Dairy News Australia February 2023

WINNER

In a first, an Ayrshire won IDW Supreme Champion PAGE 5

FULFILLING DREAMS

From teacher to farmer

MILES OF SMILES

Zara and Elle Swadesir from Top Shelf Jerseys at Finley had a great time at International Dairy Week with their calf Pasadena Askn Olive. IDW co-directors Declan Patten and Brad Cullen, who only took over running the event last year, were also very happy with the way IDW 2023 panned out. More news and photos, inside.

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Floods hit fodder ow

BY ISABEL DANDO

IN LIGHT of the altered fodder outlook caused by the recent flood events across eastern Australia, Dairy Australia commissioned the Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA) to produce a Fodder Insights Report (spring-summer 2022) to provide a detailed analysis of the current situation and outlook for the coming months.

While the main consequence has been reductions in both the quality and quantity of new-season hay able to be produced, delayed harvest schedules and damage to transport infrastructure are creating flow-on impacts to further complicate the situation.

With high input costs and attractive grain prices turning many away from hay production earlier in the year, the direct and indirect effects of this widespread flooding have compounded an anticipated supply contraction.

It is estimated that this season’s overall production of traded hay/fodder is down to around 30 to 40 per cent of average production levels, with five per cent of vetch estimated to be successfully harvested, and both cereal hay and lucerne hay down to 30 per cent and 40 per cent of average production respectively.

These flood events not only downgraded new-season crops destined for both hay and grain production, but many farmers were also left to contend with waterlogged spring pastures, inundated stored feed and an inability to access paddocks and sow summer forage crops.

Amid this outlook and with higher prices already a reality for many, a lot of growers are holding extra stock on-farm for their own use rather than making it available on the market, further tightening supply.

While the impacts of recent flood events vary across each region, fodder crops across the south-eastern states have been severely flood-affected and many are facing very limited hay and silage production as well as a hesitancy to bring excess supply off-farm.

This shortage of supply contributed to silage becoming the predominant fodder type being produced and sold along the east coast through late spring and into summer.

Across south-east Queensland and northern NSW, expected shortages are being somewhat mitigated by the greater potential of more supply becoming available in autumn, if summer hay crops succeed.

After a mostly promising start to this season, and despite warnings allowing growers to salvage some crops at risk of inundation, parts of South Australia are still facing a reduced production outlook due to interrupted cutting and

baling schedules. This is bringing expectations of both reduced quality and yield.

This is in contrast to southern and central Western Australia, where harvest continues, and a strong supply of hay and silage is expected throughout the region.

Transport costs, however, may hinder the ability of the region to support the eastern states.

With this overarching supply shortfall generating strong demand for dwindling carryover supplies of old-season hay and reduced quality of in-paddock dry feed, prices are expected to continue climbing.

A direct result of limited supply, price inflation is being further amplified by labour shortages and higher transport costs, with current

fuel costs and transport availability contributing to a projected 25 to 50 per cent increase in transport costs overall.

With current prices expected to keep increasing as harvest finishes and stock relying on dry paddock feed start to require supplementary feeding, higher price floors for all fodder types are expected to be a feature in the coming months.

For locally delivered lucerne hay within NSW and Victoria as an example, minimum prices are expected to jump from the current $350-$550/tonne to $600/tonne within the next four to six months.

For more information and to access the full report, contact Isabel Dando on Isabel. dando@dairyaustralia.com.au

Record tractor sales. PG.28

Improving the small things. PG.8

Study inspires young farmer. PG.14

Source: Fodder Insights Report - Spring and Summer 2022 (Australian Fodder Industry Association and Dairy Australia).

It is estimated this season’s overall production of traded hay/fodder is down to around 30 to 40 per cent of average production levels due to flooding.

Industry champion honoured

BY SOPHIE BALDWIN

WHEN MANDY Pacitti’s name was read out as the sixth recipient of the Bette Hall Dairy Award at the Power of Women in Dairy dinner at International Dairy Week recently, she thought it was “totally out of left field”.

But for those who know the South Australian dairy farmer well, the acknowledgement is more than justified.

A passionate advocate, Mandy and her family have unashamedly promoted the dairy industry over the past few decades and have been instrumental in mentoring the next generation, particularly through youth camps and showing.

Alongside Mandy every step of the way has always been her husband, Gino.

“I am fortunate I had a husband who was ahead of his time and encouraged me to improve my leadership skills and experience,” Mandy said.

“He jokes I am like a vortex and suck people in, but we are a team and we work so well together.”

Mandy said it was not very often she was lost for words, and it wasn’t until they were well into reading the speech that she worked out it

she was the recipient.

“They were videoing the presentation because Gino wasn’t there and they had hidden my youngest son behind a banner; I started to get all hot and cold when I worked out it was me.”

Mandy said the Bette Hall Award was the highest acknowledgement for women in dairying.

“I am just so honoured and humbled. The six women before me have all had breeding prowess and while I am not a breeder as such, I have been able to take the award into another direction.”

Mandy is also the first South Australian woman to be given the honour.

“Bette was also from SA so that makes this even more special to me.”

Mandy said most of her contribution to the dairy industry had been through a voluntary capacity and she had received so much back in return.

“Casey Trealor was the MC for the night and when she acknowledged I had truly had a hand in her career, I thought to myself ‘wow, this is why we do what we do’.

“Casey started out participating in our youth camps and it is such an amazing feeling to have

played a significant part in the next generation coming through.”

Mandy said her involvement in the dairy industry had always created so many opportunities, connections and networks.

“We have been the poster family for many of the milk companies we have supplied over the years and we have a tonne of great photos and memories.

“I remember one year Dairy Farmers hired John Farnham’s official photographer to come out and take some photos. He was meant to be at our place for a couple of hours but ended up staying all day and even had tea with us.”

She said when Murray Goulburn went belly up, Gino in solidarity was on the steps of Parliament House with a cow showing his support.

“There have been so many up and downs but one thing that hasn’t changed is our love for the cows and the next generation of this industry.”

And the win has certainly pepped Mandy up for a few more years yet.

She said she was driving to International Dairy Week after missing out on last year’s event and questioning whether or not it was time to start taking a step back.

TWO COWS TAKE TOP PRICE AT IDW

A young Holstein from the Eclipse Princess family, and an Illawarra heifer, topped the International Dairy Week auction at $21,000 on Wednesday, January 18.

Eclipse Moovin Princess 6th-ET, born in July 2020, was sold by Richard Hull and snapped up by the Peatling family from Katunga.

She had calved in October.

The Illawarra heifer, Eagle Park Theo Pamela, born in January 2022, sold to Wootanga Park, Orford.

The second highest priced lot, Elmar Mirand Farlex 4688-Red-PO, was also bought by the Peatling family for $20,000. It was a busy night for the Peatlings, who purchased three more lots

from the sale.

A heifer, Windy Ways CCC Casino Dawn, was sold by Cherrylock and Frank Walsh for $18,000 to Perretts from Kongwak.

The Holstein cow, Lightning Ridge CMD Thunder, sold for $18,000 to Scott Sommerville from Timmering.

KB Cash Pty Ltd, from Lancaster,

“This year we had some young girls step up and organise the youth team, leaving me with more of a mentoring role for them, which was just wonderful.

“I guess this win just shows you are never too old to make a difference and it has certainly renewed a bit of my vigour to keep moving forward.”

purchased a heifer, Impression FCG Ferdinand Rosel, for $17,000.

A Brown Swiss cow sold by Tandara Genetics at Dingee, Tandara Bosephus Heidi 318, sold for $17,000 to G. & A. Meyland from Waaia.

The Dairy Livestock Services sale, headed by auctioneer Brian Leslie, averaged $9631.

Lightning Ridge CMD Thunder sold for $18,000 to a Timmering purchaser at the International Dairy Week auction.

About 400 people witnessed the ST Genetics auction at IDW.

Winner of this year’s Bette Hall Award at International Dairy Week is Mandy Pacitti (left) from Misty Brae Holsteins, Hindmash Hills, South Australia. Mandy is pictured with Power of Women in Dairy dinner MC Casey Trealor.

Holstein Eclipse Moovin Princess 6th-ET brought an equal top price at the IDW sale at $21,000.

Ayrshire is best of the best

BY SOPHIE BALDWIN

THE FIRST time Karl Munden ever laid eyes on Paschendaele Klassy Tri Time he was a goner.

“She was a tall and stylish young cow and I just thought she had such a big future ahead of her,” Karl said.

“She really appealed to me from the start and there was something in her that I really wanted to work with and develop.”

At the time, the Ayrshire was being shown by Steve Eagles at International Dairy Week in 2022, and Karl offered to buy her.

“I approached Steve about selling her but he wasn’t interested,” Karl said.

“Luckily when he got home he had a change of heart and I was then able to buy a half share and we moved her up with us in July last year.”

Karl knew Klassy was good, but he had know idea the three-year-old would go on to make history at IDW the following year, when she became the first ever Ayrshire to be crowned Supreme Champion Cow and the first ever intermediate cow to take the top honour.

From the moment she stepped into the IDW ring at Tatura on Ayrshire day last month, Klassy Tri Time’s balance and wonderful mammary system set her apart from every other cow in the ring and the judges were all blown away.

“Our expectations for her were high and we thought she had a good shot at intermediate champion but to get her back up and to see her win supreme champion was just an amazing experience for us all, and something we thought would never have been possible,” Karl said.

“She is such an easy and cruisy cow to work with and nothing fazes her — she never kicks up a fuss.”

In the lead up to dairy week, Klassy won

the Gippsland On Farm competition and placed in the top five Leading Edge On Farm Competition in her class.

When she is at home Klassy is just treated as another cow, although she does hang out in the high production herd with all the other show cows so she doesn’t have to walk too far.

The Munden family milks 650 cows at Nilma North in Gippsland.

The herd is comprised of 200 Ayrshires with the rest Holsteins and crossbreeds, and is split into three — a spring and autumn calving herd and the elite herd.

A DAIRY WEEK TO REMEMBER

International Dairy Week 2023 will always be remembered as the Ayrshire show, after three-year-old Intermediate Champion Paschendaele Klassy Tri Time took the ring by storm and created history, winning Supreme Champion Cow and Intermediate Champion Interbreed.

IDW co-director Declan Patten said it was a proud moment for the Ayrshire breed and topped off an outstanding 2023 show, the first free of COVID-19 in three years.

Mr Patten said this year’s event was extremely well supported, with 950 entries

across the different breeds.

“The quality of cattle was extraordinary and a credit to the exhibitors who put months and months of work into getting their animals ready,” he said.

Mr Patten and his business partner Brad Cullen only took over running the event last year and were very happy with the way 2023 panned out.

“This year we implemented a lot of new initiatives which were successful and well supported and included showmanship and fitting clinics for the youth, a food truck

Karl has always had an affinity for the Ayrshire breed.

“My grandad managed Ayrshire herds in England and my family had one of the record-holding Ayrshire cows in New Zealand so I guess I just caught the bug and I like to do things a bit different to everyone else.”

Showing has always been an integral part of Karl’s dairy career.

He loves the challenge of working with good cows and getting them up to where they need to be to compete at a national level and, while the win is still sinking in, Karl said they weren’t

festival and the trade show was back on the oval with over 30 partners involved,”

Mr Patten said.

He said it was great to have international judges back on the scene, along with international photographer Julie Ashton from Cowsmopolitan Dairy.

“We are increasing our online presence through social media and it is amazing to think within seconds people all over the world can view our images, videos and what we are doing here at IDW.

“This will only make IDW bigger and

rushing any decisions.

“We are looking at her options for the future but our main priority has been just to get her back home and allow her to relax and her do her job as a cow.”

Karl said spending time away from the farm at International Dairy Week wouldn’t have been possible without his father Adrian and brother Tony, who kept things ticking over on the farm.

“My partner Imogen Steiner helps out with the show team and she has been wonderful as well,” he said.

better in the future.”

And while the show is always about the cows, two industry stalwarts were recognised for their outstanding contributions — Mandy Pacciti from South Australia was awarded the Power of Women in Dairy award, while Mark Patullo received the Lex Bunn award.

The Sheri Martin Youth Showmanship class intermediate winner was Abbie Hanks.

For a list of winners, visit the International Dairy Week Facebook page or website.

The Supreme Champion Cow at International Dairy Week was three-year-old Ayrshire Paschendaele Klassy Tri Time owned by Karl Munden and Imogen Steiner, of Munden Farms at Nilma North in Gippsland, and Ellen Zell and Steve Eagles, from Gooloogong, NSW.

Photo: Sophie Baldwin

Teacher fulfils dairy dream

BY RICK BAYNE

RUSSELL MOYLE turned to dairy farming in his early 50s after a long career as a teacher. His son Henry is following in his footsteps (see page 8).

Some people buy a car, dye their hair or take a big holiday to celebrate their 50th birthday — teacher Russell Moyle bought a dairy farm.

Russell grew up on a wheat and sheep farm in the Mallee, in Victoria, and his mother milked half-a-dozen house cows, but his farming dreams were thwarted.

The third of three boys, Russell didn’t have an opportunity to stay on the family farm despite his keenness and instead had a short stint in the army before becoming a physical education teacher.

But he never lost his desire to be a farmer.

During his first teaching appointment at Trafalgar in Gippsland, he met his future wife Cherie Kilpatrick, now Camperdown College principal, and they bought a small parcel of farming land at Willow Grove.

“I was running beef and then built myself a little four-a-side dairy and started raising dairy heifers to export to China,” Russell said.

“I was milking six cows and feeding 30-odd heifers before I’d go and teach.”

In 2006, they moved to Bright where Cherie secured an assistant principal position and leased the Willow Grove land to a local dairy farmer.

“Cherie was always a career teacher and loved it,” Russell said.

“I’d like to think I did a good job of teaching and gave it my all, but it was never the love of my life.”

Russell got a job teaching at Wangaratta and later moved to Bright before working in the forestry industry for two years.

In 2010, they moved to Derrinallum and Russell worked on a station before going back to teaching.

In 2014, they bought their 70ha farm at Glenormiston and sold the Gippsland land.

The dairy hadn’t been milked in for six years. Russell took the front part of the farm and leased the back area to a neighbour.

“The dairy was non-functional but I got it and up and running to milk a few cows and raise calves again,” Russell said.

“It wasn’t good enough to milk for human consumption but I bought about 10 choppers and started raising calves and selling to China again.”

He did that for 12 months and at the end of 2015, as he was turning 50, Russell decided it was “now or never” for his farming career.

“I said to Cherie if I wait any longer, I’ll be too old.”

It was a good time to buy equipment and cows in the wake of bad seasons and clawbacks.

Russell was introduced to farm consultant Kevin Maher, and he clicked with his philosophy of a seasonally-based milking program

with minimal inputs.

Never a fan of Friesians because they’re too big, Russell opted for a Kiwi cross to suit his seasonal grass-fed system.

“The Kiwi cross is a magnificent animal — a medium-sized cow that chases grass, not grain,” he said.

“I try to run a cow in the middle between the Friesian and the Jersey.”

Russell was still teaching full-time but bought 42 cows in 2016. It was a baptism by fire.

“They were older cows and very susceptible to milk fever. I was still teaching full-time, milking the cows and they had milk fever and high cell count but I got through it.”

After a year of mixing full-time teaching with farming, Russell went to 0.8 teaching and grew to 68 cows.

“Things settled down in the second year because I did lead feeding and learnt to manage the cell count a lot better.”

Because of the clawbacks, a lot of farmers had left the industry. Russell purchased a disused 22-a-side swingover with cup removers and feed system, pulled it apart and brought it back to the farm and reassembled it.

“It’s still fairly basic but it covers what I need,” he said.

“I gutted my dairy, took out everything and re-fitted it all. When you grow up in the Mallee you tend to do things for yourself.

“Once it was ready, I got Scanlan Dairy Service in for the final check and they gave it the tick of approval.”

In 2018, Russell cut back to two days a week teaching at Derrinallum and expanded to about 100 cows. Apart from his brother helping during harvest, Russell did everything.

“It was like a nine-day week,” he joked.

In 2020 he resigned from teaching and purchased an out-block with his self-managed super fund.

“It was pretty tight here. I was cutting other blocks for hay on a share basis for feed but the block allowed me to run more,” Russell said.

“I don’t believe in using contractors if you can do it yourself, and because of my size they’ll only come here when they can fit it in.

“I understand that, but with silage, when it’s ready to go it has to be done.

“It forced me to buy all my own machinery and be self-sufficient. I do everything myself except make the tracks.”

Russell revived most of the paddocks.

“I’d like to think I’ve made massive improvements.

“It was basically a farm of barley grass but I embarked on a renovation program. I spray and cut a paddock of barley grass for silage as early as I can get on it.

“It goes into a summer crop and then the following autumn it is under-drilled with an annual rye-grass, cut for silage and sprayed a second time, and the next autumn I go back to a perennial rye-grass.

“After next autumn, I’ll only have three more paddocks to do. The rye-grass is much better — no comparison. As soon as they get on the paddocks of barley grass you can see production fall.”

Learning silage was a new skill and for three successive years Russell had the highest percentage of protein in feed tests conducted by his feed company.

“That’s because I can get on the ground when I need to,” he said.

“A benefit of this volcanic ground is that I can usually get on it in September or early October.”

Now when drying off in mid-March, all cows go to the out-block. Three weeks before calving they come home and go on lead feed and into the calving paddock.

He feeds 3kg/day for the entire lactation.

“My feed system is adequate but it’s difficult to change the amount. I’m okay with that and can still make a good margin.”

The cows produce around 500kg — at least their bodyweight — with about five per cent fat and 3.5 to 3.8 protein.

After initially supplying Warrnambool Cheese and Butter, Russell moved to ACM for three years but more recently joined South West Dairy Ltd, a group of local farmers who pooled their resources to negotiate a better price.

Russell would like to expand and hopes to lease another out-paddock and grow to 125 cows.

In the long-term, he’d like to help his sharefarming son Henry to expand in the industry.

“Ideally if Henry could buy something around here, we could work together. I think we’d make a good team.”

Better late than never, Russell loves his new career.

“I love working with the animals. If you’re going to milk them, they might as well be good ones, and I think I have a good herd.

“My only regret is not doing it 30 years ago.”

Editor

Dairy

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

Contributions and photos can be sent to: editor@dairynewsaustralia.com.au

Letters to the editor on topical issues are also welcome.

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

“My only regret is not doing it 30 years ago,” Russell Moyle says.

The Kiwi cross herd is producing well on the Glenormiston farm.

Despite a later start to this season, Russell has plenty of home-grown feed after his major renovation program.

Russell Moyle refitted the old dairy to get it up and running after six years of inactivity. “When you grow up in the Mallee you tend to do things for yourself,” Russell says.

Russell Moyle admits he has favourites in his herd but makes sure all cows are well fed and cared for.

FARMERS’ HAPPINESS

“Dairy farming can be a tough job. Keeping an eye on your herd, trying to maintain solid numbers year after year, keeping up with everchanging regulations. So why work harder when you can work smarter? “We’ve been on the farm for 25 years, and we started working with CowManager in September 2020. It’s definitely something I cannot imagine farming without now”

EUGENE REA, CHILDERS COVE HOLSTEINS, VICTORIA

“I CANNOT IMAGINE FARMING WITHOUT IT.”

Improving the little things

BY RICK BAYNE

HENRY MOYLE might be relatively new to dairy farming, but he’s keen on making a mark.

Henry and his partner Zarli Dalton, along with their young daughter Nelly, are sharefarmers with Duncan and Ian Morris near Cobden in south-west Victoria.

One of Henry’s main priorities is to improve the little things — and to reduce the size of some of the bigger things.

The farm milks 275 three-way crosses of Montbéliarde, Aussie Red and Holstein — but Henry is keen to introduce a Kiwi FriesianJersey cross to the mix.

“We have great cows health-wise but they’re really big cows and on a hilly farm like this that can be difficult,” he said.

“I’m quite passionate about having smaller cows.”

They are considering adding a Kiwi FriesianJersey cross to the mix.

About 20 per cent of the 242-hectare farm — which expanded from an original Soldier Settlement block — doesn’t get much use because it’s too hilly or rocky, though the hilly land helped to ease flooding after this spring’s heavy rain.

Always looking to improve things, Henry is also introducing a probiotic to the dairy feed. “Because we’re feeding so much grass, hopefully the probiotic will slow down the passage through the rumen to utilise more of that grass which will help with the fat percentage,” he said.

“It also has good health outcomes in terms of lameness, mastitis and improved fertility, even though that’s not an issue with us.”

The Australian Probiotic Solutions addition will be mixed in the next load of grain — the only feed brought onto the farm. To pay for it, the cows only have to produce an extra four kilos of solids per year.

Henry and Zarli have been on the farm since April 2021 on a one-third share. They both provide labour, and over the past year have employed a part-time relief milker.

After leaving school, Henry studied agricultural science at University of Melbourne but left early and worked in banking, beef, sheep and cropping before moving to Marcus Oldham College to study the business side of farming.

He also spent a year on a dairy farm at Dixie and his father, Russell, bought a dairy farm at Glenormiston after retiring as a school teacher.

“We had a look at everything — beef, sheep, cropping, chickens, piggeries — but there are good opportunities in dairy to get in on a share basis instead of working for a wage,” Henry said.

“We found out about the sharefarming opportunity through word-of-mouth from family friends and we’ve settled here.”

Duncan and Ian grew up on the original 60ha and bought some neighbouring farms and built a new 26-a-side herringbone dairy about 12 years ago, to allow a family member to sharefarm.

Henry and Zarli pay one-third of the grain,

nitrogen and electricity and take one-third of the milk cheque.

They are discussing with the owners about potentially purchasing the herd at the end of this season and moving to a 50:50 share.

“That’s the next step for us,” Henry said.

“Ideally, we could do that for a couple of years and pay them off and then look towards leasing.

“It’s a long-term plan for us. We have a really good relationship with the owners.”

They share the brothers’ focus on profitability, with a low-input seasonal system, matching calving and lactations to grass growth.

They calve from mid-May for 12 weeks and focus on home-grown feed.

“I’ll feed about 500 to 600 kilos of grain per cow this year and that’s the only purchased feed; we don’t buy any hay,” Henry said.

“We don’t calve out of season so we don’t have to buy-in feed. For us starting off, it’s highly profitable and low-risk.

“Feed prices are still high but if the milk price drops, we know we can still be profitable because we have a big margin.”

Henry admits they have picked a great time to start in dairy, with strong prices and good seasons, despite a tough six weeks at the end of winter last year when it wouldn’t stop raining.

Alongside 22 like-minded farmers, they supply SW Dairy Limited (SWDL), of which Duncan Morris was a founding director.

SWDL has a long-term relationship with ProviCo and the milk is processed at their Dennington factory.

“It’s great to be part of that,” Henry said.

“The fundamentals of that group are about encouraging young farmers and getting fairness in the milk price.

“Every supplier gets paid the same price per kilo of milk solids — it doesn’t matter how big you are or whether you’re seasonal.

“It’s the same price every day of the year and it works well for our system.”

SWDL pays the same for a kilo of fat and protein.

“Montes and Reds don’t have great fat percentages and that’s why we’re looking at the Kiwi cross cows,” Henry said.

“My dad milks them and all year he’s constantly one per cent higher in components than we are.

“We all learn from each other. My dad and I talk every day on the phone and both know what’s going on each other’s farms.”

Henry and Zarli continue to look for little improvements and efficiencies through breeding.

“There’s nothing sexy about our system,” he said.

“It was what everyone was doing 50 years ago and it worked then and it works now.”

Fertility is a priority and the results speak for themselves.

“Being seasonal, we have to get cows back in calf,” Henry said.

“We’ve got a seven per cent empty rate this year which is pretty good. We have really good AI results this year and will have over half the herd calving in the first two weeks.”

Sensors and Heat Detection

Henry Moyle is keen to improve the little things and progress in the dairy industry.

The farm has a three-way cross herd and Henry is keen to introduce a Kiwi FriesianJersey cross to the mix.

Much of the farm is hilly, making it difficult for larger cows.

Henry and Zarli, with their new daughter Nelly, see a long-term future in dairying.

Focusing on future leaders

BY JEANETTE SEVERS

INTERNATIONAL DAIRY Week is often a family activity, involving generations of the same family and their connections, just as at many local and district shows.

People help each other, with clipping, transporting, training and looking after cattle.

There is also a lot of mentoring that goes on between generations.

Justin Johnston, from Glomar Holsteins, at Bundalaguah in Victoria’s Gippsland region, is one of these people.

Justin and his parents, Robert and Lynette, have successfully exhibited Holstein cows and heifers at IDW for decades. The family has accumulated a large number of champion and reserve champion ribbons at IDW and other shows.

Justin was selected to represent Australia’s Holstein Youth at the World Holstein Friesian

Federation Conference, in March 2016.

Since then, Justin has given back to the dairy industry, and the Holstein sector in particular, organising and supporting camps and development opportunities for youth.

He has also been involved with teaching all aspects of showing, feeding and breeding to youth at IDW.

The youth camp occurs in the days before IDW and the participating 10-member teams are given a Holstein heifer to prepare and show.

This year, Justin also assisted Mitchell and Lyndsay Fleming, of Impression prefix, by transporting their Jersey cattle to IDW, and helping them with readying their cows and heifers for show.

An Impression cow won the Intermediate Champion Jersey and a heifer received an Honourable Mention in the Junior Champion Jersey class.

“I’m encouraging local people to develop an identity as a Gippsland team, across all breeds. We can all help each other,” Justin said.

This year, 11 teams (10 people in a team), including a team from New Zealand, participated in the youth challenge at IDW.

“The teams undertake 12 months of learning that culminates at IDW,” Justin said.

“They participate in on farm training days organised by dairy breed sub-branches.

“They learn about veterinary care of their animals, how to clip, lead and judge them.

“The youth teams also go to local shows and royal shows and take on the feedback they receive at each event.”

The age of each youth team member ranges from eight years old to 22. The teams are represented by youth from all over Australia — in the past couple of years, their opportunities to get together and practise their skills have been hampered by the pandemic restrictions and flooding.

Heifers are donated to each team at IDW by Brent Mitchell from Mitch Holsteins, at Bamawm, in northern Victoria.

With Lely, you get the full package. We value building personal relationships with farmers and provide support that ranges from help with barn and shed designs, to on-farm assistance from our Technical Support and Farm Management Support teams. So don’t just go with robotic milking, instead gain a complete milking solution for your farm.

For farmer stories: www.lely.com/au/your-story or to speak to us directly call (03) 9394 1090

Don’t just invest in a milking robot…

With Lely, you get the full package. We value building personal relationships with farmers and provide support that ranges from help with barn and shed designs, to on-farm assistance from our Technical Support and Farm Management Support teams. So don’t just go with robotic milking, instead gain a complete milking solution for your farm.

For farmer stories: www.lely.com/au/your-story or to speak to us directly call (03) 9394 1090

Justin Johnston is involved with teaching all aspects of showing, feeding and breeding to youth at International Dairy Week.

Part of the crew representing the Holstein Australia northern Victorian team (from left, front) Dakota Robertson, Isla Robertson, Cooper Fisher, (back) Scarlett Bawden, Mikaela Daniels and Abbey Robinson. Dakota and Isla were not entered in the arena competition. “We’re the support crew,” they told Dairy News Australia.

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“Now we have got herd test information every time a cow is being milked.”

“Now we have got herd test information every time a cow is being milked.”

“The team at Mitch Holsteins break in the heifers to lead and transport them to IDW. They’ve been providing the heifers for a long time,” Justin said.

This year’s three judges were all graduates of the youth program, and gained a lot of knowledge and skills as participants in the Young Breeders tour of Belgium and Holland in 2022.

The Young Breeders Tour encompasses a school in Belgium and farm tours in Holland, and is an opportunity for participants to gain friendships within the dairy industry from across the world.

The Young Breeders School is an annual five-day event run by the Association Wallone de l’Elevage in Belgium. It involves hands-on workshps including bedding, showmanship

and clipping, with classroom-based sessions including marketing and herd promotion.

After three days of workshops and practice, participants demonstrate their skills in stock judging, showmanship and calf classes.

In 2022, the Australian Young Breeders School team was Courtney Afford, Andrew Gray, Nathan Hart, Georgie Sieben and Kaitlyn Wishart.

“To be selected, they have to be the best in their field at the time they apply,” Justin said.

“They all participated in the youth challenge at IDW in previous years.”

As well as organising and chaperoning teams and the calendar of events, Justin also works with Holstein Australia to raise funds to support the youth development activities.

This is alongside his own responsibilities

on-farm and in the stud, as well as spending time with his young family.

But he is passionate about giving back to the dairy industry, and has developed the existing youth program by initiating the Young Breeders School tour and an annual exchange opportunity with the United Kingdom.

“I probably put in a couple of hours a week for the whole year — probably 100 hours for the whole year.

“I get enjoyment out of seeing the kids grow. Our family involvement in IDW has always been positive.”

At IDW 2023, the youth team judged best afield is from northern Victoria.

“It was great to see so many kids get involved again,” Justin said.

“There was a lot of interaction between participants and judges, about how to lead, prepare and clip their animals for the show.”

Matilda Cole, 15, from Wagga Wagga in the youth judging competition at IDW.

Chelsea Schutz, 11, from Joanna in South Australia, was dwarfed by the Holstein heifer in the clipping competition at International Dairy Week. She is the daughter of Belinda and Glen Schutz and was the youngest in the South Australian team.

Lukas Robertson from Yarroweyah wields the clippers on a heifer during the youth show at IDW.

Hannah Kuhl (left) from Mt Gambier is pictured in the stalls with Dekota Hindsmarsh from Cowra and her young Jersey heifer. Dekota was showing the 14-month-old heifer, which is part of her Appletree Jerseys stud.

Dairy jobs board launched

TO HELP tackle the sector’s continuing labour shortage, Dairy Australia has launched a new Dairy Farm Jobs Board.

The online jobs board at dairyjobsmatter. com.au enables farmers to list job vacancies and reach jobseekers who are exploring the benefits of dairy farming.

Aimed at farmers and job seekers, the Dairy Farm Jobs Board is free and easy to use.

“For farmers ready to start advertising for new workers, it’s as quick and easy as submitting an online form with job vacancy details including any links to any existing online advertisements,” Dairy Australia’s Verity Ingham said.

“And for jobseekers, if you like working

with animals, working outdoors, seek career progression, job variety and training and want job security — visit the online jobs board to see if there's something for you.”

The Dairy Farm Jobs Board complements

Dairy Australia’s broader Workforce Attraction program.

The program includes a new national marketing campaign aimed at jobseekers to promote the benefits of working in dairy farming and encouraging Australians to explore a job in dairy.

To date, the campaign has attracted more than 200,000 people to the website.

It also includes a focus on increased careers education for school students on job

INPUT SECURITY IN SPOTLIGHT

The secure supply of critical farming inputs such as fuel, fertilisers and chemicals is vital to ensuring long-term food security, according to industry representative body GrainGrowers.

In its submission to the House Standing Committee on Agriculture’s Inquiry into Food Security in Australia, GrainGrowers said recent climate-related disasters and COVID-19 had demonstrated the vulnerability of agricultural production supply chains.

The group also highlighted the urgency of government action needed to prevent future disruption.

GrainGrowers chairman Rhys Turton said that while the previous focus on transportation issues was important, the disruption of critical supplies to farmers had exposed a potential threat to food security.

“With Australia exporting approximately 70 per cent of its agricultural production, we have historically been considered one of the most food-secure countries in the world,” Mr Turton said.

“Even during extended periods of drought, domestic grain production has exceeded domestic demand.”

The submission detailed several risk

Same Cows. Same Pasture.

opportunities in dairy farming and career pathways.

Dedicated staff in dairy regions called Workforce Attraction Regional Leads also help connect farmers seeking workers with the networks used by jobseekers.

In addition, two new initiatives for farmers to support people management skills are being piloted called ‘Farming with My Team’ and ‘Managing People 1:1 Support’.

Farmers can contact one of Dairy Australia’s regional Workforce Attraction leads for employment support and help connecting with jobseeker networks, and for additional resources to help promote dairy farming jobs, visit: dairyaustralia.com.au/people

factors, including fuel security, access to chemicals and fertiliser, biosecurity, climate change and transport infrastructure.

“While consumers may take fuel for granted, Australia has just two refineries, imports nearly 91 per cent of supplies and has just 54 days of fuel available,” Mr Turton said.

“Australia needs reliable fuel reserves, and agriculture needs to be recognised as an essential user.”

Under the Liquid Fuel Emergency Act, agricultural industries are not guaranteed access to fuel as an essential user.

One

employers.

There were also concerns over the highly concentrated supply chain for chemicals and fertilisers and the need for exploring domestic production.

Mr Turton compared the Federal Government’s recent willingness to promote the domestic manufacture of a diesel exhaust additive to aid the transport industry with the need for similar attention to agricultural chemicals and fertilisers.

“Such domestic production will provide local employment opportunities, shorten the supply chain and reduce risks associated with supply chain disruptions,” he said.

in two dairy farmers are seeking people to work on-farm so Dairy Australia has launched a new online jobs board to match workers with

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Focus on the future

BREEDING AND genetic improvement could help the dairy industry boost its sustainability credentials to meet market expectations, now, and into the future.

That’s what Bega Cheese executive chairman Barry Irvin will tell Herd’23 delegates in Bendigo in March.

“Solutions to debates around emissions and environmental footprints will be multifaceted and one solution will be having a very efficient converter of low value inputs, such as grass and grain, into high value products like milk,” he said.

“That’s where genetics plays an important role.”

As head of one of Australia’s largest dairy and food companies and with a long family history of dairy farming in the Bega Valley, Mr Irvin will share his unique insights about consumer expectations of sustainability in the dairy supply chain and what this could mean for dairy farmers.

Sustainability will be a key theme for the biennial conference off the back of the release of DataGene’s Sustainability Index in August 2022.

The Sustainability Index is a tool to help dairy farmers breed cows with reduced emissions intensity.

Mr Irvin will explain to the Herd’23 audience that tackling sustainability challenges such as methane emissions will be as important for the future on-farm as it will be for growing and maintaining product markets.

But will a focus on sustainability deliver a premium for dairy farmers?

This eye to the future and a desire to ensure the sustainability of dairy and other agricultural industries in the NSW Bega Valley is why Mr Irvin and Bega Cheese have led the establishment of the Regional Circularity Co-operative.

“Circulatory” is about using a resource more than once to reduce waste.

One example, yet to begin, is the investigation of growing the methane-reducing asparagopsis seaweed in the ponds of wastewater from cheese production at Bega Cheese.

Mr Irvin said the concept would guarantee an additional use for the salty water.

Examples of “circulatory” already in action include the pairing of a free-range chicken and dairy farmer.

This arrangement enabled the chicken farmer to expand their enterprise, while the dairy farmer received fertiliser.

Hear more at Herd’23 in Bendigo on March 15 and 16.

ɋ For more information, visit: https://www. ivvy.com.au/event/Herd23/home.html

Genetics could offer dairy farmers and the wider industry solutions to sustainability challenges such emissions and environmental concerns, according to Bega Cheese executive chairman Barry Irvin. He will speak at the DataGene Herd’23 conference in March.

Study inspires young farmer

RACHAEL MCGRATH has taken on many challenges in her farming life — but returning to study has inspired her to do even more.

Already managing the family farm at Orford in Tasmania and investing in her own cows and sheep, Rachael is now looking at purchasing land.

“I want to try to get the ball moving now and start investing in land,” she said.

“I do like a challenge.”

Rachael previously completed a Certificate IV through RIST before taking on management of the family farm at just 25.

Now, with the support of a DemoDAIRY Foundation scholarship, Rachael has completed her two-year Diploma of Agriculture.

She says the course made her a better farm manager and inspired her to look at more opportunities.

The farm milks a peak of 300 cows and Rachael owns 30 milkers and has about 30 heifers to join this year.

With her brother Leo no longer working on the farm, cow numbers have been reduced, but Rachael — with help from her parents Anne and Eddie and uncle Andrew — also farm 350 sheep.

However, the investment in sheep is still secondary to dairy.

“I had some spare money and could buy more sheep than I could cows,” Rachael said.

“We have 350 in total and I own 50 per cent and this year we have nearly 400 lambs and I own half of them.

“However, the main income source is still

dairy. Things are going well there so I’m thinking about dropping back on sheep numbers and milking more cows.”

Rachael said she wanted to return to study to broaden her knowledge of farming.

“I really like the agronomy side of things and wanted to brush up on that, but the course was so much broader than that,” she said.

“It was invaluable in teaching me how to manage staff and to implement policies and procedures.

“Farming is not just milking cows; it’s all the book work that goes with it.”

Rachael said the diploma complemented her on-farm knowledge.

“Obviously, day-to-day stuff is different but it was important to wrap my head around the theory behind it.

“That’s why I wanted to do the course. I’m definitely in a better position to run the farm now. The diploma has really helped me to realise how much is involved.”

Rachael said the DemoDAIRY Foundation scholarship gave her extra incentive to study.

“It made it so much easier,” she said.

“I think a scholarship holds you accountable. You have responsibility to someone else so it makes your work harder.

“It isn’t just for me; it’s also for DemoDAIRY Foundation.”

DemoDAIRY Foundation has a variety of scholarships and grants available. Visit https:// www.demodairy.com.au/scholarships-andgrants/ for more information.

With the support of a DemoDAIRY Foundation scholarship, Rachael McGrath has completed her two-year Diploma of Agriculture.

Photo: James Braszell Photography

Getting city kids into ag

BORN AND raised in the city with no farming experience, Holly Chandler’s love for the environment and biology drew her towards a degree in agriculture.

The 23-year-old is one of the thousands of city kids needed to fill workforce gaps in farming.

“I was wanting to make some sort of change and be able to follow my passions,” Holly said.

“Despite not knowing anything about the ag industry, I kind of took a leap of faith and started my degree.”

An Australian Farm Institute report has found there are more than 5000 entry-level positions available in agriculture but less than 900 students to fill them.

Jim Pratley from Charles Sturt University led the research and said more needed to be done to encourage students like Holly into the sector.

Prof Pratley said part of the problem was that careers advisers were turning students away based on data suggesting a shortage of jobs. The figures combine agriculture and the environment.

“Separately agriculture has full employment and environment has 35 per cent unemployment,” he said.

“Put them together and it comes out at 30 per cent unemployment.”

With the number of people studying agriculture at university well below what is needed, the push is on to get city students interested.

Barker College in Sydney is trying to engage students early in their schooling.

Agriculture classes at the north-shore school have grown from four to 23 in the past 10 years.

The school’s head of agriculture, Scott Graham, received the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science in 2021 for his work getting more students engaged.

Jenna Wright, 22, is one former student now studying agriculture at the University of Sydney.

It was during her time at Barker College that her passion for agriculture was ignited.

Jenna said despite not having connections other country kids might have, the opportunities were endless.

“There are so many different pathways you can take with it,” she said.

An agricultural scholarship is helping to pave the way for Jenna, who recently finished a work placement harvesting research crops.

A research paper published last year highlighted the lack of understanding about agriculture among Australian students.

With more than 5000 Australian primary and secondary students interviewed, it was the largest ever survey of its kind.

Amy Cosby from Central Queensland University led the study.

“What this study shows is that there is still that really strong perception that to work in agriculture you need to be a farmer,” Dr Cosby said.

“I want to make sure that young people understand all the careers that are available to them. We need to have a lot more support for agricultural programs and also ag teachers and people training ag teachers as well.”

Dr Cosby also leads a project exposing students to the industry through farm visits and other activities.

“The earlier that you expose them to agriculture, the better chance we have.”

Born in the city but finding a career in the country is Holly Chandler.

New sires for working cows

A NEW line of sires, introduced to the commercial market by St Jacobs under the name Linear Choice, prioritises function, balance and health.

The line has been available in Japan and France since May and will become available to more countries in coming months through the ABS Global channels.

Bulls in the Linear Choice line-up must meet strict criteria established by St Jacobs manager Brian Behnke.

Some of the 17 criteria include factors such as:

ɋ More than 272kg milk, positive components.

ɋ More than 18kg of protein.

ɋ Between +0.4 and +2.0 stature.

ɋ Less than 2.9 somatic cell count

ɋ No haplotypes.

ɋ No major health problems.

ɋ Good daughter fertility.

Brian said it could be difficult to find bulls that met the strict criteria.

He has been buying bulls that fit the criteria

for 18 months.

“Our goal is to create a global supply, consisting of 25 available bulls,” he said.

“The ABS business was missing a key segment — bulls that were roughly a point to a point-and-a-half on PTAT and udder.

“But I didn’t just want that type, I wanted complete cows that worked hard, were healthy and functional, making cows that will work and last.”

Marcus Rees from ABS Australia said Linear

Choice sires had created great interest among his main accounts.

“With their faultless type profile, positive health and production traits, I can confidently put the Linear Choice Sires in front of any client I have,” Marcus said.

Demand for the new line of sires has exceeded expectations, even before the global release.

When it was still being designed, projections were 100,000 conventional units and more than 30,000 sexcel (sexed) units. Since then, projected demand has grown to 300,000 conventional units and 200,000 units of sexcel.

Brian said Linear Choice was a good option for commercial farmers.

“I believe this product line fits what dairymen are looking for — balanced cows that are not too big or too small, that mature and develop and make a dairyman’s life easier by requiring less attention,” he said.

“This product line fits all markets and management styles — grazing herds to tie-stall herds have been asking for Linear Choice Sires.”

Brian said dairy cows must be “built sustainably year after year, have a strong and workable udder, and be able to walk smoothly”.

These traits are included in the strict criteria alongside correct leg position, rump structure and teat length.

He said another benefit of the line was the move toward more sustainable dairy farming.

“Making cows that don't take themselves from the herd leads to older cows in the herd that produce more milk per stall and fewer heifers that need raising, all leading to a more sustainable dairy.”

Though in its early days, the program is already showing success.

Brian said out of the first embryos specially bought for Linear Choice, two bulls immediately met all 17 criteria.

“Sales are just getting started, but the response has been phenomenal.

“Country managers have been asking for it, which means the salespeople want it because their clients are asking for it.”

St Jacobs manager Brian Behnke.

Making cows that don’t take themselves from the herd leads to older cows in the herd that produce more milk per stall and fewer heifers that need raising, all leading to a more sustainable dairy.

‘Ears’ to an essential tool

BY COBY BOSCHMA

DAIRY FARMING can be a tough job — keeping an eye on the herd, trying to maintain solid numbers year after year, keeping up with ever-changing regulations — so Eugene Rea started looking around for ways to work smarter.

“We’ve been on the farm for 25 years, and we started working with CowManager in September 2020. It’s definitely something I cannot imagine farming without now,” Eugene said.

Eugene milks 310 cows, all registered Holsteins, at Childers Cove in Victoria’s south-west.

“We milk off 380 acres [154ha] and calve in March and then again in August,” he said.

As many experienced farmers do, Eugene one day wondered if there was an easier way to run his business and get the best possible results, and so he started looking into cow monitoring systems.

“We chose CowManager after consultation with our vet and some other local farmers that had used the system — and we just loved their feedback on it.”

Measuring ear temperature

What sets the CowManager system apart from other cow monitoring options, is the noninvasive ear sensor that simply goes over a similar looking RFID tag.

CowManager measures a cow’s heat state for fertility, rumination, behaviour, eating and ear temperature, combining down-to-earth farming know-how — back in the day farmers felt their cows’ ears to check on them.

With modern innovation that practice is now faster and more accurate using CowManager.

This results in clear-cut data about a herd’s fertility, health and nutritional status, making it easier to catch disease early, increase mating results and tracking transition.

Using big data for sexed semen

“I think the ease of attaching and removing a tag was a good option for us and made the

process with the CowManager app so simple,” Eugene said.

Since using the CowManager ear sensors to monitor his herd’s fertility, he has noticed some changes in his business and mating results.

“The biggest change for us has been a lot more heifer calves through use of sexed semen, and just having all that data,“ he said.

“Our conception rates have improved slightly but using a lot more sexed semen is what I’m really happy with.

“To not lose any fertility as a result, and we get a lot more heifer calves. I think we’re certainly picking up a bit more percentage in submission rate.

“To to immediately have that data to see who looks like being in-calf and who’s returned once mating is finished ... you can make decisions a lot earlier rather than having to wait for the herd to be preg-tested.”

Taking the edge o

Using the system has not only been beneficial to the business, but it’s also given Eugene peace of mind.

He now feels like he doesn’t need to be present at all times to get good results and have everything running smoothly.

The system does that for him, allowing him to make fact-based business decisions, even while he’s away.

“Having the app on the phone in realtime, you can see who’s coming on heat,” he said.

“I’m fairly specific to who I mate what cow to, and now I can make those decisions. And if I’m not around, we’ve still got that information and you can be confident the farm’s not missing out by me not being there.”

Eugene said he definitely recommended CowManager.

“The payback time isn’t very long considering the value of heifers at the moment and just the ease of use and just taking that guesswork out of mating — it’s definitely something I cannot imagine farming without now.”

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Since using the CowManager ear sensors, Eugene Rea now feels like he doesn’t need to be present at all times to get good results and have everything running smoothly.

Eugene Rea with CowManager Australia’s Paul Quinlan.

Feeding the transition cow

SUCCESS IN dairy farming includes managing all phases of production.

Research and practice have shown that for maximum return, lactation management starts during a cow’s dry period, continues into transition with astute nutritional support that is maintained into lactation.

The ‘transition period’, 60 days pre- and post-calving — with the most critical the 21 days prior to calving — is a time where a dairy farmer can impact milk yields and reduce the incidence of metabolic disorders.

Correct feeding and management during this period to ensure a higher DMI (dry matter intake) during transition supports milk yield and body weight.

Furthermore, minimising the duration the cows are in negative energy balance can also

have a positive impact on subsequent reproduction success.

A negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) diet is a feeding strategy commonly employed 21 days prior to calving.

This involves feeding a diet that is low in cations (sodium and potassium) and high in anions (chlorine and sulphur). The result is a net negative DCAD, which can have several benefits for transition dairy cows.

One benefit of feeding a negative DCAD diet to transition cows is that it can help to reduce the risk of post-calving milk fever.

Feeding a negative DCAD diet can help to maintain normal blood calcium levels and prevent milk fever by making bone calcium a more available supply to be drawn on when the cow needs it most.

In addition to reduced milk fever, meta-analysis has shown a reduction in other metabolic disorders such as retained placentas and reduced uterine infections.

A further benefit of feeding a negative DCAD diet during transition is an increase in fresh milk yield when compared to a positive DCAD diet.

During the transition period, the protein requirements of dairy cows increase significantly due to the high demand for milk production and the need to rebuild body tissues after giving birth.

As a lower DCAD diet can reduce DMI, supplying a highly-metabolisable pr otein source in the diet prior to calving can help mitigate some of the expected loss in milk yield.

In fact, research has shown that using a highly  metabolisable protein source (Biochlor) in combination with the negative DCAD diet fed 21 days pre-partum led to an additional 2.6kg/day of ECM

(energy-corrected milk) production compared to anionic salts treatment fed for the same duration and at the same  negative DCAD (-10 DCAD mEq/100g DM).

Both treatments recorded higher production over the control treatment (positive DCAD).

– Contributed by AusPac Ingredients, official distributor of Biochlor in Australia.

In one research trial with more than 13,000 observations, cows fed Biochlor for at least 21 days pre-partum experienced significant health benefits compared to cows fed Biochlor for seven days or less.

Feeding a highly metabolisable protein source in combination with the negative DCAD diet during the 21 days pre-partum leads to further increase in fresh milk yields over anionic salts alone.

During the transition period, the protein requirements of dairy cows increase significantly due to the high demand for milk production and the need to rebuild body tissues after giving birth.

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Norco supply gold class

FOUR OF Norco Co-operative’s dairy farmer members were recognised at Dairy Australia’s Milk Quality Awards 2022.

The award celebrates the top 100 milk producers across the country and crowned all four of Norco farmers gold, two in the Dairy NSW region and two in the south-east Queensland region.

Norco chair Mike Jeffery said it was an honour for its co-op members to be recognised as champions and a testament to the brand’s high quality standards and dedication to create fresh, great tasting dairy.

“Our farmers live and breathe dairy so we’re very proud to have our people’s efforts recognised in Australia’s most prestigious dairy competition,” Mr Jeffery said.

“It’s a huge honour and we encourage people to try our great tasting milk and show support for Australian dairy producers.”

Receiving the award for the fourth consecutive year in NSW was Norco couple Philip and Debbie Borham, who were ecstatic with being recognised for their commitment to animal welfare and handling.

“Our 250 cows are part of our family, and we pride ourselves on providing the highest quality of care which has resulted in us receiving the gold quality milk award for the fourth year,” Mr Borham said.

Joining the Borhams as gold recipients in the Dairy NSW region was the McDonald family partnership, who said after the toughest year to date, it was a very pleasant surprise to receive gold“.

The McVeighs and Zischkes, both family partnership operations were the gold recipients for the south-east Queensland region.

The Zischkes who are based in Haden, Queensland said they were honoured to have won their sixth straight gold and were absolutely delighted for the recognition.

Dairy Australia’s Milk Quality Awards distinguish the top 100 farms nationally with the lowest bulk milk cell count and have been running since 2002.

The McVeigh family from south-east Queensland was one of four Norco Co-operative dairy farmer members recognised at Dairy Australia’s Milk Quality Awards 2022.

Our farmers live and breathe dairy so we’re very proud to have our people’s e orts recognised in Australia’s most prestigious dairy competition.

Doubts over water licence

Queensland farmers and activists have applied for a review of what they call a “scientifically flawed” decision to grant a water licence to New Hope's major thermal coal mine at New Acland in the state's south.

Stage three of the open-cut mine north-west of Toowoomba was granted a water licence in October, clearing the final hurdle for work to start.

The project will lift New Acland's thermal coal output from 4.8 million tonnes to 7.5 million tonnes a year and extend its life for 12 years to 2034.

The Oakey Coal Action Alliance and Lock the Gate have applied for the decision to grant the licence to be reviewed because they say it was made without sufficient modelling of the mine's impacts on groundwater, or a clear plan to monitor and manage any impact.

Oakey Coal Action Alliance secretary Paul King said expert analysis indicated the water department has made a “shocking error of judgement”.

“Farmers are seriously concerned that the Palaszczuk Government has made a scientifically flawed decision and fear their livelihoods and ability to grow food for Queenslanders will suffer as a result,” Mr King said.

“The Palaszczuk Government should be prioritising farmers’ water security over coal.”

Granting the water licence ended a long political and legal battle to stop the project, but if the department refuses to consider or reject the application for a review it could return to

the courts.

Under state law, either the Oakey Coal Action Alliance or Lock the Gate could apply to challenge the decision to grant the water licence in the Land Court.

New Acland doesn't use groundwater but farmers and activists are concerned mining will deplete groundwater in the aquifers beneath the pit.

The analysis commissioned by the two groups found “too much uncertainty” in the modelling used for New Hope's licence application and groundwater impact assessments had been delayed for 18 months.

Mr King said impacts should be understood before mining licences were granted, not after that fact.

Groundwater drawdown was likely underestimated as well, the analysis said, with predictions in modelling used by the department already failing to match with observed water levels.

The application assumed underground faults would be a barrier to water flow when they may be conduits, meaning the impact on surrounding water users such as dairy farmers could be also underestimated.

Mr King said there was also no clear

mechanism to monitor groundwater drawdown or to work out if New Acland is to blame.

“New Acland stage three will impact nearby dairy farmers who rely on water bores for their businesses,” he said.

“Farmers fear these bores will deplete or dry up after the mine starts operating.

“Given the risks to water from the Acland coal mine are not properly understood and can’t be managed, the Palaszczuk Government should prioritise Queensland’s food and water security over coal.”

A New Hope Group spokesperson confirmed the company sought a review of two conditions in the associated water licence (AWL), which they said was inconsistent with the coordinator-general’s conditions and state and federal approval for stage three of the project.

“The coordinator general, the minister for resources, the Department of Environment and Science and the federal environment minister each imposed their own specific conditions regarding areas for mining, final land form and water quality management,” the spokesperson said.

“New Acland Coal has no issue with such conditions, and otherwise has no objection to any of the other conditions of the AWL.

“New Hope Group is merely seeking to remove the inconsistency between the AWL conditions and the appropriate conditions that have been imposed by the other regulators so that it can comply with all conditions associated with the project.”

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A decision to grant a water licence to New Hope’s major thermal coal mine at New Acland in Queensland has upset farmers and activists.

Grow great grass

PADDOCK RECORDS of the grazing history or actual pasture measurements are usually the best ways of determining which to target for renewal or for topping-up and oversowing, according to Barenbrug Australia agronomy services manager Rob Winter.

“As with all successful crops and pastures, planning, preparation, timely operations, weed and pest management, grazing and using fertiliser effectively are all important factors in helping to assure a good outcome,” he said.

Getting a good start

ɋ Soil test early and address pH, soil nutrient levels and balance as may be feasible for your budget and the soil properties.

ɋ Plan for a preparation phase — weed control, cultivation, levelling, drainage work, grazing out, herbicide or insecticide withholding or plant-back periods.

ɋ Which species, varieties, sowing rates to use, and how to go about it will depend on your individual circumstances and objectives.

ɋ Reputable seed suppliers will offer access to modern, productive and reliable options, technical support and peace of mind.

ɋ Sow in a timely fashion at a suitable depth with appropriate moisture.

ɋ C onsider a post-emergent top-dressing of fertiliser nitrogen — improved grasses respond well and this helps to out-compete early weed competition. This could be urea, SOA, DAP or a mixed fertiliser that suits your program and paddock.

Give clovers a fighting chance

If a good pasture legume content is desired, keep the sowing rate of grass relatively modest and increase the percentage mix of clover, or adopt other tactics such as cross-sowing clover seed or possibly broadcasting some extra clover. Early grazing management should allow for a quick first grazing in order to open up the sward somewhat and let the clovers have room and sunlight.

Sowing earlier in the season, rather than later will also aid clover establishment — clovers tend to grow very little when soil temperatures decline to around 8-10°C, whereas the grasses will grow relatively well by comparison at these and lower temperatures.

Early weed and pest control

Control of emerging weeds is usually essential post-sowing.

Timely sowing and good seed placement will offer quick, even emergence that will then assist with good herbicide timing options.

Monitor for and respond to slugs, snails, mites and other invertebrate pests challenges.

Seek good, experienced advice for suitable options, timings and overall approach.

Maintenance and continued performance

New pastures are likely to offer more grazing than older ones — treat them carefully and apply commensurate extra fertiliser to maintain performance.

Regular soil testing, a robust fertiliser program and weed and pest interventions may be required. Develop a calendar of pasture monitoring and likely maintenance requirements for your particular circumstances and engage an experienced adviser to assist with technical issues and tactical options.

ɋ For more information, visit barenbrug.com.au or phone 1800 007 333.

The benchmark for production and performance

Proven, reliable, persistent and high performing.

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

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

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

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

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

Planning and preparation are the keys to good pasture and crops, says Barenbrug Australia agronomy services manager Rob Winter.

ZoomTM – the king of annual ryegrasses

Dairy drops, canola grows

FARMING LAND has decreased and more dairy farmers have left the industry, while cotton, canola and wheat production has hiked.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ latest agricultural snapshot found the amount of agricultural land as of June 2022 declined by five per cent from the previous year to 369 million hectares, which is on top of a two per cent decrease the previous year.

Rob Walter from the bureau said key commodities like wheat and canola had big jumps.

“The big takeaways are that wheat and canola really expanded both the value and production of them,” he said.

Wheat production was up 14 per cent on the previous year to 36 million tonnes, while canola producers recorded a 43 per cent increase to seven million tonnes.

Cotton recorded a massive jump in the area sown with a 99 per cent increase during 2021 and 2022 to 549,000 hectares.

Strong cotton prices and forecasts of favourable weather resulted in increased planting and a record 1.3 million tonnes harvested.

“That’s driven a lot by the availability of irrigation, water and the increased rainfall has  created favourable conditions,” Mr Walter said.

But there was a continuing decline for dairy with the national dairy herd shrinking 10 per cent to 2.1 million head, as producers either scaled back sales or moved into beef cattle.

The dairy herd has declined from 2.6 million head over the past five years.

Australia's beef cattle and sheep herds recorded minor increases.

The number of sheep and lambs grew by three per cent to 70 million while the beef cattle herd grew by one per cent to 22 million.

The ongoing La Niña weather cycle resulted in a mixed season for broadacre crop producers in the eastern states.

ZoomTM is a specialist winter feed. An ideal break crop between maize and other crops, it is very quick to establish and shows exceptional autumn/winter growth and rapid re-growth.

ZoomTM offers the advantages of excellent palatability and high metabolisable energy content.

ZoomTM can provide multiple grazings over autumn and winter before being shut up for high quality silage in the spring.

Sugar cane was down eight per cent to 28.7 million tonnes, while there were significant increases in rice and sorghum production.

Sorghum production was up 62 per cent to 2.6 million tonnes, with rice up 63 per cent to 691,000 tonnes.

Barley and oats production were both down on the previous year.

The survey is sent to around 25,000 farmers but a lack of response this year meant the quality of responses was lower than required to produce a full set of regional agricultural statistics.

The bureau will not conduct large agricultural surveys in the future and will instead rely on existing data from government, industry and commercial sources.

“Part of the reason that we’re making this change is to reduce the burden on farmers,” Mr Walter said.

“Farmers know that there are other information sources available and they find it frustrating we’re asking for information already available.”

The national dairy herd shrank 10 per cent to

million head as producers either scaled back sales or moved into beef cattle, says the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

In a frenzy over new feed

A NEW rye-grass cultivar coming to the market offers unprecedented establishment speed from sowing and industry leading dry matter yield performance.

Seed for the new grass, bred by Cropmark Seeds, will be available this autumn.

Launched in New Zealand last spring, Frenzy NEA is a hybrid rye-grass with unsurpassed performance in the latest New Zealand seed industry’s trials and performance indices.

Not only is it the top variety in the 2022-23 18-month National Forage Variety Trials, it is also the highest ranking and only five-star variety in DairyNZ’s 2023 FVI for 12-month forage value.

Frenzy NEA has a forage value at least 20 per cent greater than any other variety in this category.

Frenzy has undergone robust trialling across the dairy regions of Victoria.

Multiple trials have been run in Gippsland and the Western District that underpin its explosive establishment speed and impressive yields within the Victorian dryland environment.

Frenzy is a late-heading tetraploid hybrid (two to three-year short-rotation) rye-grass containing the NEA endophyte.

A late-heading tetraploid, it has high feed quality and high leaf:stem ratio — this is combined with an unmatched speed of establishment.

Not only was Frenzy the fastest establishing short rotation rye-grass in trials, but it was faster establishing than Italian rye-grasses.

As a hybrid it also offers greater longevity than Italian rye-grasses and offers multi-year persistence when conditions allow.

Vigorous establishment makes Frenzy ideal for over-sowing into run-out pastures to boost productivity. Its speed of establishment is a real asset in a late autumn break.

Frenzy also makes a great high feed value short-rotation pasture when sown with clovers

and forage herbs such as Chico chicory or Oracle plantain.

Industry leading growth coupled with fast establishment, late-heading tetraploid quality, and increased persistence make Frenzy a standout option to boost winter and early spring pasture covers and increase homegrown forage supply.

Frenzy is available via seed retailers and

rural merchants from late March.

For more information, contact local representatives:

ɋ Gippsland, northern NSW, Queensland: Adam Sheedy on 0428 132 096.

ɋ Western District, South Australia, Tasmania: Bruce Hume on 0427 607 375.

ɋ Northern Victoria, southern NSW: Sven Koljo on 0429 375 452.

Launched in New Zealand last spring, Frenzy NEA is a hybrid rye-grass that will be available in Australia from late March.

Smart application makes cents

SORGHUM GROWERS are being encouraged to consider how best to protect their nitrogen investment when broadcast application is an option but can increase losses to volatilisation.

Volatilisation is the gaseous loss of nitrogen to the atmosphere that can occur if surfaceapplied urea is not incorporated into the soil by rainfall or irrigation within 36 to 48 hours following application.

In unfavourable conditions, up to 27 per cent of the nitrogen in conventional urea can be lost

to the atmosphere.

Incitec Pivot Fertilisers technical agronomist Bede O’Mara said the risks were higher with the conditions currently facing summer crops.

“When warm and windy weather is combined with moist surface soils, heavy dews and high relative humidity, volatilisation is more likely,” Mr O’Mara said.

“Other contributing factors include soil cover and the presence of organic matter.

Fertiliser granules can be hung up in heavy

The new high yielding persistent Italian

Appeal Italian ryegrass is the newest addition to livestock menus.

stubbles, preventing soil contact.

“Simply applying more nitrogen to account for losses does not mitigate the anticipated loss, but in most cases exacerbates the potential for greater loss.”

Mr O’Mara said Incitec Pivot Fertilisers’ Green Urea NV allowed farmers the flexibility to tailor their approach to in-crop nitrogen management, with the right product and application rate, at the right time.

“Using Green Urea NV delays the process and ultimately buys you time to receive the

required rainfall or irrigation to incorporate the broadcast applied urea into the soil.

“If that rainfall fails to eventuate quickly, Green Urea NV has reduced potential losses until adequate rainfall is received, allowing growers to start their program of broadcast urea applications earlier and ensuring nitrogen will be available at the time of crucial demand.

“You can start applying earlier with Green Urea NV to help mitigate unfavourable conditions; reduce the risk of volatilisation, avoid the wind and avoid trafficability or paddock accessibility issues if the paddock gets too wet.”

Green Urea NV contains IPF’s proprietary formulation of NBPT — N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide — which is added to granular urea to inhibit the activity of the urease enzyme for up to 14 days.

IPF has developed a series of videos discussing the ammonia loss implications, conditions of losses and strategies to reduce or avoid losses.

“We looked at a specific situation where 110kg of product (at a rate of 50kg N/ha) was applied, and the delivered farm urea price was $1330/tonne bulk or $2.89/kg N. The cost of upgrading to Green Urea NV represented 3.75 per cent of the total per hectare spend,” Mr O’Mara said.

“When we apply a conservative 10 per cent loss factor to the applied nitrogen, there would be approximately $15/ha in losses borne by that grower.

“Conversely, mitigating that loss by upgrading to Green Urea NV and investing in the region of $5.50 to $6/ha would result in a 2.5 to 2.7 return on investment.

“By reducing nitrogen loss from volatilisation, applying Green Urea NV may allow growers to reduce urea rates, or simply be more confident in the timeliness of their applications.”

The timing of an effective nitrogen application needs to be appropriately considered to maximise return on investment.

“There needs to be time following the application for the nitrification of urea to nitrate, and the subsequent movement of that nitrate into the active root zone to maximise nitrogen supply for crop uptake,” Mr O’Mara said.

“Growers and agronomists will need to make timely decisions to ensure developing crops have adequate nitrogen supply, and yield potential can be achieved.”

It is a very persistent and very high yielding diploid Italian ryegrass. Appeal has shown consistently high yield performance in trials with fast establishment, high winter, early spring production, and an ability to hold on well over the summer, even under moderate insect pressure. Being late heading, Appeal will maintain forage quality for longer into summer.

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

further information on Appeal contact our regional agronomists:

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

Rolling out new sprayer range

SILVAN HAS just released its new 1600 and 1900-litre Spray Pro sprayer range aimed at the dairy and livestock markets.

The sprayer, which is designed to be mounted on a tractor’s three-point linkage, is ideally suited to spraying pasture on broadacre and livestock farms.

Both the 1600 and 1900-litre models contain a self-priming BP125/20 pump, with nitrile diaphragms and corrosion-resistant, cast-anodised aluminium bodies, capable of delivering a minimum 121 litres a minute at a pressure capacity of 2000kPa.

The key feature of both models is the 18-metre galvanised self-levelling boom with hydraulic fold, lift and tilt along with parallelogram suspension.

Other features of the sprayer are the 30 litre Silmix chemical induction hopper mounted on the side of the tank, 150 litre flush tank and 10 litre hand wash tank.

The robust galvanised steel frame comes with an adjustable category two and three hitch. Three section Silvamatic electric controls with pressure-compensating direct acting valves are fitted as standard. On and off pressure adjustment can be made from the tractor cab.

Options include a bigger BP200/20 PTO pump that delivers 195 litre/minute, hydraulic drive centrifugal pump, a range of Bravo automatic rate controllers including ISOBUS and a 57 litre paddock foam marker.

Both 1600 and 1900-litre polytuff, impact restart polyethylene tanks contain a floating ball and non-spill offset screw-down lid with single breather.

Both the 1600 and 1900-litre models contain a self-priming BP125/20 pump, with nitrile diaphragms and corrosionresistant, cast-anodised aluminium bodies, capable of delivering a minimum 121 litres a minute at a pressure capacity of 2000kPa.

Setting new benchmarks for late season quality in Annual ryegrass

Dash annual ryegrass is fast establishing, high yielding, high quality and very palatable. Being later heading, higher pasture quality will be maintained for longer into spring, translating into higher stock performance during this critical period.

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

contact our regional

The key feature of both models is the 18-metre galvanised self-levelling boom with hydraulic fold, lift and tilt along with parallelogram suspension.

Silvan’s Spray Pro sprayer is designed to be mounted on a tractor’s three-point linkage, and is ideally suited to spraying pasture on broadacre and livestock farms.

Output, price tipped to fall

BY RICK BAYNE

AUSTRALIA’S MILK production is tipped to potentially drop below 8 billion litres for the first time in three decades and farmers could be receiving less for their milk next year.

A new report from David Beca of Red Sky Agricultural in Kilmore, Victoria, forecasts a seven per cent drop in production in 2022-23, continuing an ongoing trend throughout this century.

Mr Beca also suggested Australian dairy farmers should be preparing for a significant reduction in milk price next year based on falling Global Dairy Trade prices.

Australian milk production this financial year was tracking well below the previous three years and that trend was likely to continue, he said.

“Unfortunately, it would appear that 2022-23 milk production could drop below eight billion litres for the first time since 1992-93, although this has been significantly impacted by flooding rains in many regions.”

Mr Beca has produced graphs highlighting Australian national milk production data from 1999-00 to 2021-22 plus a forecast for 2022-23, with a trend line extrapolating milk production for a further 10 years.

Based on the slope of the trend line, this would suggest production could fall to around 7.5 billion litres by 2033.

“Recently the flooding rains have aggravated the fall in milk production but over the past three or four years there have been very good milk prices but still falling milk volumes, which is concerning,” Mr Beca said.

“Usually if milk prices go up, we would at least expect to see some increase in production above the trend line.”

He said the long-term downward trend in production was unique to Australia.

“The loss of dairy farmers over the past 20 years in Australia is little different to most other country, but in Australia, those remaining are not expanding at the same rate because of a lack of profitability.”

Mr Beca recently had a paper published on South African dairy that demonstrates problems with production systems using more supplements and less pasture as a proportion of the diet, leading to higher production costs and lower profit margins.

“This has direct applicability to Australian dairy farm performance,” he said.

“Every other country has faced COVID, climate and labour factors so it is not logical to point to them as solely impacting on Australian farms; it comes back to a longer-term lack of profitability.”

Mr Beca said there was evidence that Australian dairy profitability had dropped over recent years while beef had improved.

“Some dairy farmers have gone to beef and some dairy farms have been sold and converted to beef.

“Historically, dairy farmers have had a higher profit based on return on capital compared to beef, sheep and cropping farmers, but this doesn’t appear to be consistently the case now.

“My proposed solution is for farms to change

production systems back to significantly more pasture in diets and a lower percentage of supplements.

“Dairy farmers in south-east Australia have consistently been paid competitive milk prices to those received by other farmers in the Southern Hemisphere, though the cost of production has increased at a much faster rate than in these other countries.

“We certainly still have farmers who are highly competitive, especially in Tasmania and southern Victoria, but overall, we are less internationally competitive than we used to be.”

Mr Beca said the forecast ongoing drop in national milk production should not impact on Australian consumers, but it could further dent the industry’s position.

“There is no issue for Australian consumers from a drop in production because we only need around a third of our present milk supply to produce short shelf-life products.”

He said the decline in production would be tough for processors.

“Processors need to continuously improve their productivity to remain competitive and they need to have some growth in their business.

“They will have to reduce their investment in the industry if there is no milk supply growth.”

Mr Beca suggested Australian dairy farmers prepare for a reduction in milk price next year based on changes in the Global Dairy Trade price index.

“Although markets for dairy products can change direction rapidly, the reduction in the GDT price index and commodity prices over the last nine months would suggest that dairy

farmers in export-exposed regions such as south-east Australia and New Zealand should be preparing for a significant reduction in farm gate milk price in 2023-24.

“If a significant drop in milk price does eventuate, then hopefully the impact will be offset by reductions in input prices and a lessening of extreme weather events.”

Consultant David Beca.

Tackling a terrible toxin

BY ROSIE WAITE

FUN FACT — botulinum toxin is one of the most potent toxins in the world.

A cow only needs to ingest 10 micrograms of toxin to result in death from botulism, and those 10 micrograms could be within one to three grams of consumed affected matter.

Considering your average cow consumes 11-15kg of dry matter a day, this is an astonishingly small amount.

Botulinum toxin can also cause death in humans, birds and wildlife in the same manner.

The word ‘botulism’ comes from the Latin ‘botulus’ meaning sausage, because food poisoning in humans in the late 1800s was attributed to tainted sausage.

Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, part of the same bacteria family that causes tetanus, enterotoxaemia and pulpy kidney.

The bacteria are readily found in soil, mostly as spores, and can last a long time there.

The problem arises when the right conditions of low air and moisture occur, allowing the bacteria to multiply and produce toxin.

A rotting carcase or sometimes even rotting plant material meets the requirements well and can be the source of toxins that cause a disease event.

In Australian cattle production systems, there are two main situations that can expose cattle to botulism.

In the northern extensive grazing systems there can be a higher risk of phosphorous deficiency, causing cattle to develop the behaviour of pica, which makes them chew at bones and carcases.

This increases the risk of exposure to botulinum toxin produced by the C. botulinum bacteria found in these carcases.

In dairy systems, the risk comes from ensiling carcases of animals (for example, mice, rats, cats, wallaby, fox) and then exposing cattle to the toxin when feeding out that silage later.

Once ingested the toxin is absorbed through the intestinal wall of the cow into the circulation and out to the peripheral nerves. Once there it binds to receptors between the nerve and muscle cells, where it disrupts messages from the nerves to the muscles, meaning the muscles of the limbs and head can no longer be controlled.

The toxin does not disrupt the central nervous system. So, while there is paralysis of the legs, head and particularly the tongue, the awareness of the animal remains intact.

In humans, administration of antitoxin can bind any toxin still circulating in the blood but will have little effect on toxin that is already bound at the nerve endings. Much of the treatment for botulism is related to providing supportive care.

In cattle, antitoxin is not available and supportive care becomes difficult to provide. However, vaccination against C. botulinum is possible, with long- and short-term vaccines

CALF REARING GETS A BOOST

When clients asked for a product with Bovatec to be added to its popular probiotic additive range, Daviesway DASCO listened.

The Melbourne-based company has just released SuperCalf PLUS+ — a whole-milk (only) probiotic powder additive — with Bovatec to its comprehensive calf rearing range.

SuperCalf PLUS+ has teamed high-performance micro-encapsulated multi-strain probiotics, bacteria, yeast, enzymes, Bovatec and Actigen with essential vitamins and minerals.

The active ingredients in Super Calf PLUS+ carry no less than an industry-leading 11.6 billion CFUs (colony forming units).

That probiotic mode of action happens in the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract where 70 to 80 per cent of an animal’s immune function is driven from.

To that end, the micro-encapsulated probiotics in SuperCalf PLUS+ allows them to safely move through the rumen and into the abomasum where they come to life — providing direct competition for pathogenic bacteria on a daily basis.

The addition of Bovatec helps control and reduce the clinical signs of coccidiosis. It also reduces faecal shedding of protozoa (E. zuernii and E. bovis) and improves liveweight gains.

Daviesway DASCO’s Brendan Johnson said including Bovatec was a direct result of customer feedback.

“It really rounds out our range and gives our customers another great option in that space,” Brendan said.

“That improved feed efficiency and control of coccidiosis was something our clients told us they wanted. So, that’s

exactly what we’ve done.”

Vitamins are essential for healthy calf growth, and the intrinsic way they interact with the trace elements and enzymes in SuperCalf PLUS+ brings another important layer of support.

Along with Actigen — which is a yeast carbohydrate that normalises gut microbial health, function and development — the prebiotic stops bad bacteria populating the intestine and binds salmonella and e.coli pathogens.

Research has shown that supplementing the rumen with probiotics every day can accelerate calf growth, stimulate rumen development and reduce the need for antibiotic intervention.

The dosage of 10g per calf, per day is easily blended with whole milk, and SuperCalf PLUS+ is now available from Daviesway DASCO outlets. – Daviesway DASCO

available for use either in the face of increased risk or in an outbreak situation.

Botulism can occur in sporadic cases as well as in outbreak scenarios.

A colleague of mine recently dealt with an outbreak of botulism in Tasmania where 129 adult milking cows died from a herd of 750.

On this farm, animals were fed pasture, potato waste and pit silage where a mixer wagon was used to feed out on a feedpad. Initially 15 affected cows were found recumbent without many other signs, but then developed to having difficulty breathing with their tongues hanging out and death.

Suspected causes included botulism but also acute bovine liver disease, nitrate poisoning, metabolic disease and acute toxicity.

Laboratory testing ruled out other causes, and on discovery of fragments of wallaby carcase on the feedpad, botulism was highly suspected.

At this stage testing for the botulinum toxin was sent for the wallaby fragments and postmortem samples from the cows, however, the result at that stage was negative.

A vaccination program was started within three days of the initial signs of the outbreak on this farm.

Eventually an additional carcase sample sent two months post-outbreak proved a positive result for botulinum toxin, finally confirming what was suspected.

The swift action in identification of signs, implementation of a vaccine program and

attempts to reduce contamination of the ration bought about control of the botulism outbreak on this farm.

So, if you are considering signs of botulism in your cattle, act swiftly and call in your veterinarian to start an investigation and put in place an action plan.

As there is no cure for botulism, vaccination of at-risk animals is highly recommended.

Dr Rosie Waite works for Scottsdale Veterinary Service in north-east Tasmania and enjoys the opportunity to talk cows and drive around the rolling hills. Rosie has spent time working along the northern coast of Tasmania at Smithton and Ulverstone, and has completed her Master’s in Dairy Science where her focus was the use of young dairy bulls.

ProDairy can assist you with the development of a tailored plan:

• On-farm visit by a ProDairy veterinarian.

• Review of the current biosecurity principles, the major risks and actions taken to reduce those risks.

• Development of a customised biosecurity plan. Visit prodairy.com.au for more information.

Apiam vet Dr Rosie Waite.

Supplementing the rumen with probiotics every day can accelerate calf growth.

Tractor sales break records

2022 WAS another record year for tractor sales.

December saw a nine per cent rise on the same month in 2021 to bring the full year position three per cent ahead.

This represents around 19,000 units sold representing about $2.3 billion in value.

This is the second consecutive year we have seen such strong activity, a period not seen in this country since the 1980s.

It wasn’t just tractors that experienced a big year, with combine harvester sales again up strongly with a total of 1145 units sold. This represents a rise of six per cent on 2021.

The drivers of this activity have been well-documented, with the strength of the market for agricultural commodities, as evidenced by 2022’s record grain harvest, combined with the Federal Government’s Temporary Full Expensing program accounting for much, however this has all been underpinned by the strength of the used equipment market.

Farmers have been taking advantage of the used value of their machines and upgrading to newer, productive, lower-emissions tractors.

Looking at the figures in detail, all states except for South Australia recorded rises for December.

Queensland continued its recent strong run with an 11 per cent rise to be 14 per cent up for the year, NSW was in line with last year to finish the year down one per cent and Victoria recorded a strong month up 18 per cent to finish the year two per cent up.

Sales in Western Australia were again strong, up a mammoth 31 per cent ending the year 4.4 per cent ahead. South Australia recorded a six per cent decline to be three per cent off for the full year.

Tasmania enjoyed a small rise of 1.5 per cent for the month but finished the year 10 per cent behind last year and sales in the Northern Territory ended 11 per cent ahead of 2021

The biggest rise in machine category sales in December was again in the small under 40hp (30kW) category, which was up 30 per cent to end the year 12 per cent ahead.

The 40 to 100hp (30-75kW) range was up two per cent in the month to finish two per cent ahead and the 100 to 200hp (75-150kW) category was also up, this time by six per cent in December to be two per cent behind full year.

Sales in the large 200hp (150kW)-plus range “took a breather” during December, down eight per cent but three per cent ahead of 2021.

Challenges in the hay market continue with production down across the nation. This has led to baler sales being down 33 per cent in December and down on 2021 by the same margin.

Finally, sales of out-front mowers have experienced a “down” year, behind by 21 per cent.

The outlook for 2023 remains positive even with the Temporary Full Expensing program ending in June.

The biggest issue for the industry remains getting machines.

Some brands now have lead times out to 2024 for larger product in particular and remain reluctant to quote prices due to the ongoing volatility in the supply chain.

An example of this can be seen in the recent movements in the shipping market.

The price for containerised freight has dropped considerably off the back of the effective shutdown of China, however the price for RORO (roll-on, roll-off) has leapt more than four-fold due to a mix of increased volumes, increased turnaround times at port

and competition for ships due to the massive supply of military equipment to Europe. The challenging times continue.

– The Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia

Around 19,000 machinery units were sold in 2022, representing about $2.3 billion in value.

The outlook for 2023 remains positive even with the Temporary Full Expensing program ending in June. The biggest issue for the industry remains getting machines. Some brands now have lead times out to 2024 for larger product in particular and remain reluctant to quote prices due to the ongoing volatility in the supply chain.

NFF says US deal not fair

THE NATIONAL Farmers’ Federation says an agreement struck in the United States allowing farmers the right to repair their own farm equipment will place Aussie farmers at a disadvantage unless similar steps are taken here.

The right to repair allows farmers to take their equipment to a dealer of their choice to fix a problem or repair the machine themselves.

John Deere announced in January it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation, guaranteeing farmers the right to repair John Deere equipment.

“For years we’ve been calling for Australian farmers to have the right to repair their agricultural machinery,” NFF president Fiona Simson said.

“Farmers are small business owners who should have the same right as anyone else to have their machinery repaired by their preferred repairer or make small repairs on-farm without fear of voiding warranties and travelling long distances to access authorised repairs and then being burdened by their supply restrictions,” she said.

“This change would significantly reduce repair work delays, getting farmers and their machinery back in the paddocks much quicker.

“Having a header out of commission during harvest is the difference between a profitable year or running at a loss for a grain grower.”

Ms Simson said farmers were also being locked into exorbitant costs with dealership networks for repairs and spare parts. Following the lead by other countries for the right to repair would also open up competition.

“Right to repair regimes are being introduced across most advanced economies around the world, including specific protections for agricultural machinery,” she said.

“It’s essential the Australian Government keeps pace with the world to ensure Australian farmers can fix their machinery on-farm.”

This is backed by the Productivity Commission’s Right to Repair Inquiry in 2021, which recommended the government “should introduce a repair supplies obligation on agricultural machinery”.

Farmers are small business owners who should have the same right as anyone else to have their machinery repaired by their preferred repairer or make small repairs on-farm without fear of voiding warranties and travelling long distances to access authorised repairs and then being burdened by their supply restrictions.

The NFF is calling on the government to put that in action.

“Increased right to repair in our international competitors puts Australian farmers at a clear disadvantage if they have to pay more for machinery fixes, corroding Australian agricultural exports ability to compete on a level playing field in the international market,” Ms Simson said.

YOUR SEEDING & TILLAGE SPECIALISTS

Serafin Machinery have a passion for introducing innovation into the agricultural industry and providing customers with exceptional service and quality products at the best prices. Each day they strive to be the seeding and tillage specialists. With dealers in most states Serafin Machinery believe their continued success is a result of three factors;

• Selling quality equipment at competitive prices

• Ensuring every experience is A+ rated

• Exceptional Staff who share the same values as the company.

• Industry Leading Manufacturing, Assembly & Servicing Facilities

Farmet Falcon Pro Plus

Modular quick-change design

4 machines in 1 – Speed disc, Strip Till, Disc seeding, Precision planter

From 4-8m working width

Pasture planting 125mm spacing

6000Ltr box capacity

Farmet Softer Trailing Speed Discs.

Ranging from 4.5m to 11m

560mm discs with Agri hub bearings

Huge range of rollers and micro drills available

Superior level finish

Farmet Digger 4 Linkage Deep Ripper

9 shanks with a 55mm carbide shank point width

Working depth of 250-500mm

425mm spacing and 3.9m Working width

Options of different size points, hitch types of rear rollers and more

John Deere announced in January it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation, guaranteeing farmers the right to repair John Deere equipment. The NFF says

farmers should be able to do the same.

Driving the road to recovery

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY is being used to assess the condition of Victoria’s flood-ravaged roads.

Victorian Roads Minister Melissa Horne said the Australian Road Research Board’s Intelligent Pavement Assessment Vehicle would be used to assess the condition of more than 8400 kilometres of the state’s roads in the wake of recent floods and rain.

Roads that will undergo inspection by iPAVe, include major freight and tourist routes like the Hume, Western, Midland, Goulburn Valley and Calder highways.

The collected data will help plan for upcoming large-scale repairs and road maintenance.

Equipped with a range of data collection systems, iPAVe can check the structural and functional condition of the road, using laser technology developed in Denmark to look at characteristics including roughness, surface texture and rutting.

Cracking and other surface data is assessed using an automated 3D monitoring system, while cameras mounted to the truck’s exterior will give road maintenance experts a first-hand look at the state’s road network.

Thanks to an on-board ground-penetrating radar, the iPAVe can also collect sub-surface data at the same time, giving experts a better understanding of what’s happening underneath the road surface.

These datasets are collected at the same time, in one trip, at highway speed, making the iPAVe a cheaper, faster and safer way to

collect information.

Data collected by the iPAVe will then be compared with similar information collected in 2021 to gauge the full impact of the recent floods.

Road repair package

Meanwhile, NSW councils say a $500 million package is a great start in the mission to repair $2.5 billion in road damage following 2022’s floods, but ongoing funding is required.

The package — announced by the NSW Government in January — is designed to

support emergency and heavy patching of the pothole damage to roads, with the money expected to be available to councils by the end of the month.

Local Government NSW president Darriea Turley said the $2.5 billion roads damage bill caused by the disasters was additional to a backlog of $1.9 billion identified by the NRMA in its 2020-21 Fix Our Broken Roads Report.

“This money cannot come soon enough if we are to even begin to address the long-standing maintenance issues with our roads, which were already significantly impacting the state’s

economy before the steady succession of weather events in 2022,” Cr Turley said.

He said one-off funding was a great start, but a significant and ongoing increase in road program funding was needed.

“Without an ongoing boost, there is a very real risk that the emergency patches and repairs from this very welcome $500 million will be washed away by future weather events.

“Good roads are good for us all — for business, for our agricultural sector and for everyday drivers who just want to get to where they need to be safely and without damage to their vehicles.”

& GO

This iPAVe vehicle can assess the structural and functional condition of the road, using laser technology developed in Denmark to look at characteristics including roughness, surface texture and rutting.

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