“THE STAR” Tuesday, December 6, 2016 - PAGE 41
Farming Insight Hampers to feed farmers HAMPERS for dairy farmers in need were delivered to Leongatha on Sunday, in a project of the Korumburra Leo Club, with local Lions clubs. The goodies were delivered by the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners and the Lions Club of Barooga, and were donated by the Hay Runners, Lions Barooga and Need for Feed. The hampers will be distributed to dairy farmers at a Christmas barbecue at Coal Creek Community Park and Museum at Korumburra this Sunday, December 11, from 10am to 2pm. The event will feature music by Paulie Bignell, comedian Beau Stegmann and free entertainment. Dairy farmers wishing to attend are urged to contact Katie Glassock, Leos club advisor, on 0414 414 055. The Burrumbuttock Hay runners have completed 11 hay runs since 2014 to help farmers in drought affected areas.
Ensure cattle trading is profitable By John Bowman, Agriculture Victoria livestock extension officer, Leongatha. PRIME market prices and store market prices are at an all-time high. So can you make a profit from a cattle trading enterprise? Let’s look at some of the components of a cattle trading business and consider some of the options. Over recent years steer traders have had the advantage where there was a slow constant climb in the prime market price. They were then in a position to take advantage of the store market price easing during mid-winter or the end of summer. However this hasn’t been the case this year as the prices have remained high. Currently any kilogram of live weight that you are able to put onto an animal will attain a high price in the current prime market; the difficulty is replacing that animal once it is sold. The old adage of buying in the same market as you have recently sold in is often spoken about to ensure you have a margin between the finished animal sold and the new lighter animal purchased. Purchasing stock that are in forward store condition that will finish earlier than backward store animals gives a quicker turnaround time and is recommended by some traders. Others prefer buying a younger, smaller animal which has the potential to grow out and gain more weight over a longer period. Heifers may be a good buying option due to a shortage of breeding females resulting from the extra slaughter numbers in recent months. There is also the option of joining heifers and offering them as springing heifers or cows with calves at foot next spring, but this is a longer term option. A shorter term option is to purchase light weight cull beef cows from the “chopper market” and add ex-
Step-up boosts farmers BURRA Foods announced a step-up of 10 cents a kilogram to farmers at its annual Supply Partner Christmas Dinner at Lardner Park last week. The step-up brings the price to $4.65/Kg of milk solids on the average Burra Foods farm. CEO Grant Crothers said he was encouraged by farmers’ optimism, “many of whom are in a good position with lots of good quality feed from our first good spring in recent times”. “I was reminded that this time last year we had already had 10-plus days of 30ºC, yet only two so far this year and no high temperatures on the immediate horizon,” he said. “It seems that with plenty of silage now cut and lots of affordable grain available, the season has been sympathetic to what started out as a low milk price/ break even at the very best year. When there is talk of a chance of a third silage cut, even I recognise that the season is close to ‘made to order’” .
tra kilograms of live weight, then return these cows to the prime market pre-Christmas or early next year. It is surprising how quickly these beef culls freshen up on good spring pastures. Light weight cows bought in at $2.20 per kg of live weight and finished beef cows at $2.60 per kg of live weight based on current day prices, presents a possible margin opportunity. You could do the same sums on well-bred steers yourself and compare the two options. Other options are: • to fully feed the cattle you already have at home and grow them out at a higher weight gain; • cut some silage and hay to utilise excess feed; and
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shorn store lambs will be coming on the market soon and they could finish in six to 10 weeks depending on purchase weight and will give a quick turn around and the conversion of excess spring pasture into saleable lamb live weight will be quite efficient. Key tips to consider: do your sums to make sure there is a proper margin; seek sound market advice, and keep your local stock agent in the loop; cost out the options to ensure you have a margin from the transaction; and keep the stocking rate low to gain more kilograms per animal.
Working together: hampers for dairy farmers were well received in Leongatha on Sunday, in a joint project involving Burrumbuttock Hay Runners, the Lions Club of Barooga and South Gippsland Lions, and Need for Feed.