nation wages and costs. son says.

“The success of these sectors has “The challenge of this cost for farm business managers is that there is very depended on an ability to continually reduce costs. “However, the scale little which can be done to reduce it.

“There is little opportunity to change of challenge that will be presented in

detailed modelling reports released earlier this month, one by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (DCCEE) containing projections of non-forestry offsets under the CFI, and the second from the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARE) providing projections of forestry offsets.

The DCCEE projections indicate that, under the proposed carbon

The carbon Farming Initiative will not be a pot of gold for farmers, despite the hype surrounding it. price outlined by the Government, about 7 million tonnes each year of CFI offsets will be produced in the years between 2013 and 2020, rising to 9 million tonnes each year in the period between 2020 and 2030.

“Of the 7 million tonnes, 1.9 million is projected to come from legacy wastes (capturing gas from landfills), which seems a curious inclusion in a farm initiative, given that the landfills in question are mostly owned

by Local Government authorities,”

Keogh says.

“Another 3.6 million tonnes per annum is projected to come from ‘avoided deforestation and managed regrowth’ which refers to landholders selling tree clearing rights or agreeing to forego future rights to manage scrub regrowth.

“Both these types of CFI offsets will only be able to be sold into voluntary carbon markets, projected to be worth $3 - $5 per tonne by DCCEE, or direct to the government, so will earn considerably less per tonne than the mandatory carbon price the government has foreshadowed.”

Keogh says this means the farm sector is projected to earn $57 million each year from non-forestry CFI offsets, or an average of $407 per broadacre farm per annum.

Projections of carbon sink forestry development are similarly conservative. ABARES estimates that the land converted to carbon sink forestry between 2012 and 2049 will be limited to 350,000 hectares in total, of which about half will be carbon sink forestry.

The 350,000 hectares of forestry would be worth around $140 million per annum by 2020.

If this income was shared equally across all broadacre farms it would add an additional $1000 in income per year for each broadacre farm.

PETER BURKE OUTGOING FONTERRA chief executive Andrew Ferrier has gone on the offensive over agriculture’s inclusion in New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) saying it makes no sense to him.

Ferrier’s comments came at the recent Australasian Climate Change and Business conference in Wellington where he was the keynote speaker.

He told the 200 or so delegates with various interests in climate change, that New Zealand is one of the lowest carbon cost dairying industries.

He went on to point out that applying an ETS on agriculture in New Zealand when it’s not applied anywhere else in the world would ultimately lead to a shift in dairy production to far less emissions efficient countries.

He says emissions-efficiency can be achieved without more carbon costs being piled on to our farmers and those costs are real.

“Dairying is already paying its way.

The ETS has already resulted in higher on-farm costs of some $3600 a year com-

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pared to an urban household’s costs of around $133.

“With the removal of transitional provisions, the entry of agricultural gases and a $50 carbon price, those on-farm costs will rise to more than $22,000.

“That’s 28% of the average dairy farm’s cash surplus. Piling more carbon costs on farmers will simply reduce profitability and reduce dairy growth in New Zealand.”

Ferrier says the populist view is that farmers are climate change deniers, but he says this in untrue and that a great deal of work to curb emissions has been achieved on farm.

He says since 2003, Fonterra’s NZ dairy farmers have reduced emissions of the two agricultural greenhouse gases by an estimated 8.5% per litre of milk which has resulted in an estimated 1.4 million tonne reduction of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year.

“These reductions are attributable to a range of factors, including improved bovine genetics, nutrition, fertility and production efficiencies.

“But mostly it’s down to the innovative and adaptive style that has always been at the heart of our dairying community.”

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ognise that as a tradeexposed industry, dairy processers cannot pass on the costs of a carbon scheme to local consumers or world markets, therefore farmers will wear the full cost of this tax.

“The Prime Minister’s assurances that Australian families won’t be worse off does not seem to apply to the 7500 dairy farming families.

“These families face the double whammy of paying the carbon tax as householders as well.”

See the AFI study at www.farminstitute.org.au

ETS to hurt NZ farmers

CFI fails to balance the ledger The Federal Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative will return very little money to the pockets of dairy farmers who face rising energy costs under the carbon tax.

The farm sector as a whole could earn an additional $1407 each if the Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative was implemented and shared across the sector.

The Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) was introduced to help facilitate the sale of carbon credits on domestic and international markets.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said there was previously no uniform way for farmers, forest growers or landholders to generate carbon credits and sell them into international markets.

The Federal Government proposes to legislate clear rules for the recognition of carbon credits that could then be sold on domestic or international markets.

This would give farmers a guideline to know what they need to do to generate credits that are internationally recognised and available for trading.

However, Australian Farm Institute executive director Mick Keogh says the CFI will not be a pot of gold for farmers, despite the hype surrounding it.

He based his conclusion on two

future years through a carbon cost is quite considerable, and this will tax the ability of businesses in the sector to remain profitable, especially once the carbon price begins to escalate.”

The Australian Dairy Industry Council has written to Climate Change Minister Greg Combet to remove the tax on electricity from primary producers and dairy processors.

“ADIC is alarmed about the impact that a carbon price of $23 per tonne will have on the viability of Australian dairy farming families,” ADIC director Adrian Drury says.

“A simple solution to this obvious inequity is to exempt or remove the carbon tax on electricity from primary producers and dairy processors.

“The Government has failed to rec-

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

5

news

CFI could impact food security Nationals Senator Fiona Nash has called for a public food security impact statement to be done before any agricultural property is sold for carbon sequestration and trading under the Federal Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI).

It follows the recent joint purchase by RM Williams and the Federal government of Henbury Station in the Northern Territory with the aim of sequestering carbon dioxide and selling offset credits under the CFI. There has been an emerging trend in carbon traders buying farms, to generate carbon credits for sale under voluntary schemes or the CFI if the legislation is passed in the senate.

Senator Nash says public food security impact statements should be mandatory before properties are sold to companies for environmental and biodiversity offsets.

“We must protect our prime agricultural land from corporate self interest.

Our future food production and future food security should be the higher priority,” she said.

“For example, locking the Henbury cattle station up as a nature reserve means the removal of at least 10,000 head of cattle from the global food chain.

“We have to consider the ramifications of shutting down properties, as the Federal Government has done to Henbury, on farming families and associated rural industries.

“I support improved environmental outcomes for farming practices so long it doesn’t compromise food productivity and food security.

“I also caution corporates against rushing into land acquisitions to take advantage of the CFI as the legislation still lacks vital and important details.”

Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, Mark Dreyfus, rejected Nash’s calls and says an amendment to the CFI legislation will ensure projects that affect access to agricultural land do not get the green light.

Dreyfus says the Northern Territory station, now being used to sequester carbon, removed the cattle for other reasons.

“The owners of this station have decided that they want to increase natural biodiversity on that station and engage in some very large-scale restoration of degraded landscape on that station,” he said.

“I’d see it as quite separate to anything under the Carbon Farming Initiative, it is to be viewed in the context of restoration of degraded land.”

Dreyfus says food security will not be an issue under the Carbon Farming Initiative.

Nash’s comments follow decisions by major companies to buy farmland for tree plantations to be used as carbon sinks.

Major emitters, such as Origin Energy, have been reported as securing farmland suitable for tree plantations.

The moves are being facilitated by Carbon Conscious – a carbon brokerage company based in WA. This would mean big polluters are competing with farming for land.

Carbon Conscious dubs itself “Australasia’s leading developer of forestry plantations for carbon offset credits”.

It has announced $190 million in options were “more likely” to be exercised because of the introduction of a carbon price.

The company says it has contracts worth $45 with clients, including Origin Energy and BP Singapore.

It plants estates of Mallee Eucalypts.

Gippsland dairy farmers Matt and Robyn Colwill are slugging their way through an exceptionally wet year.

Waiting for spring sun There’s a traditional wet Gippsland winter and then there’s this year.

Most areas in Gippsland have received their annual rainfall by the end of July and it hasn’t stopped there, with falls of up to 120mm this month.

Matt and Robyn Colwill have had to think outside the square to forge through the winter on their farm at Mardan, situated in the hills east of Leongatha.

“People say you’re from England, you should be used to this weather, but in England cows are housed in winter so it’s easier,” Matt says.

Like other Gippsland farmers, the Colwills have had to look after the condition and health of their cows and calves in conditions where bugs and parasites are rife and vehicles bog easily in sodden paddocks and laneways.

“We had some clear, sunny days (at the start of the month) but it only takes half an inch of rain to get everything flooding again,”

Robyn says.

“This is our 13th season here and it’s definitely the wettest we’ve experienced.

“We just keep going until spring, taking each day as it comes, and trying not to mess up the paddocks too much.”

The rain has also forced south west Victorian farmers to consider options such as cow parking to help get milking cows off wet paddocks and

prepare potential paddocks for spring growth.

About 12mm of rain across northern Victoria late last month has kept the season ticking along but most farmers would readily take another 24mm to maintain a season that started well with the huge January rainfall.

South Australia has received between 50mm300mm across the state this winter with warm

weather from late July, causing good pasture growth.

Farmers have been warned about an influx of parasites and bugs in the ground caused by the wet, warm weather.

WA dairy farmers are experiencing good rainfall and warm days – a great recipe for pasture growth and a terrific contrast to last year’s shocking drought.

6

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

news

China expansion to fuel MG milk demand Murray Goulburn’s decision to expand its packing capabilities in China will create better returns for its Australian suppliers, according to outgoing chairman Grant Davies.

The co-operative will build a new packing plant in Qingdao, China, to capitalise on Chinese demand for its infant formula, doubling its current capacity.

The company will grow its product line from one to six at the Qingdao plant to capture new opportunities generated by the demand for infant formula and adult nutritional product.

MG has been packing its Australianproduced products in China since 2007, selling it under the NATRASTART brand.

Davies would not elaborate on how “It’s great news for our Murray Goulmuch the new facility would cost, but burn suppliers,” Davies told ABC radio.

“We’ve seen an increase in sales from says it is cheaper to build in China than China and we’ve outgrown our present Australia.

All product packaged and sold in site.

“There’s great demand in China for Australian and New Zealand All product packaged and sold in infant products because China is manufactured at Murray of the clean, green image we portray and actually Goulburn’s Cobram plant in north have. west Victoria.

“We have a great record for supplying good quality products into that market China is manufactured at MG’s Cobram and it’s widely sought. That’s shown by plant in north west Victoria.

“As this market grows, this puts more the growth in our business in the four demand on our nutritional factory years that we’ve been established.”

at Cobram.

“We’ll be looking for milk to put through that factory. That creates jobs, that creates work, and the most important thing, that creates better returns for our farmers.

“It’s about maximising returns to our farmers. Here’s one way we’re doing it by value adding their milk into a specialty, nutritional product.”

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu announced the company’s plans at the Australian China Business Council this month.

The Victorian Government have been involved in the Dairy Nutriceuticals to Asia Project to promote milk products in the region.

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Davies will resign from his position as chairman at the AGM in November.

“Since I informed them of my decision we have had some constructive discussions around succession and I am very confident that the board will make an excellent appointment of a new chairman following November’s AGM,” he says.

Davies says he decided not to seek re-election after discussion with his family.

“The demands of the role of chairman are significant and after spending seven years on the board of Murray Goulburn, I believe it is the right decision to spend more time on my farm and with my family.”

28/04/11 2:49 PM

ance and enforcement” Funding available for water saving infra- • $10 million for the Commonwealth’s share of structure upgrades in the costs for remedial work Murray Darling Basin is at Hume Dam dramatically less than the “On top of this throw in headlines suggest, a review by the National Irrigators’ $190 million for departmental costs and the ability Council reveals.

NIC CEO Danny O’Brien of this program to invest in says the $5.8 billion Sus- water savings that will help tainable Rural Water Use communities adjust to the and Infrastructure Pro- Basin Plan has been serigram (SRWUIP) has been ously eroded.

“One of the worst examplundered for a host of projects leaving just $3.4 ples of bureaucratic raidbillion now allocated to ir- ing is the $195.8 million for the Commonwealth Envirigation upgrades.

“The Commonwealth is pilfering Less than 60% of the the infrastructure bucket such that $5.8 billion allocated less than 60% of to infrastructure the $5.8 billion allocated to the pro- upgrades remains. gram is now committed to actual irrigation ronmental Water Holder’s water saving projects in costs.

“These costs are ongoing the Murray Darling Basin,” and should not be funded O’Brien says.

“While delays with in- from infrastructure profrastructure spending drag gram spending.

“If the Commonwealth on, the Department and the Minister have been pick- is serious about infrastrucing off chunks of the infra- ture and striking a balance, structure fund like vultures these costs could have been funded from the buyback around a carcase.

“Far from being a ‘big bucket.”

O’Brien says irrigators subsidy for irrigation interests’ as some commenta- are angry at the siphoning tors have charged, a huge away of such funding, parchunk of this funding has ticularly while delays connow been siphoned off to tinue to the delivery of the projects that don’t save any bulk of the funds allocated.

“It’s now over three years water and that’s something that even environmental since the Commonwealth groups should be con- agreed to fund $3.7 billion worth of State Priority cerned about.”

O’Brien says items being Projects (SPPs) and the vast funded out of SRWUIP in- bulk remains unspent.

“We know Federal and clude: • $195.8 million to pay State Water Ministers costs of the Common- agreed to a new funding wealth Environmental deal in April but that was meant to have been finalWater Holder (CEWH) • $59 million for the MDBA ised by bureaucrats by the end of June so why the deto write the Basin Plan • $60 million for “compli- lay?”

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

7

news

Murray Darling Basin draft plan delayed Liz Cotton

during summer, one of the busiest periods for farmers and irrigators.

South Australian dairy farmers Melanie and Nigel Treloar, Lake Albert, are also concerned about a lack of consultation, and say initial “positive” communications about the plan have turned into deafening silence for Basin communities.

“Certainly the initial consultation was very good, but with the delay we haven’t heard anything. It makes you very nervous

The delayed release of the Murray Darling Basin draft plan has been welcomed by farmers and farming groups keen to see a more balanced outcome, but a lack of consultation has left many feeling uncertain it can be achieved.

Chair of the Murray Darling Basin Authority, Craig Knowles, said in a statement that the draft plan will now be presented in mid-October, allowing for more time to resolve how The National Farmers the plan will be implemented from Federation has 2012-2019, the midpoint review process raised concerns at and how water can the length of the be moved around the Basin effectively. consultation period.

“This is too important to rush – it’s not about ticking that the outcome will be a box – it’s about getting it one-sided,” Melanie says. right,” Knowles says.

She and her husband The MDBA will now are part of a group of local re-commence negotiations farmers and concerned with State water ministers residents who are fighting regarding implementation and infrastructure funding to see a good outcome, “not just for our area, but for the arrangements. entire system”.

In promising news for “We want to see the irrigators, the new report Murray Darling protected is believed to recommend for generations to come, a maximum buyback of we have travelled up around 2800 gigalitres the basin and spoken compared to the 3-4000GL to other farmers about proposed in the original the hardships they have guide released in October endured and about how last year. we can work together to The National Irrigators’ achieve the best possible Council and the National outcome.”

Farmers Federation have The Lake Albert region also welcomed the delay, was once prime dairy with NIC CEO Danny country, but in the space O’Brien saying farmers of just ten years, the fifty need certainty and a “plan dairy farms in the region we can all live with”. have reduced to just ten. In “We all want certainty, the last six months alone, but we don’t want certain three more dairies have death….we hope the draft disappeared. will look nothing like the Melanie says Guide and this delay gives uncertainty about water, more chance to deliver coupled with fluctuating the balance between milk prices and the environmental, economic enormous hikes to power and social outcomes.” and water costs have NFF president Jock sent many dairy farmers Laurie says the delay gives to the wall and future the MDBA the chance to get the plan right and avoid generations off to the city.

She is hopeful however, at all costs, further uproar that a good outcome from in rural communities. the MDBA’s draft plan He did however raise will reinstall a sense of concerns about the length optimism about the future of the consultation period of the industry. and the fact that it occurs

SA farmers Melanie and Nigel Treloar, with children Charlotte, Eliza and Millie, say communication regarding the Murray Darling Basin plan has fallen away.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

news

Sodden pastures lift fodder demand Demand for fodder across eastern states is lifting as continued wet, soggy paddock conditions inhibit grazing opportunities from pastures in south west Victoria, Gippsland and SA. Some dairies in these regions are looking at cow parking and agistment to take the pressure off their home farms until the spring.

Australian Fodder Industry Association industry development officer Nick McClelland says there are fresh concerns of the availability of new crop oaten hay to the domestic market for 2011-2012.

“Sowing of oaten hay varieties is reported to be down to the tune of 2535% nationally, much of which will be destined for a hungry export market,” McClelland says.

“It could be good insurance to consider securing next winter’s supply directly behind the baler in this spring.”

The wet conditions have seen a significant increase in the amount of fodder being traded.

“Dairies who have in the past preferred vetch as a source of protein are relieved that adequate stocks of high quality lucerne hay is available that was produced from second, third and fourth cuts,” McClelland says.

The availability of good quality vetch is very limited due to the wet harvest in the Victorian Mallee and Wimmera.

The equilibrium in hay trading activity is beginning to balance out from the extremes experienced in eastern states and in the west.

“As more confidence grows in the

encing an extremely wet winter.

“While winter rainfall is around average, the soil profile was already saturated in the autumn and as a consequence pugging and damage to pastures is a constant battle for southern dairies.”

Southern dairies are having While hay is moving in the difficulty sourcing hay south east of the country, McClelland says it is not expected that has not had mice that prices will lift much if at harbouring in it. all.

Sellers are keen to move whatever stock they can to “While this has not yet affected avoid carryover.

“In this instance lucerne is the fodprices, it is anticipated that the closer we move towards the spring prices will der of choice to maintain protein levels in the diet that cows cannot get from begin to decrease.

“Conversely demand is increasing in pastures in the wet conditions,” McClelsouth eastern dairies that are experi- land says.

Western Australian season and feed becomes more available, demand for hay is slowly reducing,” McClelland says.

Mice are presenting a problem to hay producers and potential buyers alike.

Stacks outside are littered with chaff up the walls of stacks, rendering much of this hay unsuitable for livestock consumption.

Some southern dairies would like to purchase cereal hay for springing cows but are having difficulty sourcing hay that has not had mice harbouring in it.

While prices are stable in Northern NSW, it is expected that through the winter hay prices will continue to rise there.

Canola hay in Western Australia has been a valuable source of protein and supplies are now all but depleted. Canola growers still have some stored on farm for their own livestock consumption,” McClelland says.

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Dairy

Farmers president Wes Judd will step down from his position at this month’s board meeting.

Judd will also resign from his roles as chair of the Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) and president of the Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme (ADHIS) President.

Judd is relinquishing these positions due to the need to attend to his farming business full time.

The Judd family farm in Millmerran, outside of Toowoomba, was among the worst impacted by the Queensland floods and ongoing wet weather has set back recovery.

The Judd family’s farm received three months’ worth of rain on Boxing Day, causing the Condam-

Wes Judd

ine River to burst its banks.

Judd has spent more than a decade on the ADF board and has been involved in the formation of Dairy Australia and the restructuring of the Australian Dairy Farmers Federation (ADFF) and the Australian Dairy Industry Council in 2003.

He will maintain his position on the Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation (QDO) board. He is a former long-serving president of the QDO.

Extension for national food plan Development of the Federal Government’s National Food Plan has been deferred for another month after Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig extended the consultation period.

The new closing date for submissions is September 2, 2011.

One of Labor’s key 2010 election commitments, the plan is being developed to maximise food production opportunities and protect Australia’s food security.

Ludwig says the date had to be put back because of growing public interest and requests for further time.

“We want to hear from our nation’s farmers, food production and service industries, transport and logistics companies, retailers, consumers, researchers, health providers and community groups, among others,” Ludwig says.

“We’ve extended the submission deadline to ensure all cross-sections of the community have a chance to contribute to an over-arching, food policy framework that brings together the Government’s policies and programs relating to food,” Ludwig said.

The issues paper as well as information about how to make a written submission is available at www.daff.gov. au/nfp

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

9

news

United nations of Cooriemungle Life has changed dramatically for Chris and Julie Vogels and Chris‘ parents Frank and Dorothy Vogels since they began employing staff from overseas.

The Vogels milk 1500 cows year round at Cooriemungle in South West Victoria and have a work force of nine staff comprising five Uzbeks, three Filipinos and one Australian.

Chris Vogels says their first experience with employing staff from overseas began four years ago and has been a rapid learning curve and rewarding experience.

The Vogels have milked 1500 cows since 2001 and staff management had become a consuming issue since then.

“I chose a career in the dairy industry because I liked dealing with cows, but as we got bigger I found I was spending 90% of my time dealing with staff issues for all the wrong reasons and I hated it,” he said.

“It was a struggle to get quality people and then get them to stay.”

“In 2005, 2006 and 2007 we found we were struggling to get the cows milked and were so desperate we would take anyone we could get, which was far from ideal.”

The turning point came when the Vogels learnt about the opportunities to employ an overseas student working in Australia through the International Agricultural Exchange Association (IAEA).

The IAEA offers young travellers between 18 and 30 years an opportunity to work on farms in other countries, and organises their travel, work permits and farm placements.

Julie says they were offered an agricultural student from Uzbekistan who had been working on a cropping property in Queensland for six months and wanted to work in the dairy industry for the remaining six months of his visa.

Chris says the decision was the beginning of a new direction in sourcing staff.

“I was overwhelmed with his willingness to work. He was reliable and he had a great attitude but after six months he had to go back to Uzbekistan.”

The Vogels were so impressed they took on another two Uzbek students on 12 months working visas through the IAEA. They arrived with limited English but learnt quickly and displayed the same attitude to work.

The students were then joined by another two Uzbeks on 12 month visas through the IAEA, as well as another Uzbek who had been working on a farm in Gippsland, but who felt culturally isolated.

“There have been major cultural differences. All the Uzbeks we‘ve employed have been Muslim – we‘d never had much to do with anyone who was Muslim before so we‘ve learnt a lot about their culture and religion.”

Cultural differences also extend to agriculture according to Chris, with all five Uzbeks coming from farms where cows are still milked by hand; there is limited, if any,

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Employing migrant labour has proven successful in addressing employment issues.

Chris Vogels (back row, second from left) and his parents Frank and Dorothy (back row, right) currently employ nine international staff on their South West Victorian property.

use of machinery and no concept of occupational health and safety.

“We invested an enormous amount of time in training for the first six months of their stay with us and after that we didn‘t want them to go,” he says.

“The Uzbeks wanted to stay as well so we‘ve supported their applications for permanent residence in Australia. Four have been successful and one is currently applying.”

The Vogels have also taken on three Filipino staff who are in Australia on 457 visas which allow them to work for four years.

All three have also been granted permanent residency.

The Filipinos had previously worked on

a 15,000 cow dairy in Saudi Arabia and were employed by the Vogels through an employment agent based in Western Australia who specialises in sourcing overseas staff for the mining industry.

Using an agent meant the Vogels did not have to deal with the complex paperwork and constant changes to immigration law.

Working in such a big dairy operation meant the Filipinos had expertise in specific aspects of farm management, such as inseminating and herd health, but lacked general farm experience and have required on the job training.

The Vogels admit employing staff from overseas is not for everyone and stress the need to be patient and to take time to learn about the culture and values of the people being employed.

If not sourcing staff through agencies, employers can utilise the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) service, which is a free, internet-based system that allows them to check the work entitlements of a visa holder online.

Farmers wanting more information can contact the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) Immigration Liaison Officer Suzanne Gillham on 0403 395 154 or suzanne. gillham@immi.gov.au Backpackers in Australia can also be a source of short-term, seasonal labour for dairy farmers but Australian employers need to make sure backpackers they employ have the appropriate visa. They are limited to a maximum of six months’ work.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

news

Farmers want WA tender process changed Emma reynolds Western Australian farmers have called for the milk tendering process to be revamped.

Farmers at the recent WA Farmers Federation annual dairy conference questioned the state’s three milk processors, Brownes, Lion (formerly National Foods) and Harvey Fresh, as to why Coles had all the control when it came to the tendering process for milk.

Dardanup dairy farmer John Giumelli says logic would suggest that if processors have all the milk they should be able to dictate the terms of the tender.

This would then ensure a sustainable

ments from dairy farmers seriously. milk flow from one year to the next.

“You are living on borrowed time. If Brownes managing director Tim Cusack was quick to point out that col- you look at some of the other commodilaborating on the milk price between ties, processors have had to double or the three processors would breach increase the farm gate price anywhere from 25% to 50% competition regulations for which they “Processors, when they to keep their doors open,” he said. could be sent to jail.

“Feedlot cattle If farmers wanted have to, can pay.” have gone from processors to be - Mike Norton $3.60 to $4.70, able to control the price that Coles and Woolworths pay lamb has gone from $4 to $6, and wool for milk, then the legislation that gov- has doubled from 800c/kg to 1600c/kg.

“Processors, when they have to, can erns the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission would have to pay. There are less dairy farmers but production has held up but this is not be altered, he said.

WAFF president Mike Norton asked going to happen forever.

“Not even the unions behave like the three processors to take the com-

you and the supermarkets are behaving. The tender process is not open and transparent and the ACCC does not seem to be able to crack it – we need to and we need to do it very quickly.”

Harvey Fresh sales manager Kevin Sorgiovanni says winning the Coles contract has placed Harvey Fresh in good stead to pursue new market opportunities, saying it will provide volume and certainty for the processor and supplier in the years ahead.

While it is often argued that too much milk is produced in WA, it is the lack of year round supply that recently caused Harvey Fresh to reject an overseas contract for two million litres.

“We have enough milk to cover our

current requirements but not enough for new business,” he says.

There were concerns from Brownes producers that their milk price may suffer following the loss of the home brand milk contract to Harvey Fresh.

Brownes managing director Tim Cusack says the loss of the contract would present some short term challenges but they were committed to growing their business in a way that would effectively utilise the excess milk solids.

There was general consensus from the audience that communication needed to be improved, to allow suppliers to be aware of changes to domestic and overseas markets, so opportunities can be seized as they arise.

Competition watchdog clears Coles THE Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation (QDO) believes that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has made a premature conclusion that Coles has not breached the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 in regard to its $1/litre milk discounting campaign.

The ACCC revealed its findings on the supermarket price wars last month, saying there is no evidence Coles has acted in breach of the Competition and Consumer Act. “The major impact of the reduction in milk prices since January seems to have been a reduction in the supermarkets’ profit margins on house brand milk,” ACCC Chairman Graeme Samuel says.

“Price cutting, or “The conclusion is underselling competi- premature as a lot tors, does not necessarily constitute preda- more of the impact tory pricing. “ACCC from this cutthroat enquiries have revealed evidence that Coles’ discounting is still purpose in reducing the to come.” price of its house brand milk was to increase its market share by taking sales from its supermarket competitors including Woolworths.”

QDO president Brian Tessmann says the QDO is disappointed that the ACCC has not backed up its claims with substantiated evidence.

“The conclusion is premature because a lot more of the impact from this cutthroat discounting is still to come.

“The major impacts on farmers will hit home in the coming months, as farmers seek to renegotiate new contracts for the coming year.

“We believe the ACCC conclusion is short-sighted and lacks supportive evidence, and farmers have every right to be sceptical.”

Tessmann says the dairy industry has presented a mountain of evidence – including numerous submissions and presentations to the current Senate Inquiry – detailing the far-reaching and sinister impacts of the milk war.

He added the ACCC need to answer more questions about the nature and breadth of its investigation, particularly regarding the supermarkets’ costs of supply and the damage being inflicted on the value chain.

Samuel says the ACCC findings revealed some processors pay some farmers a lower farm gate price for milk sold as supermarket house brand milk.

“However on the evidence we’ve gathered over the last six months it seems most milk processors pay the same farm gate price to dairy farmers irrespective of whether it is intended to be sold as branded or house brand milk,” Samuel says.

Tessmann says the dairy industry will continue to put its case to the Federal Government, which includes a list of recommendations which would help deliver a sustainable value chain, including strengthening the legislation and implementing a mandatory Code of Conduct across the whole supply chain.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

11

news

Cole director faces WA farmers and seeing Australians feeling the pinch and giving better value to customers is at the heart of everything that we do”.

Durkan’s presentation was heavily foThe announcement by Coles merchandise director, John Durkan, that cussed on Coles’ commitment to a susColes would be using WA family owned tainable dairy supply chain, which curprocessor, Harvey Fresh, to bottle their rently sources 143 million litres of milk milk did little to quell the hostile crowd from WA. This commitment was questioned by gathered at the WA Farmers Federation Dardanup dairy farmer John Giumelli annual conference last month.

It was the first opportunity for WA who told Durkan that if Coles truly valmilk producers to directly question a ued locally sourced milk they need to ensure that the cost Coles executive of production comes since the company “The ACCC report gave back to the farm gate. dropped the price “In the 1990s we of its home branded farmers no avenue of had a price that was milk to $1 per litre appeal and would lead based on the cost of in January, putting to a shrinking local production and that downward pressure was around 48 cents on the domestic supply.” - John Giumelli per litre, yet 13 to 14 milk price.

Durkan was quick to defend Coles’ years down the track we are battling to pricing strategy, stating that since the get 38 cents,” Giumelli says.

“If Coles want to ensure they have a Wesfarmers purchase of Coles nearly four years ago, it has been trying to im- continued supply of locally sourced milk, plement strategies to turn the business the price needs to provide for the current generation as well as provide just enough around.

“We have dropped 5000 prices in the profit to allow the next generation to slip last 12 months with milk being one of into the old boy’s shoes,” he says.

Giumelli also pointed out that the rethem,” Durkan says.

“It is part of the long term strategy to cent report from the Australian Consumturn the business around. We are hearing er and Competition Commission, which

Emma reynolds

found that Coles did not breach competition guidelines, gave dairy farmers no avenue of appeal, and would eventually lead to a shrinking local food supply.

Durkan’s claim that consumers were actually seeing great value in milk and they are consuming more of it since the $1 per litre campaign was scoffed at by those gathered.

Busselton dairy producer Greg Chapman made Durkan aware of a recent ABARE survey that revealed that 32 WA dairy farms had a farm business profit for the 2010 financial year of just $46,492.

Reduced returns (excluding capital appreciation) of 1.4% and even lower for the last financial year were becoming a disincentive to keep farming.

Durkan told producers that the farm gate price over the last six months has neither gone up or down in terms of retail price of milk.

“Our aim in milk pricing is not to harm farmers in any way shape or form. It is not in our short or long term interest to make dairy farmers unsustainable,” he says.

Durkan says for the first time they have set up their contracts to make sure farmers were protected and provide a sense of transparency in terms of the price that farmers are getting for their milk.

WA farmer John Giumelli questioned Coles merchandise director John Durkan at the recent WA Farmers Federation conference.

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Keeping up appearances: mental health and farmers Liz Cotton A leading mental health expert says exposure to uncertainty and frequent lack of control are two key, unique issues putting farmers at risk of suicide.

Adelaide University’s Kate Gunn, Mount Cooper, conducted a study of 309 farmers from across South Australia in 2008 and found an alarmingly high number were experiencing moderate to high levels of stress, with suicide a very real risk.

“Farmers are often dictated to by external forces such as governments, commodity markets, financial institutions and of course the weather, which can be very stressful,” she says.

Added to this are geographic and social isolation, poor access to mental health services, economic instability, rising input costs, overwhelming workloads, exposure to dangerous machinery and chemicals and the inherent attitudes that stem from a rural culture of ingrained stoicism that subscribes to the “just-get-on-with-it” mantra.

Farmers work in all conditions and when knock-off time comes, it usually does not involve leaving the property as the workplace is also the home.

Gunn says this ‘way of life’ can often result in work, home and family roles becoming intertwined and the clashing of business and personal issues.

During times of drought, farm debt levels increase and many farmers are forced to sell or lease their property, reduce labor and in some cases, engage in off-farm work.

Gunn says this can lead to increased isolation as neighbours or family members move away, rural services and businesses close down and social outings become few and further between.

Even when droughts break, the long term effects of these hardships endure.

Closely linked to these issues, Gunn says, is the fact that rural people are less likely to seek professional help, even when

Kate Gunn

it is available.

This is thought to be because of the stigma associated with accessing mental health services in rural areas, widespread poor levels of understanding about how services can help and fears about running into mental health professionals in other settings - for example, at the local footy.

These unique aspects of rural culture and the farming lifestyle help to explain why farmers are at risk of poor mental health.

The unique mental health issues and needs of farmers require special attention and greater understanding not only from non-rural people but also by professional services, governments and the media.

As well as professional medical services, there are now a number of different ways farmers and rural Australians can work to overcome mental health issues, with key elements being early intervention and education.

“There’s a saying - no matter how you feel: get up, dress up and rock up,” Gunn says.

“It’s important to be guided by what’s important to you in the longer term rather than by your immediate thoughts when you’re feeling down.”

Gunn says as well as seeking professional support; exercising and socialising are also good ways to improve your mood.

Further advice can be sought from: Lifeline 13 11 14; Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467; SANE Australia 1800 187 263; Mensline Australia 1300 789 978; Beyond Blue infoline 1300 224 636

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Anthony McDougall North East Dairy, Beef

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Liz Cotton

Geelong Geelong Western Victoria Tasmania

(03) 5222 5688 0429 672 372 0437 577 363 0417 593 158

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mental

health issues in rural communities is familiar to Buckleboo, SA, farmer Heather Baldock.

Baldock, along with a group of concerned and motivated community members, founded the Kimba Community Development Group, following a series of catastrophic events across Eyre Peninsula in the late 1980s.

“We had high interest rates, low commodity prices and drought,” Baldock says.

“Population was declining, businesses were closing and farmers were selling up. There was a

standing ‘joke’ in the Kimba community at the time; will the last to leave please turn out the lights.”

The group implemented a series of initiatives including promoting local tourism, holding training courses, grant writing workshops and inviting locals to hear from motivational speakers.

In doing so, a community with people who “didn’t want to talk” took action and saw results.

In 2006, during one of the worst droughts on record, a young local farmer from the community was lost to suicide.

“There was a real worry that this tragic event may prompt copycat incidents and the community needed

support to deal with their grief and their own stress levels.

“We decided to organise the ‘Kimba Community Night Out’ as a way of banding together as a community.

“What we said was: you may not be suffering, but your mate, your neighbour, your partner might be – so make sure you bring them along. It was a way of making sure everyone felt they could attend,” Baldock says.

“Sometimes when people are suffering, they don’t always know what’s out there to help them. When you can get involved and grab some control back, it can make all the difference.”

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

13

news

A farmer’s battle with the black dog “If not, then you know help is on its way. Admitting it to myself and doing something about it was the game changer.”

Phillip believes social support is essential.

“You don’t have to be a lone ranger - people may not want to talk initially, but they do want to know about it, they want to listen and they want to ask questions.”

When he stood up and talked about depression at a farming forum in Wirrulla, he likened the experience to “coming out of the closet: it’s the same magnitude - it’s a huge step.”

Despite this, he feels person to person contact is non-negotiable.

“We’re setting ourselves up for a lonely existence – you can’t hear and feel a person from an email or on a screen and farmers especially need to know that there are others, the same as them, going through this.

“I had a lot of support from my wife and two kids, but it was tough for them to see me go through it. “I had a group of five mates and four were experiencing similar issues to me.

“We could ask each other questions, talk about treatment options and just know we weren’t alone.

It’s so valuable.”

Phillip also encourages others – especially young people – to get involved in their local communities and develop support networks, as well as skills, confidence, self-esteem and a belief in one’s self.

He is also a firm believer in the power of positive thought.

“Keep smiling: it makes people wonder what you’re thinking about.”

liz cotton South Australian grain farmer Phillip Wheaton is every bit the “do-er, not the viewer”.

A local SES volunteer for over 30 years, president of both the local Ag Bureau and Eyre Peninsula Ag Advisory Board, the man with a “passion for all things ag” has spent much of his life helping others, but in 2007 while battling devastating drought, he knew something wasn’t right within.

Mornings were the worst.

“I’d spend all night tossing and turning, I couldn’t find an answer to the drought.

“I only saw the negatives – I’d write things down, go through the budget, but I couldn’t get any clarity.”

Finally sleep would come at early dawn and then the ordeal of having to get up and face the new day arrived.

“Finally the wake-up call came when I found myself looking at my life insurance policy and I thought: wait a minute, why am I looking at this?”

An advocate of being proactive on men’s health, Philip’s first point of call was his local GP. “I didn’t find it hard to go and talk to him – we’d played tennis together, been involved in the SES together and socialised outside our work, so I trusted him entirely.”

But faced with a waiting room full of local faces in the small west coast surgery, he “picked up two brochures from the surgery wall and hid the depression pamphlet inside the one on menopause”.

Phillip was diagnosed with depression and prescribed medication to combat its effects. Within

“I had a group of five mates and four were experiencing similar issues to me.” - Phillip Wheaton three weeks of the visit to his GP, things were starting to improve and the fog was lifting.

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“It’s a sick feeling in your guts, you lose weight because food doesn’t have any taste, you’re holding your breath all the time and your stomach is doing flip flops.”

He encourages people to take action straight away if they think something isn’t quite right.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

NEWS

Water rate hike driving dairy to the wall Liz Cotton Farmers in South Australia are being driven to the wall by an exorbitant hike in water rates, with dairy farmers the hardest hit and facing fivefold water price increases.

Mick and Lesley Fischer milk 400 cows on the Narrung Peninsula, on the shores of Lake Albert and the Coorong. Prior to 2007, when water became unavailable for irrigation due to the government decision to hold water back at lock one during drought times, they were completely self-sufficient.

“There was no choice and we had no help. We had 700 cows in

Water prices rose to fund a $1.8b desalination plant in SA. the top 5% for quality milk produced and could only keep 100 young heifers that didn’t need the water. Thirty years of genetics was gone overnight, we could hardly watch the truck leave,” says Lesley.

Mains water was delivered through a pipeline from Tailem Bend after two years without water, “but what was once a lifeline is now a noose around our necks,” says Lesley.

The Fishers’ water bill has since skyrocketed to over $100,000.

“We are paying $2.48 a kilolitre now, but they’re saying that will go up to five dollars within two years.

“We’re paying the same amount as people growing roses in Adelaide and we’re certainly not seeing any better returns for the food we produce.

“It’s just totally unsustainable for anyone reliant on mains water,” Lesley says.

In 2010 the Fischers also looked to lease water out and were told they would receive $120 a kilolitre but in May, they were only able to make $10/kl for the water.

The rise of 26.3% was announced by the government to fund their $1.8 billion desalination

plant. The rise follows increases of 18% and 23% over the previous two years and a 179% increase since the government came to power in 2001.

While Mick and Lesley say the last five years has been “absolutely heart wrenching” they are looking ahead with cautious optimism as their sons gradually take the reins.

“They are incredibly enthusiastic and are looking at new ways to adapt and prosper. We are now totally mixed ration instead of centre pivot irrigation and the herd, which is milking 9-10,000 litres a cow is gradually being built up again.

“These days though, we scrutinise absolutely every bill and account.”

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US processor joins auction ANDREW SWALLOW

platform trusted by buyers and sellers to efficiently and transparently discover a fair, market-clearing price.

“For Fonterra it adds an extra level of credibility to the GDT platform so it’s not just Fonterra using it and it’s a truly global marketplace.”

SMP product will be DairyAmerica’s first offering; other products will be added over time.

Grave says the volume to be offered hasn’t been announced, but given DA’s total exports average 176,000t/year, it isn’t going to double GDT volume.

“I expect they will start small and build the volume up. Fonterra was only offering 170,000t/year at the start.”

AN AMERICAN dairy marketing giant is joining Fonterra’s online auction, GlobalDairyTrade.

DairyAmerica (DA) is the US’s largest supplier of non-fat dry milk, skimmed milk powder (SMP), whole milk powder and buttermilk powder, marketing all of these products produced by its four member cooperatives.

It says a “significant” proportion of its export business will be through GDT from October, rather than distributor and reseller arrangements.

The announcement “marks a ‘coming of age’ for DA’s export business, and is a recognition that exports are an increasingly important growth “For Fonterra it adds opportunity for an extra level of our member companies, which credibility to the GDT represent approxiplatform so it’s not mately 45% of all non-fat dry milk just Fonterra using it and skim milk and it’s a truly global powder produced in the USA,” says marketplace.”

DA chief executive Lewis says GDT’s platRich Lewis. form provides DA with “the Market rules under opportunity to establish which all parties will our export business indeparticipate on GDT were pendently and have access published last month as a to worldwide bidding result of consultation with demand on our first day of industry participants and business.” interested stakeholders “We are confident [this] that began in early March. announcement is good for “These rules lay the our customers and memfoundation for other new bers. We have watched sellers to join GDT and we GDT buyer participation expect this will happen grow. We have increasover the next year,” says ingly understood the GDT general manager Paul independence of the GDT Grave. trading manager, and we GDT began in July 2008 have participated in develas a monthly, single-seller oping the market rules.” auction for whole milk DA was established powder. It has grown in 1995 as a federated to offer seven product marketing company and categories twice monthly, currently represents four currently selling about major US producer-owned 650,000t/year with 350 dairy co-operatives: Agriregistered bidders across Mark; California Dairies; 67 countries.

O-AT-KA Milk Producers; Grave says the addiand United Dairymen of tion of the single-largest Arizona.

American provider of milk All products marketed powder will transform

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

15

news

New US milk plan will boost exports US DAIRY farmers are welcoming a proposal to end government buying of excess dairy products and storing them for future sale or donation, saying it will boost exports.

National Milk Producers Federation president Jerry Kozak says the elimination of the dairy product price support program is a good thing.

Kozak says the programme acts as a government-funded buyer of last resort for a limited list of commodities, including cheddar cheese, butter and nonfat dry milk powder. Unfortunately, this program also acts as a disincentive to exports, he says.

“Once this program is eliminated, markets during periods of surplus will clear more quickly.

“Product manufacturers will no longer have the incentive to make dairy foods intended only for the government, and will have incentive to sell those products on the world market.

“The price support program has hindered our ability to fully develop and capitalise on foreign markets, as was the case in 2009, when US dairy exports dropped and government price support purchases surged.”

Under a proposal put forward by a congressional agriculture committee ranking member Collin Peterson, the price support programme and income loss protection for farmers will be removed.

Peterson’s proposal includes insurance to protect farm-

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UK producers want to expand their businesses, but market signals tell them to do the opposite, he says.

“The dairy industry urgently needs fair terms and conditions of trade and that’s why the NFU is backing calls for a voluntary ‘code of practice’. As part of our campaign, we have been lobbying MPs and dairy processors to push for the introduction of fairer contracts. We believe these will deliver negotiating strength and price transparency to dairy farmers.

“A rising population here in the UK will mean some eight million more consumers on our doorstep within the next 15 years.

“That should be great news, but unless we can find a way for our dairy farmers to get a fair return on their investment, it’s difficult to see how they’ll be in a position to rise to the challenge.”

Kendall admits the industry needs to produce more milk but points out for farmers, the really critical first step is sustainable terms of supply.”

NFU dairy board chairman Mansel Raymond says the position the UK milk price now occupies in the EU league table is scandalous.

“Equitable transmission of price and margin in the supply chain is not happening. Farmers are anxious to expand as we head to the end of milk quotas. There is no excuse for procrastination or failure to pass on price rises to farmers.”

International Dairy Foods Association president Connie Tipton says the draft legislation will take the dairy industry in the wrong direction.

“Instead of encouraging job growth and reducing regulation on an already overregulated industry, the discussion draft would impose new and intrusive government mandates on dairy markets at the cost of a growing dairy export business and the jobs that have come with it.”

But Kozak is rejecting Tipton’s claim. He says any revenue collected from the proposed DMSP is not a tax on consumers.

“It’s a user fee paid by farmers which will, only as needed, be used to help stimulate demand.”

Manage your y a w r u o y m r a f

UK farmers crying poor UK FARMERS are seeing red over a report showing their April farm gate milk prices were the lowest among the 27 EU states.

National Farmers Union president Peter Kendall says the UK languishing at the bottom of the European milk price league table is a disgrace.

“It’s plain wrong that British dairy farmers are paid the lowest prices in Europe,” he says. “They’re receiving around 8c/L below the EU average which is a disgrace. Something has to change.”

Figures from the EU Commission’s directorate for agriculture and rural development showed that in April the average UK farm gate price stood at 49c/L, lowest price of any nation in the EU-27.

The UK price was a 10% improvement on domestic farmgate milk prices in April 2010 but is still way below the 71c/ L being paid to Greek producers in April this year.

Dairy farmers in eight of the EU 15 member states were getting well above 57c/L while among the whole EU 27 those in Cyprus and Malta were being paid 76c/L. UK farmers have been struggling under lower farm gate prices with many farmers being forced out of the industry.

Kendall says volume production is finally turning a corner and, despite declining farmer numbers, average yields and efficiency are improving.

ers’ profit margins and the dairy market stabilisation program (DMSP), a plan to discourage farmers from boosting milk production or expanding their farms. He says it’s time to act before another crisis hits the dairy industry.

“If we have another dairy crisis like we had in 2009, we could lose half our dairies. The discussion draft allows us to keep the ball moving while continuing dialogue with the dairy industry.

“Current dairy programs aren’t working; they’re not keeping up with the challenges facing today’s dairy industry.”

But his proposal hasn’t gone down well with US processors and marketers.

16

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

opinion Ruminating

editorial

Has the carbon tax been thought through?

milking it...

Durkan dashes to avoid grilling For someone with pockets full of bonuses, Coles merchandise director John Durkan can really move.

Durkan was a guest speaker at the recent WA Farmers Federation conference last month to discuss the Coles decision to cut milk prices to $1/litre.

It was the first chance WA farmers have had to question someone from Coles about the decision and a few had their chance during question time from the floor.

However, when this was finished, Durkan left the stage and literally walked out the door. No lunch with suppliers for him.

Our person on the spot thinks she heard something mumbled about having a plane to catch and swears she could hear a car outside with the motor revving, ready to go.

Pass the buck, says PM Are there any farmers feeling the pressure from extra costs to be caused by the impending carbon tax? Well, just pass them on down the line, says Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Hard drinkers It would come as no surprise to anyone that those from the Northern Territory are hard drinkers but we assumed they were downing those giant two litre stubbies.

Apparently the average Darwin local consumes up to 55% more flavoured milk than other Australians.

Parmalat Australia tells us the NT has the highest consumption rate for flavoured milk per capita in Australia.

NT drinkers consume 24 litres per person, compared to Queensland with 13.2 litres per capita and New South Wales with 5.5 litres per capita.

Parmalat are stoked, saying each and every person in the NT drink 24 litres of flavoured milk each year.

It was put to the PM by the ABC last month that farmers’ profitability would be eroded by increasing farm costs and no ability to pass these costs on.

“Oh, of course farming will be viable and our modelling is showing that, for example, with food production, what you will see is people pass costs through to the consumer, which is why we are ensuring that nine out of ten households get assistance through increased pensions, increased family payments, and a tax cut, which comes with a major tax reform.”

Pass costs through to the consumer? Is she serious?

Sadly, it appears she is.

It’s bad when a Government can be so out of touch, but devastating when its decisions

can have such a negative impact.

It’s all relative Farmers at the recent wet weather workshop were discussing different footbath treatments, including the use of formalin, which is a suspected carcinogen.

“Most of the blokes I know that use it smoke, so it’s not a problem,” came one response.

Dark ages Another classic comment from the same Federal Government that brought you Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig’s query of what that truck was doing on the dairy farm he was visiting. (It was collecting milk, Joe).

A senior industry figure was

taken aback when Climate Change Minister Greg Combet seemed surprised when told the dairy industry would be affected by the carbon tax as it is power intensive.

“What does he think we do milk by hand?” Our man asked, shaking his head.

Making sense South Gippsland dairy farmer Peter Hanrahan had a twist on an old saying at a recent wet weather workshop held in Meeniyan last month.

“Whoever said where there’s mud there’s money should be taken out and shot,” Hanrahan told the delighted audience.

“Where there’s mud there’s misery, but where there’s moisture there’s money.”

Nobody disagreed.

The entire country will be living under Prime Minister Gillard’s carbon tax from July 1.

The details were released last month after months of spruiking from the Prime Minister that no family would be worse off under the tax.

Except, it would seem, 7500 dairy farming families across Australia, who are going to receive less income because of increased power bills.

The Prime Minister also said only the 500 largest polluters would pay.

Plus, it would seem, the 7500 dairy farm businesses that will be whacked with greater power bills and no way to pass on the increased cost.

The Australian Dairy Industry Council has found a carbon price of $23 per tonne will cost dairy farmers $5000-$7000 extra per year.

Although direct agricultural emissions and diesel have been excluded from the Federal Government’s Carbon Tax proposal, electricity has not been, and it is a major component of dairy farming operating costs.

As ADIC points out, the Government has failed to recognise that as a trade-exposed industry, dairy processers cannot pass on the costs of a carbon scheme to local consumers or world markets, therefore farmers will wear the full cost of this tax.

It has called on the Government to remove the carbon tax on electricity from primary producers and dairy processors.

The dairy industry is Australia’s third biggest rural industry and contributes around $9 billion in total value to the Australian economy every year. It seems nobody in the Government fully understands it.

The industry has also shown its commitment to reduce its carbon emissions through reduced power use in dairy sheds.

Dairy Australia has invested levy money in schemes to help farmers reduce their power bills on farm.

This decision will have a severe impact on most dairy farms, which cannot be ignored.

But there’s an even larger problem looming, the extent of which may not be recognised for 12 months or even longer.

With such an oversight from the Government, what other surprises will we receive over the next 11 months?

Is the carbon tax legislation rigid, or will it be full of holes, with more industries being unfairly targeted? The country can’t afford it to be the latter.

Unfortunately, the dairy industry is a case in point of families and small businesses bearing the brunt of a poorly conceived plan.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

17

opinion

Who’s greenwashing who?

EVER HEARD of greenwash? It means misleading consumers about the environmental practice of a company and/ or the benefit of its product or service.

Accusations of greenwashing usually come from environmentalists, criticising companies, organisations and even countries for not living up to the expectations of these self-appointed green guardians’.

Often, agriculture is the subject of such sanctimonious lectures from the Greens, Greenpeace – or some other ecological do-gooder group – accusing it of unleashing environmental damage on land, water system and/or animals.

Regularly these groups call for wholesale conversion to organics, claiming only this can save the country – environmentally and economically.

So to learn that certain types of agriculture, such as organics, are not all that environmentally friendly and/or Tom Daschle, to examine agricultural analysis economically sensible, brings a sense of the best public policy company Global schadenfreude. and business practices AgriTrends, told the An Australian Farm Institute to tackle the global conference most consumers conference heard how relieving world challenge to increase do not understand the social hunger and ensuring food security are agriculture productivity in a implications of perceived inextricably linked to adoption of new sustainable manner. “socially-responsible” farming technology. United Nations Its three key purchasing. figures show the world’s population recommendations were: “Organic, locally grown, has been increasing by 78 million/year david anderson • Produce more food free range and other antiand is expected to reach 9 billion by and increase the nutritional technology production 2050, requiring a 70% increase in food value of food – unleashing innovation methods typically increase the use of production from today’s levels. and ensuring farmers have access to the water and feed resources, and can lead Roger Cady, Elanco’s sustainability tools they need will be essential. to higher greenhouse gas emissions.” He leader, says this will have to come from • Make food accessible and affordable says it is actually “socially irresponsible” new technology due to limitations in land for everyone – barriers to moving food, to impose choice restrictions on producers and natural resource availability. He says such as infrastructure and government which then lead to consumers have been policies, must be removed. higher food costs, swayed into organics Intensive agriculture • Address the challenge in a continuously felt mainly in the by impressions and is significantly more more sustainable and comprehensive ‘developing world’. intuition without sustainable than most way – continuously improving “Utilising technolconsidering the agricultural products and practices to ogy effectively will science, productive people are aware. address natural resource needs. mean that while we efficiency and With the world’s population growth need to double agricultural production by environmental impact per unit of output. showing no signs of abating, the ever2050, we will only occupy 13% more land “Intensive agriculture is actually increasing demand for food makes it even to do this than was used in 2008.” significantly more sustainable than most more important for farmers to produce Australian agriculture and science people are aware,” says Cady. more from less. Those pushing organic author Julian Cribb says mankind faces “Today’s technology-aided, intensive barrows won’t want to admit it, but the its greatest challenge with world demand agriculture is far more environmentally food production increase needed to feed for food doubling in 40 years or so. This sustainable than historical agriculture the world’s growing population cannot, growing demand comes as the scarcity of because fewer resources, less water and and will not, come from organic systems. less land are used with less greenhouse gas land and water available for growing food David Anderson is principal of Write intensifies. produced per unit of food grown than by Here, Right Now and a former Rural News In 2010, DuPont assembled an external historical farming methods.”

Editor. committee, chaired by former US Senator Meanwhile, Brett Stuart, of US

Work on the business, not just in it Dr Pauline Brightling

mind what they need from the position and the type of person who will fit the role.

And having a written job description helps the new staff member know exactly what is expected of them.

Job descriptions, procedures, policies, staff meetings – you can’t do any of these on the run, while you are busy with the day to day activities on the farm.

They are best done by taking time out, away from the farm, to concentrate on the business rather than the daily chores.

All dairy managers can benefit from taking time out to work on the business, rather than in it.

It doesn’t matter how large or small a dairy operation is, there’s value in taking ourselves away from the distractions of the daily farming activities and thinking about it from a different perspective.

As a dairy business grows and employs more people it becomes increasingly important to do this.

The concept may start with the introduction When you take time of regular ‘staff meet- away to look at things ings’ where the people involved in the farm can differently you’ll often discuss plans for the come up with ideas that coming weeks and issues that may need special at- save time and stress tention. every day.

It may also include taking the time to document Many of these tasks can be the farm’s procedures and polimade easier by using the temcies.

It sounds simple but the proc- plates and tools available on The ess of documenting these things People in Dairy website (www. helps the business owner or thepeopleindairy.org.au).

Dairy farming can be a hectic manager think through practices that have been communi- occupation. But when you take time away to look at things difcated informally in the past.

It is the first step for formal- ferently you’ll often come up ising farm systems and it helps with ideas that save time and both managers and employees stress every day.

Having these key documents to have a clear understanding of – job descriptions, farm policies, what’s expected.

Another step is to write job de- procedures – also help present the operation as a professional scriptions for staff.

Job descriptions are often pre- business.

And in the long run that will pared when a position becomes vacant on the farm. It’s a good help address the on-going issue opportunity to think about the of attracting, developing and tasks involved and the skills re- retaining people in the dairy industry. quired.

Dr Pauline Brightling managThe process of writing a job description helps the owner or es The People in Dairy program manager clarify in their own for Dairy Australia

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18

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

agribusiness

Investors take large bite of Bega The Bega Cheese float has proven exceptionally popular with investors and farmer shareholders but its value has been questioned by shares investment research publication, Intelligent Investor.

The two share issues were closed late last month ahead of schedule and oversubscribed.

The pool of shares for employees, farmer shareholders and Bega locals due to close on August 16 was also closed early due to popular demand.

This will make the Bega Cheese Group Australia’s biggest listed dairy entity when it begins trading on the Australian Securities Exchange at the end of this month.

It wanted to raise $35 million through a 17.5 million share issue to the public under the offer price of $2 a share. There were 850,000 shares issued under the Employee Loyalty Offer.

Bega plans to use the $35 million to primarily reduce interest-bearing debt and improve the company’s gearing levels and interest cover ratios, according to its prospectus.

In a letter with the prospectus, Bega chairman

Barry Irvin says Bega had grown its revenue in recent years to a forecast $942 million this financial year.

However, Intelligent Investor research director Nathan Bell told ABC radio it would advise investors to steer clear of the stocks.

“Bega doesn’t even own its own brand, it sold the rights off ten years ago. All it gets is a 2.5% royalty on the sales,” Bell says.

“It’s not really a brand business that you’re buying, it’s actually a low margin contract manufacturer, which is a whole different ball game.

“The returns on equity or the returns on capital are absolutely lousy.

“I think the institutional

investors would have seen straight through this and the reason it’s been floated on CommSec, is because individual investors are not generally as experienced as other investors.”

Kidder Williams is advising Bega Cheese on the float and its managing director, David Williams, says Intelligent Investor has missed the mark.

“Bega owns its own brand and it leases or licences that brand to Fonterra in Australia only,” he told ABC Radio.

“It owns the brand and uses the brand itself in the international market, so it has significant export sales of Bega branded cheese into South-East Asia, and Bega Cheese executive chairman Barry Irvin says Bega has grown its revenue to $942 million this financial year.

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the Middle East and elsewhere.

“It is a high multiple (price to earnings), but it’s not high compared with some of our international peers.”

Bega Cheese’s decision to list followed a meeting of 150 Bega supplier-shareholders near Bega in April.

In overwhelmingly approving the float with about 90% support, the company’s 150 farmershareholders have also acted to protect Bega’s local identity.

Shareholding restrictions will be in place for at least five years, with options for a five year extension – and a majority of directors will be farmer suppliers.

Shares will be capped so that no shareholding can be greater than 5% and a minimum of four dairy farmers will fill the eight board positions.

Bega follows Warrnambool Cheese and Butter as another major player in the Australian dairy field to be publicly listed.

Irvin says the decision to list on the ASX was an important day in Bega Cheese’s history.

Irvin says the listing will create a new level of financial strength for existing shareholders and “position Bega Cheese for opportunities that will inevitably come from further industry rationalisation and the ever growing international dairy market place”.

Irvin believes most existing Bega shareholders will stay and use their cashedup status to reinvest in their businesses.

“We believe many shareholders will reinvest the money back into their business. They will be more financially secure and more likely to invest or expand, or look at succession planning.”

He says it will give shareholders the opportunity to realise the value of their shares if they wish to take advantage of that.

Bega plans to retain all its production facilities and could use the extra funds to improve infrastructure or look at new markets.

In the past decade, Bega Cheese has grown to be the fourth largest dairy operation in Australia, and the largest cheese “cut and pack” operation in the Southern Hemisphere.

Bega employs nearly 1400 people at its NSW operations and at plants in Coburg, Tatura and Strathmerton in Victoria.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

19

agribusiness

Diverse dairy product demand dictates local prices Diverse international demand for specific

competition in WMP markets and is a significant factor behind easing WMP prices over the last couple of months.

It is likely Chinese buyers are trying to postpone purchases until the beginning of 2012 when a discount to current tariff rates (for NZ product) takes effect.

dairy commodities is having a major influence on prices, which will partly determine where milk payouts will finish at the end of this season.

Local processors are now global impact deciding not just where to norman sell product, but also what repacholi products will maximise returns for the milk they colCheese lect.

The average 10,000 litres of milk can be Cheese markets are well balanced with manufactured into butter/skim milk pow- steady demand from major buyers in Rusder (SMP) (892kg SMP, 501kg butter, 50kg sia and Japan while global supply growth Butter Milk Powder (BMP); butter/whole has been quite modest this season.

Similar to SMP, global market demand milk powder (WMP) (1272kg WMP, 105kg butter, 11kg BMP); or Cheddar (1062kg for cheese has been strong enough to abcheddar, 32kg butter, 3kg BMP and 623kg of sorb a 20% increase in export volumes from the USA (May 2011 vs May 2010) withwhey powder).

So the value of 10,000 litres of milk can out seeing commodity prices drop significhange significantly depending on what cantly.

The problem is that US dollar prices have products it’s manufactured into. not increased enough When planning how to since the beginning of the use milk collected, manu- The value of year to offset the increasfacturers will consider milk can change ing AUD, so local currenfactors like existing sales cy spot returns are down commitments, plant ca- significantly around AUD$200/t. pability and utilisation. depending on A large volume of US Anticipated supply cheese was recalled folfrom competitors, both what products it’s overseas and Australia, manufactured into. lowing reports of foreign matter discovered in bulk and the relative returns across the commodities will also play a role cheese, reducing commercial inventories in determining where milk payouts finish intended for use later this season and exposing cheese markets to a sharp increase at the end of this season.

Factors that will influence pricing on the in prices if milk supply wavers. four dairy commodities are: Butter SMP (skim milk powder) Global butterfat markets remain fairly Prices have received a boost from competi- tight despite a dip in prices over the last tion for relatively small volumes available month.

US stocks remain light for this time of on the Fonterra auction site, global Dairy Trade (gDT), but auction prices are now be- year and are not building up prior to peak demand in the end of year festive season. ing scaled back.

At the moment US butter producers are Demand for dairy protein in the form of SMP has remained strong all year, ab- choosing to sell their production on the sorbing growing export volumes from the global market rather than store it for later United States without having a detrimen- this year.

The rationale being ‘better to sell now tal effect on prices. at high prices rather than build stocks and WMP (whole milk powder) risk inventory write downs’ if prices fall China continues to drive the global WMP later on.

Come Thanksgiving and pre-Christmas market and preferential access with New Zealand makes them China’s largest WMP buying though, US manufacturers will be supplier providing 93% of Chinese WMP choosing whether to supply the domestic market or global market. imports.

It’s very unlikely there’ll be the volume Strong buying from China from January to May 2011 means buyers have ample to adequately supply both, so prices will be inventories of WMP for now. This reduces heading up.

Indicative Australian Dairy Export Prices Source: Dairy Australia

In addition to the seasonal demand spike in the US, a hot summer in Europe has lifted demand for ice-cream, which has meant some of the milk that would go to the butter churn has been diverted to ice-cream.

Add to this the ongoing shortage of butter in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami, plus a reported butter

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That’s a brief summary of the factors driving individual commodity prices.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

management

Forging through the winter mess South

Gippsland

farmers Peter and Catherine Hanrahan, Stony Creek, knew it was going to be a tough winter when they received two major flood events of 100mm each in March and April.

The rain has barely stopped all year, with more than 900mm received by July in the district with an average rainfall of 1000mm.

“We know it can be tough in winter so we put a system in place for when things get bad,” Peter says.

He spoke at a Future Ready Dairy Systems workshop in Meeniyan last month, providing ideas to other farmers on how to survive the wet conditions.

The Hanrahans milk 750 cows at their peak on undulating to flat country with grey clay loams. They run a split calving system and have a 320ha milking area.

Peter says the priority is

to look after yourself, your family and your staff.

Having a list of key contact points for “your farm business team”, including farm vets, farm agronomist-consultant, accountant, bank manager, feed supplier, milking machine technician, bobcat operator, farm track material supplier, dairy factory field staff, and DPI staff, is also useful.

“I would walk behind the cows and make phone calls in that time.”

Because of the excessive rainfall this year, the Hanrahans teat sealed all their heifers this year, which they haven’t done in the past. They also installed a tip-over crush for cows and heifers.

Puddles full of parasites meant an increased worm burden in young stock, which needed to be closely monitored. They were drenched every four weeks.

Young stock were also

Who:

Peter and Catherine Hanrahan Where:

Stony Creek What:

Wet weather

more prone to nutrition problems this year as the Hanrahans weren’t able to sow as much new pasture.

Some cows were dried off a week earlier to reduce paddock damage and cow condition loss.

Removing slurry from tracks was a priority as it splashes onto teats.

“We had to think about ways to discourage cows from lying down in mud, especially on tracks which

Peter Hanrahan, with son Patrick, received his district’s annual average rainfall by August this year.

present a high mastitis infection opportunity,” Peter says.

This included locking them in paddocks and keeping cows walking on tracks to and from the yards.

Teat cup liners were changed on time, full teat spraying was done by hand with premixed spray and milking machines were serviced regularly, all in a bid to prevent infection.

Peter made a make shift calving area, laying down wood chips on an area of high ground, so cows can calve down close to home and off the mud.

“The wood chips were hard to get in Gippsland so we ordered them from Tatura for only $2 more per cubic metre.”

He recommended getting a bobcat and operator to clean out wet areas in the calving down

area and calf sheds. “It’s not expensive and quicker than a farm tractor with bucket.”

All calf pens are treated with the disinfectant, Natural Clean, every Monday and Friday.

The Hanrahans have used a vibrating roller on tracks twice this year to push down stones with great success.

Rollers (normally used when pasture sowing) have been used to move slurry off the tracks, and this has worked well in the rain.

Tyres have been dragged with a pasture smudger to move slurry off tracks. The tyres will ride around the posts.

Using the Muck Runner and water from the effluent pond to flood wash concrete lanes and under the overpass also proved quick and effective.

The Hanrahans had previously installed a feed pad and Peter says it had

paid for itself over the winter. They fed grass silage, bread, almond hulls and lucerne, allowing cows to adlib feed whenever possible because silage, hay and grain quality was generally lower this year due to the wet weather during last harvest.

Cows have access to feed pad for one hour before both morning and evening milking and for longer in rough weather.

The troughs and pad are cleaned twice per week with scrapers and a flood wash.

The Hanrahans are making plans now for renovating/oversowing damaged pastures as soon as weather permits in early spring.

They will apply aerial application of nitrogen and growth promotant and will avoid putting heavy fertiliser spreaders on wet paddocks for as long as possible.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

21

management

Question soil biology products Rick Bayne Farmers should be wary of soil biology products and ask questions before considering their use, according to research scientist Dr Damian Bougoure.

Bougoure, part of the soil microbiology group of the Victorian Department of Primary Industries’ Biosciences Research Division, says some products could be okay but some probably weren’t.

“There are concerns because it is not a regulated industry. Anyone can make a glossy brochure or website but that doesn’t necessarily mean the product will work for your farm,” Bougoure says.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Bougoure says farmers should not be shy in asking questions when offered biological products.

“It’s not my job to say if any product is good or not, but I can arm you with information to ask the right questions.

“You should ask whether it is registered, what is in it, is the product suitable for your climate, crop and

There are concerns because it is not a regulated industry. soil conditions, have there been local trials of the product and if it is backed by data in scientific journals.

“There is no way to say that a product that works in Queensland would work here in south-west Victoria without proper testing or trials.”

Bougoure said that getting management systems right was more important than “adding a few bugs”.

He also warned farmers to be careful using some commercial soil biology tests.

“They are limited in the information they tell us at this stage.

“You are better off undertaking longer-term monitoring of patterns of management, crop production and climate than taking one-off samples, although better tests for soil biology are just around the corner.”

Bougoure says fertiliser applications will eventually cost more and farmers needed to use them to best advantage as well as encouraging soil biology to help maintain production.

“We’re not in a position to give a definitive answer on what is a good measure of soil biology but it is always important to get your house right and make sure things such as pH levels are right and you are encouraging more bugs and more diversity.”

Dr Damian Bougoure says establishing correct pH in your soil helps plant growth and nitrogen fixation.

Healthy soil bugs lift productivity Cow parking and mastitis risk as carbon is great bug food. More carbon equals more bugs which is good for everyone,” Bougoure says.

“The more carbon you have in your soil A soil biology expert is researching whether soil microbes “step up” and main- the more types of bugs you will have worktain ecosystem functions if nutrient inputs ing for you.

“It is important you know about your are reduced.

Dr Damian Bougoure is part of the soil bugs and what they can do for you and also microbiology group of the Victorian De- how your management practices can impartment of Primary Industries’ Bioscienc- pact on their processes.”

Management practices can create the es Research Division.

He says farmers have indicated high in- right conditions for good bugs to increase tensity systems are falling out of favor for in number and carry out the process that reasons such as increased fertiliser costs, will benefit growth of healthy plants.

He says farmers so it would be valushould manage nutriable for them to know Carbon and soil ent inputs to avoid if their soil biology can biology are best mates creating “lazy soil mihelp maintain produccrobes”. tivity with fewer in- as carbon is great bug “Too many chemical puts. food. inputs might knock the Making sure soil bugs are happy and doing the right thing system about, but if you have to use chemiis one of the key ingredients to a successful cals it’s not the end of the world.

“Bugs are tough and many will survive operation.

Bougoure explained this at a soil biology just about anything.”

He says fungicides are more likely to workshop conducted by the Future Ready Dairy Systems Project (FRDS) and Glenelg cause damage to soil microbes than herbiHopkins CMA in Terang, western Victoria, cides and insecticides.

“There are about 400 registered chemiattended by more than 50 local farmers cals we add to different agricultural soil and service providers.

He encourages farmers to seek greater types with different microbial communinumbers and diversity of bacteria, fungi, ties and different climatic conditions.

“None of these interactions are black earthworms and other bugs in their soil as and white so it is difficult to know how all they consider ways to improve soil health.

Dr Bougoure says having diverse soil soil biology will respond.

“Getting your pH levels right is imporbiology can help in achieving good production as it decomposes plant residues, regu- tant and lime can have a significant impact lates plant nutrient supply, improves soil on soil microbial community structure.

“The bug community changes for the structure, degrades pesticides and herbicides, regulates water supply and captures better when you get your pH right and that helps your plant growth and nitrogen fixaand releases greenhouse gases.

“Carbon and soil biology are best mates tion.”

Rick Bayne

Wet farms in southern Victoria are seeking to cow-park herds off-site to spare the pugged paddocks. However, a common way to introduce mastitis bacteria into a herd is in the udders of cows from somewhere else.

Count clinical cases and assess treatment success – record all details – get advice from your vet if you have more than two cases per 100 cows per month, or more than one in five cases needs a second course of treatment.

Bacteria such as Strep agalactiae can spread rapidly through a herd.

Check which bacteria are present. Get a milk sample for culture from all clinical cases, especially for early warning of Strep ag.

To minimise mastitis risk around ‘cow parking’, the top priorities are: • Milk the herds separately where it is possible, with the guest cows last. This reduces the risk of spread, especially if you put a rinse through the machine between each herd.

• Ensure all staff follow best practice for hygiene when milking. It is essential everyone wears gloves to milk, people stripping cows don’t get milk on their gloves and gloves are regularly washed with running water.

• Clinical cases are milked last, or with a separate cluster disinfected afterwards.

• 100% of every teat is covered after every milking. Teat spray is a ready-to-use product (or made up daily at the correct concentration with good-quality water).

• Use blanket Antibiotic Dry Cow Treatment (all quarters of all cows) • Liners are not past their use-by date – no more than 2500 cow milkings.

Both farms – keep an eagle eye on mastitis rates Watch your bulk milk cell counts carefully. If these are above 250,000 or trending up in a way that is unusual for your herd, speak to your mastitis adviser or vet.

Track new infection rates by milk recording for the next 12 months. Get a Countdown Mastitis Focus report from your Herd Improvement centre after every milk recording visit. This is an accurate way to track new infections in your herd.

Both farms – review dry cow plans with your vet Drying-off is the time that you have a chance to remove infections that have occurred during the lactation. When you discuss your dry cow plans with your veterinarian, tell them that you have hosted or sent cows cow parking.

After cow parking you should seriously consider blanket antibiotic dry cow treatment – all cows treated with an appropriate dry cow treatment.

When it is time to send cows home If cows are sent home at the end of their lactation either send them home while still milking, or at least two weeks after drying off, when the udder has shrunk and the teats have sealed well. If still milking, continue twice daily for a few days to find and treat any clinical cases before drying off. Make sure all mastitis records go home with the cows.

For more information go to the Countdown Downunder Farm Guidelines at www.dairyaustralia.com.au/mastitis

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22

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

management

DPI study revises how cows eat their greens tion using the current approach was 8.6tDM/ha, Australian researchers have officially backed a new way of estimating dry matter (DM) while the feeding standards approach measured 12.44tDM/ha. consumption in dairy herds.

Currently many farmers use a back-calculation They believe a technique called ‘feeding systhat assumes every 20kgDM of feed consumed tems’ is more accurate than the current system.

Janna Heard, a research scientist with the annually produces 1kg milk fat.

After allowing for intake of supplements, forDepartment of Primary Industries (DPI) led the team of Victorian and WA scientists studying age consumption can be estimated from milk fat how farmers account for energy requirements of production.

“This is possibly no longer a suitable standard,” Australian herds.

Wales says.

As a result of this “There have been significant work a simple compuimprovements in the genetic ter program has been Measuring pasture potential of cows based on milk developed to help them consumption correctly component yield, such as milk estimate on-farm anfat, and there is now a much nual pasture removal influences supplement wider range of feeding systems and feed conversion ef- purchases. than when this simple calculaficiency of the milking tion method was introduced.” herd.

Seeking a more accurate technique, the reDPI Research Manager of Dairy Production Sciences Bill Wales says this can be used to bench- searchers used a back-calculation approach which accounts for all the metabolisable energy mark farm performance over time.

“You need to measure pasture consumption ac- (ME) requirements of a cow under Australian curately to make sensible decisions on purchas- conditions, based on CSIRO findings.

“The practical implication of this is that dairy ing expensive supplements,” Wales says.

“However, estimating the amount of pasture farmers might be undervaluing the contribution consumed is difficult, and is influenced by the of pasture and overvaluing the contribution of interrelationship between animals, plants and purchased supplementary feeds to their herd’s diet,” Wales says. overall feed management.”

Farmers can access the new program at www.

When researchers analysed the sensitivity of both techniques using a stylised dairy farm in dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/dairy/pastures-manAustralia’s temperate zones, pasture consump- agement/calculator

Genetic choices boosting profits Greg and Joanne Ault’s dairy herd has an Australian Selection Index (ASI) of 58, placing it in the top 2% of the Australian Holstein herd.

The Aults attribute their herd’s high genetic merit to 40 years of artificial insemination (AI) and using progeny test (PT) bulls since they became available.

Over this time they’ve been consistent in their breeding objective, selecting bulls primarily on the basis of production components, with a more recent emphasis on milk protein content.

Based on the ASI, the Aults’ cows are each $58 more profitable a year than the average Australian cow. With a 220 cow herd, that adds up to $12,700 more profit over a year.

ASI reflects a herd’s genetic merit based on the commercial value of production. It’s calculated from a combination of protein, fat and milk production and accounts for the Australian milk payment system and feed costs.

Having gained confidence in progeny test bulls over the years, Greg splits his semen purchase almost evenly between proven and progeny test straws.

“We usually buy a team of about four proven bulls from

Greg Ault, Rochester, northern Vic, has used AI for 40 years.

different family lines, selected from the list of the top 50 APR bulls,” Greg says.

“It’s a good place to start because we know that high APR – Good Bulls Guide bulls have the genetic potential to produce daughters that will perform well under Australian conditions.

“Progeny test bulls represent newer genetics so they can speed up the rate of genetic gain in the herd.

“With PT straws priced wellbelow proven bulls they are also very good value for money.”

Greg is also very excited about the arrival of genomics, which he says gives him further confidence in the genetic quality of progeny test bulls.

He already has first hand experience with a daughter from an initial genotyped young bull.

The April 2011 graduate bull list includes Watchdog, an early Informer son who was in the first batch of young Australian bulls to be genotyped to assist selection.

“A couple of years ago we had some Watchdog progeny test straws and we are now milking one of his daughters.”

The Watchdog daughter has almost completed her first lactation, with a production index of 118, putting her in the top end of the herd.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

23

management

New forages spread risk in variable climate Rachael Campbell

soil type on his farm.

He has had success with growing high-yielding maize crops on his sandy banks that in the past had plenty of deeply stored soil moisture.

For the past eight years the Martins did not grow maize due to insufficient subsoil moisture going into spring/summer.

They have tried many different types of forages including lucerne, phalaris, fescue, chicory, cereals, medics, swedes and some lesser known species, such as fodder beet mangels and Melilotus albus. Farmers at the field day quizzed Martin on how he fitted these unusual species into his whole farm system.

He said it had not always been dry soil profiles that caused concerns. Some soils are poorly drained and get wet, with some paddocks periodically becoming inland lakes.

This creates its own management challenges.

On one saline waterlogged area Martin has sown tall wheat grass and a little-used species, Melilotus albus. Melilotus albus provides a good source of protein and balances the nutritional qualities of the tall wheat grass, but could

JOHN and Jodie Martin have introduced a range of alternative forages alongside their rye grass on their Western Victorian property to help them manage risks associated with a variable climate.

The Martins milk about 180 cows on Wolverston Park at Irrewarra, near Colac.

Their farming system is based upon low to medium fertiliser inputs and, unlike most dairy farmers in the district they rely solely on home-grown feeds for their herd.

The Martins use a range of alternative forages to complement the ryegrass. These help fill feed gaps, make use of stored soil moisture and help to manage the risks associated with dairying in a marginal area.

During the past 15 years they have experienced significant rainfall declines but their farm can also get very wet.

The Martins shared their knowledge and experience with farmers and service providers during a field day organised by the Department of Primary Industries (DPI).

Rod Eldridge, from the DPI climate change team, discussed Forage choices depend the risks and upon the amount of soil potential moisture and rainfall impacts of changing outlook. rainfall trends and longer periods of hot become quite toxic under weather on stored soil particular conditions. moisture.

Martin says while the This got the audience mix was not generally thinking about how the valued as a nutritional crop changing weather patterns choice, it worked well in can really affect their this saline, heavy clay area farming practices. where other species will Eldridge’s address not grow. also provided a great Martin says having introduction into John several different species Martin’s discussion about is a great way to manage what they do on their risk but the management farm to manage the risks did become complex associated with a variable because of different climate. establishment techniques Martin described some and grazing management of the many different requirements. forage crops and pasture He stressed that forward types they use, some of which have become regular planning was one of the components of their forage keys to managing risk and “don’t put all their eggs in base, while others have the one basket.” failed and were not grown Notes from the workshop again. are available by contacting He said forage choices Rachael on (03) 5233 5507 or depended upon the rachael.campbell@dpi.vic. amount of moisture stored gov.au in the soil and the seasonal Rachael Campbell is a rainfall outlook. team member with DepartMartin takes into ment of Primary Industries, account the species best Colac. suited to each particular

John Martin plants alternative forages to reduce risk.

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24

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

management

RAPID dairy feed test service to continue The dairy RAPID Feed Analysis service will continue to be available to dairy farmers across Victoria and Tasmania due to popular demand.

Dairy Australia’s Grains2Milk program leader Dr Steve Little says the dairy feed testing service was now being offered by George Weston Technologies after a successful 18-month trial the trial in northern and western Victoria proved it to be commercially viable.

“Feed test results mean you know what the

cows are really getting in their diet or exactly what a potential feed supplier is offering,” Little says.

The service provides an analysis of the most important nutrients including dry matter, metabolisable energy, crude protein, fat and ash for a range of feeds including pasture, silage, hay, straw, grains, meals and pellets.

“The RAPID Feed Analysis kits are simple and easy to use,” Little says.

The latest recommendation is that dairy farmers should order six straws for every replacement heifer they need.

“The information on the package is self explanatory and the samples get picked up by the tanker driver from the dairy.

“Most results are available within two days from George Weston Technologies and are sent via fax and email. The quick turnaround time means you can make decisions quickly.”

Little says farmers can also get help interpreting test results by using the My Feed Report tool on the Dairy Australia website.

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Six straws for each replacement heifer Dairy farmers are being encouraged to think differently when ordering artificial insemination (AI) straws this season: for every heifer replacement needed in the herd, order six straws.

In reviewing the number of replacements required, InCalf’s Barry Zimmermann suggests farmers look three years ahead and decide how many replacement heifers they’ll need entering the herd.

“The number should include any extra heifers to expand the herd size or for sale or export,” Dr Zimmermann says.

“Then it’s just a simple rule of thumb – allow six straws for every replacement heifer.”

For example, a 400 cow herd with a 25% replacement rate will need 100 heifer replacements every year so 600 AI straws should be ordered to maintain the herd size.

This rule of thumb allows for a 50% conception rate, 10% loss of cows prior to calving (eg. pregnant cows that are culled for other reasons), 50% female calves, 5% loss of heifer calves prior to weaning, 5% loss of heifers prior to joining, 90% heifer conception rate, 3% losses prior to calving (deaths, slips) and 3% heifers exiting the herd in the first 30 days post calving.

“This approach helps you think about where you want the herd to be in three years time and ensures you’ll have enough replacement heifers without scratching around at the last minute buying extras,” Dr Zimmermann says.

The ADHIS website will soon have a simple calculator tool that allows the user to change the percentage rates of the various allowances for their herd.

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Victorian Department of Primary Indus-

tries (DPI) geneticists have developed a DNA marker test to pinpoint whether a cow or bull is responsible for any genetic glitches.

They already found the genes responsible for a slight defect in Australia’s Jersey cow herd.

Some Jersey calves are born with slightly turned snouts – known as squiffy.

The DPI test is able to determine if the sire or dam is the carrier of the defect.

DPI genomics expert Ben Hayes says the market test helps farmers tell if a bull or a cow is a carrier of the defect.

“As long as we’ve got DNA from the bulls, we can take DNA from a calf and match that very accurately,” Hayes says.

The research, undertaken at the Victorian AgriBiosciences Centre at Bundoora, will help

improve the reliability of Jersey genomics and help detect defects.

The Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme has been testing Jersey genomic breeding values with the new DNA data and recorded reliability increases of 27% up to 40% in yield traits from the parent average.

Dr Hayes, the DPI’s statewide leader of computational biology, says farmers need to more easily track cow genetics as their herds grow larger.

The information could also be used to prevent inbreeding in dairy herds.

He praised the involvement of Jersey breeders who assisted the researchers in their work. A request for proven bull semen saw more than 400 straws submitted.

“It more than doubled the data set we had available for Jerseys,” Dr Hayes says.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

25

animal health Family pride in flawless milk quality record by gordon collie There is a no smoking sign at the Trevor family dairy at Butchers Creek on the eastern edge of the Atherton Tableland in far north Queensland.

They are taking no chances with passive smoke which could stress their cows and put a flawless milk quality record at risk.

Attention to small detail is the daily mantra for Des and Cheryl Trevor and their son Keith and his wife Cheyenne who take pride in their extraordinary reputation, achieved in one of the most challenging farming environments in Australia.

The risk of mastitis sky rockets in wet conditions and on this family farm in the tropical north the annual rainfall is measured in metres.

The Trevors have not suffered a single demerit penalty in the 11 years that two major milk quality awards have been running.

Keith Trevor is particularly proud of the fact that their herd has ranked in the top 100 in Australia in the Countdown Downunder program for the past five years – during which they have endured two cyclones, Larry and Yasi.

Their efforts have also been recognized in the Dairy Farmers Milk Co-operative annual awards for milk quality since their inception.

The family takes absolutely no chances when it comes to putting their reputation at risk, keeping their milk cell count so low that any spike is not going to cause them grief.

Quality penalties kick in when the bulk milk somatic cell count goes above 200,000. The cell count of their herd sits in the range of 80,000 to 90,000.

“We are onto any cow with mastitis before the milk goes in the vat. Starting antibiotics at the very first sign of trouble gives us a better treatment success rate,” Keith says.

Their success is based on doing lots of little things right. They stick to a strict milking routine, which is personally overseen – no relief milkers are employed.

“Every day, twice a day, there can be no slip-ups. We monitor our milk test results very closely and keep right on top of any little problems.”

Keith Trevor on his family’s Far North Queensland property. The Trevors have not suffered a single demerit penalty in the 11 years that two major milk quality awards have been running.

“We started with 60 cows and are The milking routine starts with a thorough washing of every teat and the just about at capacity with just a bit careful application of hibitane-based more development to be done which spray. Every quarter of every cow is would help reduce our fertiliser costs,” Keith says. strip tested daily.

“We get a lot of rain and have cold “We know every cow in our herd winters and hot sumso well, I can tell pretty mers which makes much if anything is it fairly difficult. It’s amiss without looking at nothing to get six or 10 their milk,” inches of rain in one hit.

Keith says extra time We tend to count the taken to be thoroughly number of fine days.” vigilant when milking Topaz just down the their herd of 100 to 120 road is one of the wetcows was well worth it. test spots in Australia, “Our reputation is on Who: recording almost 3.4 the line every time the Trevor family metres of rain in Janumilk tanker pulls out the Where: ary to July this year. gate,” Keith says.

Butchers Creek Ironically, their main The Trevors are relaWhat: feed staple ryegrass tive newcomers to dairyMilk quality crop benefits from irriing with Des starting gation, at the start of the out in farming growing sugarcane at Gordonvale on the nearby season. The chocolate loam soil is extremely porous and even heavy rainfall coastal strip.

He managed dairy properties in the quickly disappears.

Rye with a clover mix provides the late 1980s before buying their 125ha property in the early 1990s. Keith has bulk of feed from April through to Ocbeen dairying since he joined his father tober when the self seeded tropical pasture seteria takes over. in 1996.

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“Seteria provides pretty good feed if you keep it short and fertilised, although it doesn’t hurt to let it go to seed every now and again.”

Mainly foliar fertilisers with trace element mix are used to get rapid plant nutrient absorption. Granular products are prone to being lost with regular, heavy rainfall.

Keith says there is just too high a risk of rain to make hay which they buy in from drier parts of the Atherton Tableland. They don’t have any silage, relying on a grain-based ration fed at an average 4.5 kg/day to supplement pasture.

After suffering extraordinary damage with long loss of power during cyclone Larry five years ago the family invested in a big generator to be completely self sufficient for electricity in emergencies.

It was put to good use in the aftermath of Cyclone Yasi which struck in early 2011.

“We are still feeling the effects of Yasi with our milk production well down. Our pastures have been very slow to recover,” Keith says.

The foundations of their milk qual-

ity record are laid in the genetic selection of cattle to perform in their wet, muddy environment.

They have had registered herds of Holsteins and Jerseys and Keith did show Trevaleigh Jerseys for a number of years, but now their focus is on commercial production.

“We still look for style and production and have a number of purebreds in the herd,” Keith says.

Over the past six years Brown Swiss have been introduced and have become a favourite.

“They are big, tough cows which perform really well in our conditions.

“Our cattle have to be able to walk well, have good feet and legs and be structurally sound. Wet, muddy conditions really soften their feet. We look for a foot with shape and good heel depth,” Keith says.

While their walking tracks can get very muddy, they dry out quickly and get regular maintenance and shaping with a blade to maximize water runoff.

“We put a lot of work into making the environment as healthy and stress free for our cattle as we can and take pride in our achievements,” Keith says.

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26

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

ANIMALHEALTH

Improve handling facilities or risk refusal

Mark Rovers, Congupna, Dave Gordon, Undera, Graham Sudholz, Coprice, Kotupna, and Shepparton vet Rob Bonanno at the easy calving workshop held by the Young Dairy Development Program last month.

I was talking with a small group of colleagues at a recent conference discussing various issues facing cattle veterinarians when it occurred to me that in the group we had two with busted elbows, one with a crook shoulder and one with a chronic back injury.

The conversation then moved on to the causes of our various ailments and the one consistent theme was the poor handling facilities that veterinarians are asked by farmers to

animal health rob bonanno work in on an almost daily basis.

What never ceases to amaze me is how often I go to dairy facilities that would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to build, yet the crush

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in areas of the dairy that consists of a bit of rusty have been designed for steel with a homemade another purpose. headlock.

One example that really There are many older sticks in my craw is when facilities on smaller the OH &S rules regarding farms or at out blocks or fuel storage tanks or the dry paddocks that are nothing more than “widow requirement for blow pipes on silos changed. makers”.

Those safety I have seen it all - from improvements were made ramshackle wooden with barely a whimper at numbers held together the cost of thousands of with string and a prayer dollars and these changes to full hydraulic custom are purely related to safety. designed numbers that Yet improvements make the handling of cattle to the yards and crush a breeze. will not only make for a Well it is time for all safer workplace for vets dairy farmers to step back and farm workers and and have a look at the employees, it will also crush and yards that you improve the welfare and are using and asking your health of the herd which is vet to work in. one of the dairy farmer’s The crush is our workplace, and believe it or biggest assets.

When talking with my not, OH & S rules apply to beef vet colleagues, they vets too. express amazement at how With spring calving little pre-mating or pre-sale underway, I know for sure bull testing is done on that it is only a matter of dairy bulls. time before some dairy cocky will ring me up and There are many older expect me to calve a cow facilities on smaller in a slippery farms or out blocks that mud yard, or catch that wild are nothing more than heifer behind a “widow makers”. gate tied with baling twine to The only real reason deliver the calf or attempt that dairy vets are not a caesarian with the cow recommending bull testing tied to a post because the for our clients is that most “crush” that they have is of the dairy farms that we totally inadequate for the service do not have yards job that is required of it. and a crush that would I am speaking on allow us to safely examine behalf of the members and collect a semen sample of the Australian Cattle from a cranky dairy breed Veterinarians when I say bull. that enough is enough.

When my beef Cattle vets are sick colleagues test bulls, up to and tired of working in 20% will fail one or more substandard facilities. critical tests related to The ACV is looking at a project that will outline the fertility so it makes good sense for dairy vets to be standards of the crush and testing bulls. yards that are acceptable Just imagine if 20% of for our members to work the bulls you are putting in. out with the girls are not We will be encouraging up to par? our members to perform I would suggest that a risk assessment on the it wouldn’t take long facilities that we are being to recoup the cost of asked to work in and if investment in a decent there is not a safe work crush and set of yards on environment, or if the this saving alone. work practices cannot So as you get the be modified to make the cows in tonight, give a workplace safe, we will be bit of thought as to how recommending that vets you could improve the just walk away. handling facilities at Clearly this is not what your farm, or even better, we would want.

Vets enter the profession involve your local dairy vet in the discussion to to prevent pain and ensure a safer and more suffering of animals, productive workplace for but over the years, many us all. farmers have taken this Rob Bonanno is president dedication for granted and of the Australian Cattle asked or even insisted that Veterinarians Association we risk long term, career and a director of the ending injuries in order Shepparton Veterinary to get a job done faster or Clinic “easier” in poor facilities or

IN UDDER WORDS...

Calf scours?

Take action now

Advice and attention to detail reduce cell count ing lucerne and silage production. year and 109,000 the previous year.

Decisions are made depending on seasonal Her involvement in the dairy industry spans more than two decades, despite being just 27 conditions, but the lucerne will last up to ten years.

After just four years at the helm of her west- years old. Working alongside her parents on She is also a seasoned competitor and went ern Victorian dairy operation, Jennifer Hand dairy farms at Simpson and Mount Moriac, it has achieved her aim of lowering her annual was 2007 when the opportunity came along to to her first show at just three. At age eleven, she started up her own jersey average bulk milk cell count (BMCC) to less than go it alone with the purstud. chase her 60 hectare Lar100,000.

She has pushed her One of her most sucIn doing so, the Larpent farmer is among the pent dairy. cessful show bulls, the She says having parents annual bulk milk cell top 100 dairy farms across the country recognow ten-year-old Glennised in the 2011 Dairy Australia Countdown in the industry is always a count average down to brae-blood `Royal Rum’ big leg up, Milk Quality Awards. remains undefeated in “It’s particularly hard just 96,000 this year.

Hand says the key to achieving the result has the jersey show ring.

– not impossible – but been twofold.

And if milking, preparing show cows and “I know each of my cows individually and I certainly challenging for young people to break know their patterns, so I can detect any irregu- into the industry without that family involve- spending time on her AI work wasn’t enough, she also has a successful beef operation comment, or capital behind you.” larities straight away,” she says.

The property will accommodate around 94 prising Red Angus, Black Angus, Poll Hereford “It’s something that can be missed by farm milkers this year after calving, milked by Hand and Miniature Herefords, which are located on workers who do not know the cows so well. or her parents when they visit, in her parent’s adjoining property on the other side “I also send individual cow of the road. the 13-aside dairy. samples to my supplier, WarThe busy, hands-on farmer, who works She has also recently leased rnambool Cheese and Butter, another out-paddock and hopes around the clock seven-days-a-week, has only every second day for testing and to expand the herd to around 130 recently taken a back seat from her industry inkeep detailed records of the recows, “which is still manageable volvement with the Australian Jersey Breeders sults.”

Society, of which she was a committee member for me,” she says.

Hand says the free service One look at the herd of glossy, for four years. offered by WCB has been “in“It’s hard to get away every month for meetcontented Jersey cows and it is valuable” in early detection and clear that they don’t suffer from a ings when it’s mostly just me on the farm,” she treatment and urges other WCB says. lack of attention and care. dairies to take advantage of the Who: But she has recently employed one other part“Most of my girls wear rugs to service.

Jennifer Hand ward off the cold, wet weather time worker to help on weekends with farm Not long after moving to LarWhere: and I still show quite a few when maintenance jobs. pent in the prime Victorian dairy Larpent “It’s been great to have someone else to help time permits. region of Colac, Hand’s cows What: “I feel that it’s really important out with the heavy work but it can be difficult were experiencing problems with Low cell count to give them the right royal sourcing good, reliable labour - especially when mastitis and she sought advice treatment because they do the weekend or out-of-hours’ work is involved,” she from her parents, former dairy farmers, and the local dairy community as well hard work and produce the milk for me,” she says.

Hand says the support she has received from says. as her veterinarian and WCB factory field staff.

Extensive but cost-effective pasture renova- the local dairy farming community around CoHer bulk milk cell count results speak for themselves and she has since pushed her yearly tion has also been undertaken since Hand pur- lac has been invaluable with neighbours on-call average down to just 96,000 from 106,000 last chased the property, with a focus on strip graz- to help if ever the need arises.

Liz Cotton

Coopers® Animal Health has reminded farmers of the need to take quick action at the first sign of calf scours.

Technical Services Vet Damian O’Brien said that it is critical for farmers to ensure calves stay well hydrated, as dehydration can kill young calves very quickly.

“Scours can be time consuming and costly, with lost future production from either the death of calves or depressed growth rates.

Rehydrating immediately with electrolytes can save a young calf,” Dr O’Brien said.

“Keeping the calf alive and protecting your future production is the critical first step, but then it’s important to look at the causes of the outbreak, so you can both treat and prevent future outbreaks,” he said.

“Proper diagnosis of the cause is the beginning of a plan.”

Dr O’Brien said that Coopers can help identify the specific cause of calf scours on your farm.

“A Coopers advisor can run a simple calf side test which will diagnose most causes of scours on farm in just 15 minutes, helping farmers to move to prevention programs immediately,” he said.

This season, Coopers is encouraging farmers to not only take immediate action when calf scours occurs, but to also move to diagnosis and implementing long term solutions.

As well as hydrating sick calves with electrolytes, calf scours management involves: • Reviewing management to ensure newborn calves receive adequate colostrum • Discussing with your vet whether antibiotics are required • Managing ventilation and hygiene in the calf housing area • Vaccination for future prevention where indicated Many producers don’t realise just how much calf scours costs when reduced growth, calf deaths, diagnosis and treatment costs are added up. Coopers investigation found that a typical herd of 200 with an 18% incidence was losing $5200 a year due to calf scours.

For immediate action to diagnose the cause of your calf scours outbreak call Coopers on 1800 885 576 or talk to your local vet. ® Registered Trademark

28

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

animalhealth

Prevention is better than cure

Fanny Leduc (right) believes vets can play a role in managing animal health, particularly during the challenges and trials of spring.

IT IS not rocket science, but science can help. When mothers give birth and babies are born, a lot of things can go wrong.

Some things can’t be avoided, such as needing the vet to assist calvings where the calf is deformed or presented wrong. But most things are preventable, with the help of a bit of experience and science.

New Zealand-based vet Fanny Leduc likes the old adage ‘prevention is better than cure’. At the heart of that belief is the preventative role veterinarians can play in managing animal

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“Even a simple thing like introducing records to monitor animal health will save our time and be more cost-effective.” health – particularly during the challenges and trials of spring.

Leduc says mastitis, lameness, metabolic problems, non-cyclers and calf health are common issues on farms nationwide at this time of year.

“A lot of farmers still use vets as a reactive means.

With tighter margins on farms, as well as pressure to produce better quality milk, improve environmental impacts and animal welfare, the future for farmers and vets is increasingly in a consultancy role, using us as a preventative, proactive measure.

“Even a simple thing like introducing records to monitor animal health will save our time and be more cost-effective.

“The cost of a two hour consultation will be easily made up with one or two fewer mastitis or lameness cases.”

Originally from Canada, Leduc is now in her seventh year as a dairy vet in Reporoa, New Zealand.

Prevention better than cure Leduc says risks associated with down cows, prolapsed uterus, ketosis, retained afterbirth, mastitis, lameness and calf scours have been well-documented.

“By making sure these risk factors are controlled or eliminated you minimise their negative impacts on animal health. By keeping on top of scientific developments, vets and consultants can help you manage them.

“For example, calving cows are at risk of metabolic problems such as milk fever, grass staggers, ketosis, as well as mastitis, retained afterbirth and metritis. These conditions have several risk factors in common.”

To help assess and manage some of those factors, vets have varying programmes. One that Leduc’s clinic has in place is a fourvisits-per-year package that looks largely at mineral status of cows.

“The pre-calving visit includes blood testing cows and incoming heifers for trace minerals (copper, selenium and cobalt) as well as magnesium. Herbage tests are done in order to foresee any mineral or energy deficiency from pasture early in the season.”

Using this information and past experience on the farm, the vets can then draw up a nutritional and mineral supplementation plan that suits the herd.

A colostrum visit involves blood sampling some freshly-calved cows to make sure the plan is working.

“By checking calcium and energy levels we can tell if the cows are transitioning well from springers to milkers, and management changes can be made if needed.”

Failing to plan is planning to fail Having a plan for dealing with various animal health situations will reduce stress on people and cows.

“Even if all the risk factors are being controlled, you will still have the odd lame cow or case of mastitis.

“Everyone on-farm should know how to recognise problems and how to handle them. The plan should cover basic things like mastitis detection and treatment protocols, to more extreme situations such as where to take the stock for shelter in case of a major storm or flood.”

Vets are involved on dairy farms by planning which drugs are best suited, designing protocols, or offering staff training modules.

Information gathering How many cases of mastitis, retained afterbirth or calf scours have been treated last spring? How many is too many? How easy is it to find out the information?

“While we can answer those questions by looking up product purchases on our computer system, now a lot of dairy farmers can gather this information themselves, and retrieve it at the push of a button if necessary,” says Leduc.

“If there’s good data and record keeping on a farm, we know where we are starting from, as it’s really hard to monitor without that information.”

Having good processes, communication and gear ready ahead of time will make dealing with problems less stressful. Record keeping, especially in an electronic format, will make it easier to identify and fix problems.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

29

animal health

Environmental mastitis increasing Larger herds, higher stocking rates, heavy traffic areas on laneways and around troughs and the use of calving pads are all contributing to an increasing incidence of environmental mastitis caused by Streptococcus uberis bacteria.

Dairy Australia’s Countdown Downunder project leader, Dr John Penry, says mastitis caused

by Strep. uberis had been increasing in Australia and New Zealand to the point where 60-70% of mastitis infections where a pathogen can be cultured in the lab are caused by the bacteria.

“Strep. uberis is found in cattle manure and can survive for

up to two weeks in fresh dung or contaminated mud and straw,” Dr Penry says.

A number of factors are contributing to the growing prevalence of Strep. uberis infections.

“The management of dairy herds has changed significantly in recent years, creating an environment where cows have increased exposure to Strep. uberis.

“Farms are running larger herds on bigger farms and using higher stocking rates, resulting in heavy traffic areas such as laneways, gateways and around water troughs.

“Management changes also

Minerals part of a balancing act PHILLIPA HEDLEY

Calcium Supplementation with calcium (Ca) immediately after calving ensures the cow absorbs enough calcium to prevent milk fever. In most cases it is important that calcium supplements are not started before calving, as its presence in a pregnant cow’s diet reduces the absorption of Ca. The risk of milk fever is greater in these situations.

After calving, provide 150g/cow of finely ground limestone (lime flour) daily

THE MOST important mineral for dry cows is magnesium. This plays an important role in milk fever prevention (calcium deficiency) as it is required for the production of hormones important for the absorption of calcium (Ca) from the gut and the mobilisation of Ca from bones.

Supplementing with magnesium daily for twothree weeks pre-calving will reduce the risk of milk fever. How- Supplementing with ever, it does not magnesium prebuild up a store of magnesium in the calving will reduce cow. milk fever risk.

Magnesium sulphate (MagS) and chloride during the colostrum peri(MagC) are more effective od – double this rate if dustat preventing milk fever ing. An alternative would than magnesium oxide be to add lime flour to sup(Causmag). Unfortunately plement or to feed calciumthey are difficult to feed enriched molasses. because they are bitter and Minerals not very soluble.

Pre-calving add 60g Trace element supplemenmagnesium sulphate per tation for at least two weeks cow into the water trough precalving is important daily (introduce it gradually to avoid health disorders for up to one week), but also around calving. The impordust the pasture (or silage) tant elements are copper, with 60-70g Causmag per cobalt, selenium, iodine and zinc. cow each day.

Supplementing with magnesium needs to con- Other tinue after calving, until Consider using starter spring growth rates have drenches on high-risk cows slowed (around December) at calving. These include 7+ to ensure that milk produc- year-old cows, cows fatter tion is not compromised than BCS 5.5, or cows with and to prevent grass stag- a history of metabolic problems. gers (grass tetany).

Cows affected by facial However, you can also give too much magnesium, eczema need extra attenwhich can cause scour- tion. At calving treat with ing and poor absorption of an energy starter drench, other nutrients. So it is im- vitamin B12 and vitamins portant to know how much A, D, E. Phillipa Hedley is a Dairyou are giving your cows and how much they actu- yNZ developer - farm systems. ally need.

Strep. uberis can survive for up to two weeks in fresh dung-contaminated mud.

now include calving pads and loafing areas on some farms.

“Transition management now means we can have cows dripping milk before calving.

The teat canal is open when the cow lies down to calve and can be exposed to mud and manure.”

The key to controlling Strep. uberis involves minimising environmental exposure and controlling the cow to cow transmission.

Dr Penry says Strep. uberis needed to be controlled across three stages of the lactation – at

drying off, over the transition period and during lactation.

At drying off cows should be treated with an antibiotic dry cow therapy to remove existing infection and prevent infections early in the dry period before the teat canal seals.

During the second stage – transition and calving – the aim is to minimise the exposure of susceptible cows to faecal material and maximise cow immunity.

Most infections occur within the first few weeks of calving when a cow’s natural defences are low and the udder has been in contact with mud and manure during calving.

“It’s important to ensure that cows are milked as close to calving as possible and to monitor closely for signs of clinical mastitis,” Dr Penry says.

During the third stage –lactation –the aim is to minimise teat end damage and reduce the incidence of bacteria on the teat skin. Important practices for preventing the spread of infection include putting cups on clean dry teats and taking cups off carefully, post milking teat disinfection and milking machine maintenance.

“It’s worth talking to your advisor about environment mastitis as an effective control program can take more than a year.”

30

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

machinery & products Power harrows lift yields for grain crops

working clothes chris dingle

Who:

Ron Miller Where:

Athlone What:

Pneumatic seeder

Ron and Alan Miller with the family’s Alpego power harrow and Alpego AS3 air seeder.

bar fabricated overnight to mounted on top that they be a good investment.

The DX-600 TWIN carry the seed hopper on had purchased through Derek Genoni at Gendore FORCE machine has two the front of their New HolTractors and Machinery in rotors mounted on tapered land T7040.

The unit was delivered bearings held together by a Tooradin. just as everyone in the reSo last season they took single support.

This design creates a gion was seeding, which it up to Cosgrove and found that the results were ex- high clearance under the was a little later than Ron tremely rewarding com- trough, which in turn guar- would have liked but so Kuhn Ag & Arable Frm Combi - Half Page_Layout 1 02/03/2011 17:05 Page 1 pared with direct drilled antees high reliability and far they have seeded 600 hectares of wheat and 300 performance. crops.

Derek Genoni says this hectares of lupins.

Alan maintains that an They have grown up to unit was the first six meincreased yield of three COMBILINER tonnes to the hectare in tre Alpego power harrow/ 1800 tonne of grain each places is down to using the seeder combination in Aus- year since their move to Cosgrove and this year three metre power har- tralia.

Ron had a front linkage they sold their excess rows.

The Pegoraro brand has now evolved to Alpego, an Italian agricultural machinery company located between Venice and Verona.

When Gendore took along a six metre folding Alpego power harrow and Alpego AS3 plus air seeder combination to this year’s Ron Miller had a front linkage bar fabricated to carry the Farm World at Warragul, seed hopper on the front of their New Holland T7040.

Disc coulter innovation Ron decided that it would SEEDFLEX 0988-GAM-PRESSENRU-FR

Custom-built drilling

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The Alpego combination is a radical change to the traditional systems used for seeding in the district. wheat grain to buy in lupins, which accounts for the decision to plant lupins this time.

The Alpego combination is a radical change to the traditional systems used for seeding in the district, and with a very wet year many farmers have had to leave some areas untouched as tractors were getting bogged.

But with the Millers’ Alpego sitting on the three point linkage they were able to seed the wettest areas without a hassle.

“In May we did the whole place with the six metre power harrows to level out the tractor tracks, trenches and where the header got bogged,” Alan says.

“That’s 200 hectares

that we wouldn’t have got onto, and other patches that I didn’t think I’d get over. It glided over the lot.”

They say that the six metre unit has performed exceptionally well, but their New Holland T7040 struggles to lift it when turning at headlands. “It’s just not big enough!”

Ron believes that if he replicates the yields from last year in the trial area he will have the unit paid off quickly.

They have used a Semeato drill for the past two seasons and will continue with it in drier years and on the smoother paddocks.

They are in the process of purchasing a further 655 acres in Katandra about ten kilometres away, to assist

with crop rotations.

In 1998 Ron trialled a New Holland 4’ x 3’ large square baler at Athlone, making 630 bales at that time and has stuck with New Holland tractors and balers since. He is enthusiastic about the brand.

“We ordered a New Holland 8260 tractor, a 1010 large square baler and a Tanco large square bale wrapper, and started off with all three in 1999.

“We went from taking two months to do our own work, to less than a week, so we then did a bit of contracting.”

The NH1010 made 11,000 large square bales three years in a row.

“There’s been days when I’ve done 500 bales”, Ron says.

They did 6000 bales this year, of which 5000 were silage from mixed pasture.

They now concentrate on their own silage, still looking after some neighbours, but not as much as they have previously when they had 32 contracting customers.

A New Holland BB940 large square baler joined the fleet four years ago, and it was trucked up to Cosgrove a couple of years ago with the idea of baling straw.

“I started at 8pm and finished at 8am, with 606 bales,” Ron says.

They now have five New Holland tractors, the two balers and a CR9070 header with a 36’ Honeybee front.

• Working Clothes will focus on the performance of a new machine in the paddock each month. Send suggestions to Chris Dingle on 0417 735 001 or email chris@springbankfarm. com.au

1 Widely offset double discs (improved overlap between the 2 discs during their service life).

With their very compact size and geometry PROFILE

2 Seeding rows offset by 35 cm (improved clearance in hard and/or wet soils).

will pass. With sizes of 14 to 18 m3, PROFILE mixers

0828-PROD-PROFILE-FR

Ron Miller and his family milk 700 cows at Athlone, between Drouin and Poowong in central Gippsland, on a 50 unit rotary that was installed 10 years ago at the time of deregulation.

They are big grain feeders for their cows, feeding 10kg per cow, per day of wheat, lupins and canola meal in the milking shed.

But the Athlone property is not well suited to cropping and is really just used for grazing, with “a bit of summer crops to renovate the pastures”, as Ron says.

“When we started paying $400/tonne for grain we decided that we needed to look around for our own grain-growing property.”

So, to guarantee feed for their herd, they acquired a 666 hectare cropping property at Cosgrove, just east of Shepparton, about 2½ years ago when the number of cows they were then milking was doubled.

The property was formerly the home of Goulburn Valley Stockfeeds so it came with extensive shedding, lots of silos and even a weighbridge.

It’s been a well-planned and successful decision – last year they sowed 600ha down to wheat and averaged four tonnes per hectare.

The Miller dairy enterprise now encompasses 332ha on what were once six different dairy farms.

All of Ron and wife Jan Tina’s four sons, Ronnie, Alan, Jonathon and David, work on the dairy.

On the Gippsland property, the Millers had used a Pegoraro three metre power harrow with a pneumatic seeder

3 Parallelogram design for controlled seeding depth at high speeds.

4 Depth control and press wheel to ensure sound seed-soil contact.

KUHN’s high-speed pneumatic combination drills are designed with the versatility to operate on ploughed or unploughed land and have rapidly become popular with farmers and contractors alike.

The COMBILINER Venta NC leads the range, combining the established Venta pneumatic technology with the latest HR1004 series power harrow. The innovative SEEDFLEX coulter bar that is so advantageous is now also available on Venta LC and Moduliner drills.

mixers are capable of passing where a 70 hp tractor 1

2

Their ease of operation gives you a daily comfort.

2,55 m

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are adaptable to any type of livestock.

•Transverse Conveyor to a regulate distribution (1).

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•Vertical Augers suitable for all rations (2).

•Compact dimensions: height 2.55m and 2.40m width for the model 14 m3 (3).

•Electronic programmable weighing system: 80 programmable rations and 15 different ingredients (4).

Drilling is 50% of successful crop production, so the ease of adjustment, consistency in seeding depth, speed and reliability provided by KUHN’s range is vital. www.kuhn-seedliner.com www.kuhn.co.uk

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

31

machinery & products

Australian tractor sales rise Alan Kirsten at Agriview reports that tractor sales rose 6% in the second quarter of 2011 compared with the same period last year in a solid result.

Almost 2800 new tractors were delivered in Australia for April-June. This is down on the record result for the same period in 2009 when second quarter sales peaked at 3650, driven by the Federal Government’s stimulus package.

“Down-the-line suppliers of components to machinery manufacturers in North America and Europe have not had a chance to get back on track since the global financial crisis and that is constraining the ability to build machinery,” Kirsten says.

“It’s a simple fact that if you are planning to invest in machinery in the next 12 months, you must be speaking to dealers now as supply is very tight.”

Five row-crop models from John Deere John Deere says its new 7R Series tractors (pictured right) will be available towards the end of this year, focusing on increased power, versatility, capacity and improved operator comfort.

The five new models range from 200 to 280 horsepower using the new Interim Tier 4 EGR PowerTech engine and feature fully automatic infinitely variable Transmission.

John Deere marketing manager Jarrod McGinnis says these new tractors represent the next generation of power in an easy-to-operate, performance-driven row-crop tractor from John Deere.

The 7 series tractors are claimed to have the versatility to handle the tillage, planting, hay making, loader work and many other tough jobs around the farm.

“The 7R Series Tractors are completely new from the ground up,” McGinnis says.

“They are designed for the producer who needs a more versatile tractor that has more kilowatt power, more fuel capacity, and greater hitch-lift capacity in order to handle larger implements and be more productive in the field.

“At the same time, we’ve integrated cutting edge technologies into these tractors to deliver improved fuel efficiency.”

Gardners win $5000 prize Cavendish mixed farmers Robert and Jill Gardner won first prize of $5000 in the Vicseeds $5000 Cash Giveaway, where farmers had to buy a bag of either Avalon or Avalon AR1 perennial ryegrass and send in the certified tag.

“I was really looking for a perennial ryegrass that would persist and also not cause ryegrass staggers which has been an issue in the past,” Gardner says.

Gardner decided to choose Avalon AR1 as it was locally bred for persistence and contains the safe AR1 endophyte.

“I was really impressed by the work done by the Hamilton DPI with the Evergraze Project, and there were very positive results from that project for Avalon, so it was a fairly easy choice to sow Avalon AR1 this year”.

Gardner sowed 125 hectares of Avalon AR1 in a mix with two sub clovers, and it has established very well in cold and wet conditions.

Windmill Ag expansion Jason Henry, dealer principal at Windmill Ag in Meeniyan, tells us that they are all very excited about their impending move to large new ‘state-of-the-art’ premises next door to the Koonwarra saleyards at Leongatha South.

The move has been brought about by expansion of their business, which is not surprising seeing that they now have fourteen service staff.

The big opening day is Friday September 9, so mark it in your diary if you’re in that part of Gippsland.

Jason says they will have great deals on Kuhn hay and silage machinery as well as John Deere mower-conditioners.

And stand by for the release of John Deere’s new 6R, 7R, 8R and 9R tractors soon.

Henry says business has only been steady at the dealership, mainly because of the extraordinary rainfall in the region. They are now taking orders for this hay and silage season as their forward-looking inventory policy means that they have machines in stock.

Taking the market by Storm From the people over at Lely comes the news of their new Lely Storm 130 P trailed forage harvester. They say that although it’s new to Lely, it has been proven over many years in Europe as a product of Mengele Agrartechnic AG. High capacity in combination with low maintenance would make this machine attractive to contractors and

new products chris dingle

large farmers.

The 1800 mm wide pick-up has five tine bars with a tine spacing of only 54 mm.

Four intake rollers are claimed to create maximum compression and a reliable and even in-feed of the crop.

The Profi model is equipped with an electronic metal detector on one of the intake rollers to shut down immediately when a metal object is detected.

The 1300mm flywheel with ten knives and five blowing paddles maximises chopping quality and provides a powerful and rapid filling of the trailers.

Lely says low horsepower requirements for chopping and transporting the crop results in significant fuel saving

thanks to the huge flywheel.

The unique onboard hydraulic system provides an independent, accurate oil flow.

A built-in oil pump with its own oil reservoir supplies the hydraulic power for raising the pick-up and reversing the drive and spout rotation.

All parts of the system are fully integrated with electrohydraulic in-cab controls, to help reduce operator fatigue on long working days.

Contact Chris on 0417 735 001 or email chris@springbankfarm.com.au

32

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

machinery & products

Scud water blasters hit local field days circuit The new series of Aussie Scud high pressure water blasters will be displayed at country shows and field days this year.

Manufacturer Australian Pump says the Scuds produce more pressure combined with less flow in order to get cleaning tasks done faster and with less water.

The heart of the system is a ‘Big Berty’ Bertolini triplex pump with ceramic pistons and stainless steel valves.

Scuds are

powered by Honda industrial petrol engines or Yanmar diesel engines with slow speed gearbox drive for smoother operation.

Japanese brand engines have been selected because of their reliability, quality and ease of servicing.

The Aussie Scud features an ergonomic galvanised frame which Australian Pump says is finely balanced to enable operators to move it easily on site.

There is also easy access for routine pump and engine maintenance.

Other products on display this year include the release of the new Aussie QP3310 gusher range.

“This is the 3” pump that thinks it’s a 4” pump,” Australian Pump’s Adrian Fiatarone says.

The new 3” pump offers flows of up to 1600 lpm and pressures up to 100 psi or 70m head.

The company achieved this by designing a range of volute impeller conf ig urat ions

that enable the big pump to deliver maximum efficiency right though the range.

“Like all our Aussie Quik Prime line the new big 3” pump self primes, first time every time,” Fiatarone says.

It can operate with a suction line down as low as 7.6 metres.

The new pump features all of the Aussie Quik Prime features including five-year warranty, huge integrated priming tank and both open and closed impellers.

Depending on the configurations chosen, it is capable of operating in dewatering, water cart, spray irrigation or high pressure water transfer duties.

Other new products including an upgraded version of the Aussie Fire Chief, a light weight portable fire pump, diesel drive versions of pressure cleaners and a wider range of agricultural spray equipment will also be on display.

The range of Aussie Poly pumps for liquid fertiliser handling has also been extended. The range now incorporates 2” and 3” pumps capable of handling flows of up to 1100 litres per minute.

The full product range is available at www.aussiepumps.com.au

Increased driver safety in new Kubota RTVs Kubota Tractor

has released a new version of its RTV utility vehicle range.

The new RTV900XT models are based on the previous RTV900 model released first to the Australian market in 2006.

The new RTV models come standard with a rollover protective structure (ROPS) and seat belts for operator safety.

The RTV900XT is powered by a Kubota tier 4 compliant diesel engines matched to Kubota’s innovative VHT transmission.

This variable hydrostatic transmission means that when the operator puts the machine to work under heavy load conditions a secondary hydraulic pump opens to supply more torque to the wheels and power through the task at hand.

In the RTV900XT, the VHT Plus2, hydrostatic transmission is upgraded with bigger capacity pumps and motors to better perform in the toughest conditions.

A key feature of this type of transmission is its ability to safely control downhill movement through the transmission.

The dynamic braking of the VHT means

that operators can slow the vehicle down using the foot pedal.

As the pedal is released the transmission brakes the vehicle and if the operator removes his foot completely, the vehicle will come to a controlled stop on level ground and on hills depending on the slope.

For serviceability and durability, new stronger drive shafts and grease points have been added to prolong the life of the new RTV900XT. Beside the VHT the RTV900 offers several other features including hydrostatic power steering, selectable 2WD or 4WD, 590kg towing capacity, 500kg carrying capacity in the tipping cargo box which is hydraulically tipped in worksite model.

A new wraparound front grille guard gives better protection to the headlights and front of the RTV. Operator comfort has been improved with a softer moulded seat with a full length wider backrest.

A range of accessories is available from Kubota dealers to fit to the RTV900XT models of utility vehicles.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

33

machinery & products

New Waratah fencing more time efficient

Lely releases new balers comprise of new tines.

Lely Australia will Lely says the Welger RP release three new variable 415 baler is suited for the chamber round balers in farmer market for baling time for the hay season. dry material such as hay The new balers in the and straw and some silage.

Lely Welger RP 415 and Its features are simple RP 445 series produce to use and include a cam bales with diameters less pickup and rotor feed ranging from 0.90-1.6m and the base Control-E and have been trialled to monitor. suit Australian farming The RP 445 series is conditions. available in two main Test machines have versions. The standard RP been trialled in all types of 445 is a rotor feed version hay and silage conditions across Australia for the past two years. The Test machines have information been trialled in all gained from these trials has types of hay and silage contributed to the conditions across development of the new balers.

Australia for the past The major two years. difference between the previous Lely without the cutting device Welger RP 420 and RP but still with the Lely 435 series and the latest Welger Hydro-flexcontrol Lely Welger RP 415 and feed channel floor with RP 445 series is in the cam less pickup as configuration of the standard equipment. pressing chamber which This baler is suitable for allows the balers to achieve users who have large farms a higher compaction and contractors that do pressure, which can be not have the need to chop better controlled. the hay and silage but like An extra roller has also the output of the RP 445 been added to the pressing Master. chamber, improving the The more extensive RP start-up of a new bale.

445 Master version also The Opticlean features the Hydro-flex rollers have been control feed channel upgraded improving the floor and comes with the performance of the Lely Mastercut13 chopping Welger RP 445 in silage system standard. operations.

This model can be As a result, the new net optioned with Xtracut wrap coverage is wider 17 or Xtracut 25 cutting giving the bale a more device which give a shorter proficient finish. cut length for some silage Some new features have conditions. also been added, including Lely says the new baler 2.25 metre “free running design links up with both pick-ups” without cam the Lely Welger RP 245 and track. the RPC 445 Tornado.

These pick-ups are fitted Tel. (03) 5484 4000 with five tine bars which

Cooma based fencing contractor Dan Ward has more than doubled the amount of gateways he can build in a day by using Waratah Ezyslot strainers and AdjustaStay.

These Waratah end assemblies have enabled Ward to say goodbye to using much heavier concrete or timber strainers and steel pipe that needs to be cut on site and then morticed to make a stay.

“They’re unreal to put up – I can do five gateways a day by myself with these Ezyslots and Adjusta-Stays, whereas before even working with someone we’d only get one done in a day most of the time,” he says.

“With timber strainers you have to dig a big hole and bust your guts getting them in and you might only get two strainers in your vehicle at a time, but you can get 20 of these Ezyslots in the back of your vehicle at a time without a worry.”

He says the adjustability of War-

atah’s Adjusta-Stay make it ideal for use in basalt and other soils that are notoriously unstable.

“Having that threaded rod means you can wind the stay in or out to make your post sit properly and if the soil moves, you can adjust it down the track without having to reseat your strainer,” he says.

Since last year, Ward has erected close to 500 end assemblies using the Ezyslot/Adjusta-Stay combination, mostly to enlarge gateways in readiness for large machinery to be used in building Country Energy’s new Bega-toCooma powerline.

While Ezyslot posts still need to be driven up to 900mm deep, they don’t require holes to be dug, unlike timber or concrete strainers do.

Ward says the slimmer dimensions and pointed end of the Ezyslot mean it can nearly always be banged in with a pneumatic post driver alone, rather than having to

Waratah end assemblies reduce time required for fencing.

dig holes by hand or with heavyduty pneumatic or PTO driven tools.

“The beautiful thing about using the Ezyslot and Adjusta-Stay products is they’re failsafe. It all locks together as a unit, and you’re not relying on a stayrock that can move where you don’t want it to

You’ve got to-do lists and can’t-wait-to-do lists. At Case IH we can help you

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Now, for a limited time, purchase a JX or JXU series tractor and we’ll throw in a 4WD Utility Vehicle valued at

and then let your strainer move.

“If the Adjusta-Stay moves you can see what’s gone wrong and adjust it to get your post back to the right angle — it takes the guesswork out of where to position your post before you strain it and you’ve got a good long stay to work with.”

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34

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA // august 2011

motoring Ford releases GT Black limited edition series Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) has released its most limited edition vehicle to date, the GT Black.

Responding to feedback received on the FPV Concept, revealed at this year’s Australian International Motor Show, FPV have taken the popular black-onblack treatment and applied the stealthlooking paintwork to 125 units of the current standard supercharged Boss 335kW GT, creating the FPV GT Black.

“We were totally blown away by the positive feedback received from fans

and show-goers on our Concept,” FPV General Manager Rod Barrett says.

With all black finished styling, black alloy wheels, black tail pipes and allnew matt black striping decals the GT Black will display a striking presence on our roads.

“The FPV GT Black is available in one colour only, so there will be no confusion when it comes to placing an order for colour on this one,” Barrett says.

The limited edition GT Black is powered by an all-aluminium BOSS 335

The GT Black is available in one colour only.

5-litre supercharged engine with a maximum power output of 335kW at 5750rpm, combined with maximum torque of 570Nm delivered across a broad 2200-5500 rpm range.

The newest addition to the FPV sta-

ble will be finished in Silhouette black paintwork and will carry the features of the current GT range plus some extras, including reverse camera and leather seating.

An all-new styling matt black stripe decal will feature on the bonnet, rear wing and body sides, with the black paint treatment also carrying over on to the front and rear bumpers and upper and lower grilles.

The fog lamp bezels have also been made black, as have the exhaust tips,

while completing the exterior will be GT premium five-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels finished in gloss black with black wheel nuts.

Inside the all black theme continues with black leather trim throughout, a black finish around the Interior Command Centre (ICC) unit, tissue box and door spears, and a unique black gear shift badge on manual transmission models.

The recommended Manufacturer’s List Price is $74,290.

New three litre diesel joins BMW X6 line-up BMW Australia has responded to Australian demand for its diesel engines with the introduction of a new entry model to the BMW X6 range: the BMW X6 xDrive30d.

The three-litre straightsix cylinder turbo-diesel engine has already proven successful across the BMW

range, including BMW’s market-leading X5 Sports Activity Vehicle where it accounts for well over half of all X5 sales in Australia.

Demand for BMW diesel technology has soared in recent months with the carmaker selling more diesel than petrol engines in Australia in 2010 for the

BMW sold more diesel than petrol engines in Australia last year.

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Priced at $109,900 (excluding dealer charges, stamp duty, statutory charges and on-road charges), the BMW X6 xDrive becomes the new entry model to the range, broadening the appeal of BMW’s already market-leading xDrive model line-up.

The X6 xDrive30d boasts180kW of power output and peak torque of 540Nm enabling the Sports Activity Coupe to sprint to 100km per hour in 7.5 seconds. At the same time, fuel economy of 7.4litres per 100km is best-in-class.

Like all other models in the X6 line-up, the X6 xDrive30d gets an 8-speed automatic transmission as standard, producing finely tuned gear shift ratios for increased comfort, dynamics and efficiency.

Dynamic Performance Control, which is unique to the BMW X6, is a standard feature on the X6 xDrive30d, giving the Sports Activity Coupé the agility and handling capa-

bilities of a sports car half its size.

The X6 xDrive30d also features a number of BMW Efficient Dynamics technologies including Low Rolling Resistance Tyres, third-generation commonrail diesel technology and Brake Energy Regeneration, making it supremely efficient, without compromising power or performance.

The X6 xDrive30d also sees the introduction of a ‘five-seater’ option with a three-passenger rear seat now available across the X6 range for the first time.

This fifth seat, incorporating a three-point safety belt, retains a centre armrest and the 60:40 folddown split of the rear seats remains unchanged.

Despite its highly-competitive pricing, the BMW X6 xDrive30d offers high standard specification including 19”Star-spoke alloy wheels, Sport Seats, Sports leather steering wheel, BiXenon headlights, and Nevada leather upholstery.

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philip@rpruralengineering.com.au

www.rpruralengineering.com.au

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