Dairy News Australia February 2022

Pasture improvement feature, PAGES 24 TO 33 CWA CALLS FOR SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY

INVESTMENTS WITH PURPOSE PAGES 4 & 5

PAGES 10 & 11

FEBRUARY, 2022 ISSUE 136 // www.dairynewsaustralia.com.au

INTERNATIONAL DAIRY WEEK 2022 Back after being cancelled in 2021 and under new management IDW 2022 made a welcome return, with emotional wins and new records all part of the mix. Pages 12, 14 & 15

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

MARKETS // 3

Market cause for optimism SOFIA OMSTEDT Senior Industry Analyst

THE START of 2022 has been anything but

Studies highlight Jerseys’ profitability.

PGS. 20 & 21

A sustainable transformation. PGS. 22 & 23

smooth. Surging COVID-19 ‘Omicron’ cases have forced thousands into isolation around the globe, resulting in considerable supply chain roadblocks. Whilst some countries have reintroduced restrictions, others are hoping the current infection wave will bring an end to the pandemic. Mounting case numbers have created several challenges for Australia’s dairy industry, however, many factors remain supportive heading into the new year.

With more than 100,000 daily COVID-19 cases in Australia this January and rapid antigen tests in short supply, many people are stuck in isolation. According to industry estimates, some have been forced to operate with up to a 40 per cent reduction in staff numbers, putting significant strain on the dairy supply chain. A similar trend is playing out across most sectors and combined with higher fuel, energy and ingredient prices, pressures are intensifying. Several businesses are now contemplating introducing a COVID-19 surcharge and as such, costs are likely to remain elevated.

In light of this cost inflation, the global dairy market continues to provide cause for optimism. Less milk is being produced globally and the availability of uncommitted product

has begun to dry up. In Australia, milk production has continued to decrease, down 0.8 per cent this November. The same is true across the ‘ditch’ and with Oceania’s peak months in the rear-view mirror, seasonality is starting to constrain global product availability. In Europe, milk production is also lagging. Surging feed and energy costs are hurting margins and impeding growth in several countries.

Similar input pressures have prompted substantial cuts to the US national herd. This has resulted in declining milk production during the last months of 2021.

While milk flows slow, logistical challenges continue to make accessing products even more fraught. Shipping congestion, a lack of containers (especially reefers), delayed departures and staffing shortages are a constant source of headache. This has made many buyers willing to switch between suppliers and pay premiums for supply chain security.

Meanwhile, demand for dairy is firm, with southeast Asian buyers particularly active at the moment. Some buyers that hoped for a market correction and held off procuring products appear to have accepted that commodity values are unlikely to drop any time soon. This created a slightly panicked rush to secure supply which helped drive prices higher. As a result, commodity prices for most dairy products are now trading above five-year averages.

From a product perspective, demand for Oceania whole milk powder (WMP) remains strong following a jump in European prices.

Availability is limited and as other products continue to offer attractive returns, supply is likely to remain tight going forward. Skim milk powder has quickly emerged as the frontrunner this season and prices continue to surge. Strong demand from southeast Asia has especially contributed to this value growth, as many buyers actively look to boost inventories. Cheese prices are also firmer than usual; delays in getting products to our shores have seen some Australian buyers usually reliant on dairy imports turn to domestic producers. Finally, milkfat and particularly butter prices continue to soar as demand remains firm and there is little supply available.

Looking ahead, supply chain pressures are unlikely to abate anytime soon. Staffing shortages and increasing production costs will continue to strain operations and new challenges are also likely to take shape as the pandemic unfolds. On the other hand, as input costs have risen at the farmgate, in Australia and other key exporting regions, milk supply is expected to remain tight well into 2022. Combined with growing global demand, this is likely to underpin elevated commodity prices. While we can expect further COVID-19 induced bumps along the way, strong market fundamentals will help to cushion the impact for the road ahead.

Eye cancers — blink and you’ll miss them.

PG. 34

MARKETS ...................................................3 NEWS .....................................................4-23 PASTURE IMPROVEMENT ..... 24-33 ANIMAL HEALTH .......................... 34-35 MACHINERY AND PRODUCTS ......................................36-39

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

4 // NEWS

Investments with purpose

BY RICK BAYNE

JOSEPH CONHEADY has been making hay as

the sun shines during the past few seasons — but his investments all have a clear purpose.

On the back of good seasons and fair prices, Joseph has drawn up an infrastructure list and is well on the way to achieving his goals.

The priorities have common threads — a return on investment, making the farm more profitable and easy-to-run, and addressing ongoing labour problems.

“I need this job to be profitable but also simply easier for us all to run every day of the year. It’s also nice if we can get away for a holiday,” Joseph said.

Having successfully navigated share farming, Joseph is a strong advocate of the system and he’s keen to encourage young people to at least consider dairy farming.

“If you enjoy farming, there’s an enormous amount of opportunity ahead for you in dairy,” he said.

“Existing equity in the industry needs youth and energy to drive it forward. Older generations are looking at their exit strategies, and opportunities such as sharefarming or equity partnerships are a great stepping stone into farm ownership.”

Joseph is one of seven children, with four brothers now farming, and he is in the process of buying his Garvoc farm.

One of his main challenges has been staffing, a situation worsened by COVID-19 reducing access to short-term staff, plus two of his staff recently caught the virus.

He thinks it’s time to reposition dairy as a career of choice.

“We’re in dairy’s heartland but only three of about 60 in my Year 12 level went dairy farming,” Joseph said.

“There was no mention of it at school. I studied ag science at La Trobe Uni and at the end of that course in 2011 of about 60 students, only three of us are full-time dairy farming.”

However, money talks and Joseph believes it’s time for dairy to get more attention.

“We’re making profits now which is really good but there have been hard years.

I’m lucky my parents kept the faith and encouraged us to pursue agriculture, but other kids in my generation experienced the exact opposite.

“There’s so much talk about not being able to get into farming because it’s too expensive, but sharefarming offers a pathway where you can get in with nothing but your experience and your energy.

“Land prices have gone up so much and milk prices have taken a step towards being more fairly valued, so compared to years ago, the landowner is now putting in more than they were and profitability is higher for the young farmer who doesn’t necessarily need any equity at all.

Still, both parties can make good profits working together. I think it’s not a bad deal for the younger person.

“Agriculture provides such an enormous opportunity. When it comes to the future of Australia, we need to encourage more young people to invest in farm land as an asset and farming as a career because of what it does for the economy.

“Dairy farms are very expensive, but there is a truckload of milk to show for it every single day. They are productive assets which go on to create jobs and income for thousands of people down the line, not to mention the quality food we all need.

“On the other hand, thousands of Australians are enticed by our tax laws and markets to pour millions of dollars into non-productive assets such as a house in Carlton which essentially goes on to create very little economic activity.

“Comparing the two, farm land still excites me.

“We need to point out there is a globally competitive dairy industry here and we are very good at it.”

Staffing issues came to a head last year during a difficult calving season, which was also impacted by facilities and more numbers.

Joseph has six staff members on the books, but only one full-time and would like to grow this number. The staff and Joseph like the flexibility that part-time work brings. “Employees tell us how much and when they want to work and we design a role around them,” he said.

“I see labour and what people bring to the business as a great investment. We are definitely always looking for good people to join our team.”

Joseph said the move to a more reasonable milk price and the good seasons meant farmers could now better invest in animal welfare, infrastructure, labour management and environmental sustainability.

One of the problems he is addressing is calving, with 12 new calving paddocks and shelters being established.

Joseph Conheady says the effluent pond and irrigation system have been positive developments.

He aims to rear more calves for export and bull sale opportunities, while maintaining herd numbers between 570 and 630 Friesians and crossbreeds, depending on the season.

Joseph also has a new effluent pond and irrigation system now covering 60ha, cup removers, feed heads in the dairy, new tracks, upgraded stock water systems, heat collars and sub-surface drainage for low-lying swamp land.

Mostly the investments are designed to make money and save labour.

Cup removers were an instant hit.

“That was one of the best investments. For not a huge outlay, I could halve the labour needed to run the dairy. It meant I had an extra four hours in my pocket to invest in other projects more valuable than taking the cups off.

“The heat collars weren’t a high return on investment but there’s more than money in some of these decisions. If I can make similar profit but my life is much better, I call it profit equivalent.

“I’ve never been happier to have basic laboursaving infrastructure than in 2021 when we were trying to rear more calves with less people.”

Joseph, his wife Anna and young son Finbar plan to budget for annual holidays with the new focus on labour savings and simple systems.

Joseph had a baptism of fire not long after starting sharefarming in 2017 when about 80 per cent of Tullagh was burnt and 86 cows were killed.

But the fire bought long-term benefits, with Joseph reconsidering the calving pattern and land management.

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New tracks, calf paddocks and sheds and upgrades to the dairy have happened in recent years.

“Traditionally we would start calving in April and finish in September, yet we called ourselves autumn calvers; now it’s nine weeks and we’re at 80 per cent in-calf rate this year,” he said.

“I need grass and don’t want to push the system too hard by calving out of season to chase off-peak incentives.

“The tighter calving is super-busy but for a shorter period and is part of a strategy to make it easier and address the cost of feeding by having as many cows as possible being as profitable as they can be.”

Although helped by good seasons, the farm has gone from growing 4.5 tonnes per hectare to eight tonnes after changing grazing and fertiliser strategies and introducing summer crops, most successfully with rape.

“A lot of it has been influenced by the fires,” Joseph said.

“Eighty per cent of the platform was burnt so

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

NEWS // 5

The herd has expanded to 630 in the wake of good seasons and fair prices.

Joseph, Anna and Finbar plan to budget for an annual holiday.

I was left with only a small portion of the farm, milking 630 cows on 10 paddocks through winter.

“I had to bite the bullet and sacrifice those paddocks but that spring we had an amazing harvest because we had looked after the re-sown platform and the pastures came back better than ever.”

He also added a conveyor arm to the silage wagon to use the feed pad more appropriately and stop feeding in the paddocks.

Joseph now uses a similar sacrifice policy for wet paddocks, more summer crops and more feeding on the pad.

“It’s exciting to make these investments now there is more cash flow to do it; we’d probably have liked to do some of these basics a long time ago,” he said.

New plantations will provide more shelter and biodiversity.

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“It’s a good time to be a dairy farmer. We’d love the opportunity down the track to grow our business through share farming or by helping someone else.

“Growth isn’t attainable without people and there are always options on the table to work in with other people.

“The amount of investment in dairy farms over the past couple of seasons is testament to a simple truth for the future of our industry: profitable returns at the farm gate are the foundational security and future for processors, the entire supply chain and supporting industries,” Joseph said.

“If everybody is going to share a slice of milk’s value, we need profitable farmers to create it in the first place.”

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

6 // NEWS

ADF releases dairy policies

BY GEOFF ADAMS

THE NATIONAL dairy farmer body will press

for tighter restrictions around the marketing of milk substitutes to avoid confusion over the ­perceived health benefits of alternatives.

Australian Dairy Farmers has launched a ­comprehensive set of national policy statements on the dairy industry intended to influence the 2022 federal election.

ADF wants to see improved labelling and marketing of plant-based alternatives to dairy products that are more truthful and do not mislead the consumer into thinking they are healthier than dairy.

The policy statement asks for the introduction of a voluntary code that restricts the use of the word ‘dairy’ and, if that is not successful, asks the Federal Government to enforce closer compliance with an international standard on the use of dairy terms.

ADF is concerned some plant-based products are trading off the good name of dairy but ­without matching nutritional value.

ADF will also be urging political parties to negotiate better international trade agreements to counter a decline in Australia’s share of trade.

“International trade barriers and protectionism is a driver of Australian dairy’s export market decline,” the policy statement said.

ADF said Australia was facing trade with countries that subsidised their own farmers and raised trade barriers which disadvantaged Australia.

“It is important that the Australian Government continues to pursue free trade agreements that help the Australian dairy industry diversify and compete in export markets,” the policy statement said.

“Australia’s core value is open and free trade and compliance with international trading rules.

This should override any trade and geopolitical tension with any other country.”

ADF said Australia’s free trade agreement with Japan was the first the Japanese had ­completed with a major dairy supply partner.

Since then, Japan has completed bilateral agreements with the European Union and United States, as well as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) agreement, which includes New Zealand.

“These agreements with Australia’s major dairy competitors have more favourable trading terms than the Australian agreement,” ADF said.

The organisation said it was committed to the implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, but it should be delivered to ensure there were no unmanaged and unmitigated third-party impacts from the use of environmental water

and negative impacts on regional communities are mitigated.

“Dairy has done much of the heavy lifting in achieving water recovery to date,” the policy statement said.

“As we move forward it is critical that the r­ ecommendations of the Productivity Commission’s Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Fiveyear assessment and the ACCC’s Murray-Darling Water Markets Review are implemented.”

Pushing for political support for policies The ADF 2022 Federal Election Policy Statement will steer ADF’s advocacy throughout the election. It includes three guiding objectives: ■ Improve nutritional health in Australia and abroad; ■ Grow jobs and liveability in the regions with planning and investment; and ■ Increase sustainability and productivity through innovation and markets.

Under these three objectives there are 14 strategies and 38 actions for political parties to adopt as part of their election policies.

ADF president Rick Gladigau said the upcoming election provided a great opportunity for the Australian dairy industry.

“We need policy settings that support our industry’s economic recovery,” Mr Gladigau said.

“The dairy sector can play a key role in supporting the Australian Government’s COVID-19 recovery and regionalisation agendas, and its pledge to set the foundations for the agriculture sector to grow to $100 billion by 2030.

“The federal election provides a defining moment in the Australian dairy industry’s ability to achieve our sustainability targets.”

ADF chief executive officer David Inall said the focus for ADF early in 2022 would be to meet with key representatives of all major political parties and brief them on this election policy platform.

The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend consumption of milk, cheese and yoghurt across all life stages.

For adults aged 19 to 50 years, at least 2.5 serves a day of milk, cheese, yoghurt and/or alternatives are recommended.

“Unfortunately, most Australians do not ­consume anywhere near the required amount,” the ADF statement says.

The statement notes a recent survey by University of Melbourne which explored how the food served at aged care facilities impacts the health of residents.

“It specifically investigated how increasing intake of milk, cheese and yoghurt impacted on a variety of health outcomes including fractures and falls.”

This world-first randomised controlled trial found that increasing dairy intake from two to 3.5 serves per day improved calcium and protein

Advertising Max Hyde 0408 558 938 max.hyde@dairynewsaustralia.com.au Editor Fiona Lloyd (03) 5820 3254 editor@dairynewsaustralia.com.au Dairy News Australia is published by Shepparton Newspapers Pty Ltd. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the staff, management or directors of Shepparton Newspapers Pty Ltd.

Regional editor news@dairynewsaustralia.com.au

Dairy has been hit hard by labour shortages.

Dairy policies released by Australian Dairy Farmers will be used to lobby MPs leading up to the next federal election.

intakes and significantly reduced the risk of falls, all fractures and hip fractures.

The ADF is calling on the Australian Government to develop national mandatory minimal nutritional standards for food provision in residential aged care.

Rural labour shortage plan ADF has alos developed a seven-point plan aimed at addressing the labour shortage in rural areas.

The statement points out that for many years dairy has suffered from a worker shortage.

The group said age demographics, geographic location, industry culture, infrastructure, housing and attractiveness of other jobs and lifestyle in urban areas had contributed to the problem.

ADF would like to see a $300 million commitment to implement the National Agriculture Workforce Strategy.

Under the strategy, the ADF wants priority allocated to the following initiatives: 1. Establishment of a Workforce Data Unit to aggregate and predict workforce gaps and trends.

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2. Establishment of an agriculture passport to capture and retain staff competencies and experience across the sector.

3. Ensuring the education sector partners more strongly with industry to create learning experiences that meet industry development needs.

4. Expanding the Skilling Australians Fund to benefit the whole agri-food workforce.

5. Improving administration of the visa system to recognise the critical skills shortage in dairying and be resourced to improve efficiencies and lower costs to farmers and rural communities.

6. Delivering an agriculture reputation and recognition campaign to promote best practice, create a positive culture and attract new workers to the industry.

7. Establishment of a leading change fund to implement strategically aligned workforce leadership and career development programs.

The new agriculture visa was introduced by the Federal Government in August to resolve critical worker shortages.

The trial, from December 2021 to March 2022, was introduced with about 700 people from South-East Asia.

Labour hire companies are being used to work in partnership with peak bodies and farm businesses to ensure appropriate deployment of labour on-farm.

ADF believes it is critical that an ­evaluation of the pilot is led by the National Farmers’ Federation to finalise the structure and operation of the agriculture visa.

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

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

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

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

8 // NEWS

Mating period made easy COBY BOSCHMA

GOING ON a decent family holiday in the

middle of the mating period might sound farfetched, but for Eugene Rea, his wife Chantelle, and their blended family of seven children, it's suddenly become reality.

"We've never been able to do that before but having a cow monitoring app on my phone allows me to be able to see what is going on 24/7, even if I'm away," Eugene says.

Eugene's been in the dairy business all his life.

He grew up on his parents' farm and has been a full-time dairy farmer since 1993. Through the years, his business has blossomed.

"My parents bought this 110-hectare farm in 1997, which I managed until 2010, at which time I purchased the farm off them. We lease 69 hectares next door and I also have an out-paddock of 50 hectares, seven kilometres away, which is used for fodder production and heifer rearing."

More family, less labour At Childers Cove in south-west Victoria, Eugene and his two staff members care for and milk 300 registered Holsteins.

"And this year we reared 150 heifer calves plus another 100 steers and beef calves", Eugene adds.

All cows in the milking herd have a CowManager ear sensor, which monitors their rumi-

nation time, eating time, resting time and ear temperature. All cow data is sent to Eugene's PC and smartphone in real-time, transferred into coloured graphs and self-explanatory reports.

Having tech as a tool in their toolbox, makes those days on-farm shorter and easier.

"I've been able to spend less time in the dairy as I haven't had to worry about the heat detection or applying heat detection aids, leading to more family time. For my employees, CowManager makes heat detection one less thing to worry about."

Timing sexed semen Before they had to spend hours applying tail pant or scratchy stickers, which also led to some guesswork with no real idea of exact timing of heat.

Eugene sat down with his vet to discuss options, and he had heard of a couple of other local farmers who had installed CowManager.

The simplicity of applying and removing the ear tags — which fit over RFID/NLIS tags — drew him in, and he installed the system in September 2020. Ever since, the guessing game has turned into a data-based strategy.

"CowManager has taken any human error out of the process; from heat detection right through to cow identification and drafting. It has taken all the hassles out of breeding periods, enabling myself and staff to fully focus on milking and other important roles. The heifer export market

Eugene Rea with WWS Australia's local CowManager representative Paul Quinlan.

is a massive part of our business, and the system has allowed us to increase numbers put towards this, whilst allowing us to keep more heifers from our best cows."

Having around the clock cow data has also made Eugene more confident in using sexed semen in the milking herd, resulting in a third of all pregnancies being sexed semen.

"I like that the system can tell me who comes on heat in real-time throughout the day, giving me time to figure out the best sire to match to each individual cow. I can also see her cycling and fertility history to see if she is suited to be mated to sexed semen."

Eugene has found it also picks up cows not cycling, including cystic ovaries and other fertility issues before or early in the mating period.

Best of both worlds With his business blooming even more and with more family time on the horizon, Eugene is glad to be able to proactively run his farm and provide the best possible care for his cows, while also having time for a more fulfilled personal life — even during the mating period.

"I would definitely recommend CowManager to other dairy farmers. It's so easy to use and makes the mating period very easy."

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

10 // NEWS

CWA calls for satellite technology JEANETTE SEVERS

ONE OF Australia’s powerful non-political

lobby groups is pushing forward a proposal for fully tax-refundable satellite phone technology, in recognition of how often failed communications during crises puts rural people at high risk.

The Country Women’s Association of Victoria has been lobbying politicians, including Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, for the past year, and made a submission to last year’s Regional Telecommunications Review.

In their submission, CWAVic referenced a number of bushfires where CWA members and their communities experienced widespread and long-term communications “blackouts”.

These included the 2019–20 summer bushfires across Australia’s east and on Kangaroo Island, the Cobden/Terang fires in March 2018, and the Bunyip/Yinnar fires of March 2019.

A review by the Australian Communications and Media Authority identified 1390 facilities, including many mobile network base stations, batteries and nodes, including backup batteries, were affected during the 2019–20 bushfires across Australia’s eastern states and South Australia.

More than 1000 of these facilities were offline for varying periods, from hours to weeks and months. The average length of an outage was 3.5 days, but critically that was in the first days of 2020, when people needed reliable communication during frightening emergency situations.

They also needed to receive information through the emergency services text network, which was ineffective in those circumstances.

Some towers were burned, but the biggest impact was the lack of grid power to the tower network, either because power lines were turned off or burnt, or the poles holding up wires were burned down. Where battery backup was available it was ineffective, lasting only a few hours; but batteries were mostly ineffective because contractors were not allowed in fire zones to deliver them where they were needed.

But their submission was also relevant to storms, CWAVic state president Pam Mawson said, citing the feedback she received from members and other rural dwellers in central and north-eastern Victoria, Sylvan and Gippsland who were without communications after severe storm activity in the middle of last year brought down power lines and power poles.

This lack of power to telecommunications towers meant the mobile telephone networks were inoperable.

This situation is despite the Federal Government committing a further $380 million last year, on top of $875 million, to the Mobile Black Spot Program to invest in telecommunications infrastructure to improve mobile coverage across Australia. “ … this is an important national issue that hasn’t been addressed and there’s a federal election coming up this year,” Pam said.

“Every time there’s a serious, traumatic, impactful occurrence, this issue [lack of

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telecommunications and internet cover for rural people] is in the mix.

“This failure continues to need an urgent, co‑ordinated and funded response.”

Joanne Alderman, one of CWAVic’s three state vice presidents, said development of the organisation’s proposal was the result of a grassroots movement that led into a motion put up to the annual conference two years ago, and which was passed unanimously as a national issue.

“I know technology keeps changing,” Joanne said. “But the proposal has merit.”

She said it was too easy for the Federal Government to cite current government contracts that supported favoured infrastructure, like mobile telephone towers, instead of supporting a broader delivery of options that included satellite technology used in rural communities, and particularly for farmers, across Australia.

Joanne said a critical part of CWAVic’s submission was to support the tax write-off in the year of purchase, of satellite phone technology. This would encourage the uptake of satellite phone technology that enabled mobile phones to be used as satellite phones when towers were offline.

But it was also necessary for the government to support initiatives to reduce the cost of using satellite phone technology. Currently, calls using satellite phones were ridiculously expensive, in comparison to mobile phone rates.

“The actual communication cost is very expensive. It’s not just the technology; government needs to ensure the cost of using the satellite phone is reasonable,” Joanne said.

On behalf of CWA Victoria, Joanne Alderman has been leading a grassroots campaign lobbying the Federal Government to support greater access to satellite technology in rural areas across Australia.

CWAVic’s lobbying for a better communication system is supported by CFA Victoria and initiatives it is considering for brigade members.

CFA’s Assistant Chief Officer Trevor Owen said the organisation was investing in satellite technology that adapted brigade members’ mobile phones so they could use them in bushfire scenarios, rather than repeat the experience of the 2019–20 summer.

“A lot of our members feel there’s a lot not being done to connect people to emergency services warnings and conditions,” he said.

The chief concern is getting emergency information into communities, and the 2019–20 bushfires demonstrated mobile phone towers were not reliable for distributing that information.

Nor were radio or television signals.

But Trevor believes appropriate satellite technology in everyday use in rural homes — a bluetooth modem, satsleeve or stand-alone phone — ensures that community members have a good chance of searching online for up-to-date emergency warnings.

And while the cost is currently prohibitive for the average person, that’s an issue that could be addressed by government policy.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

NEWS // 11 “We see in farming communities that people want to be able to readily access technology to run their farms,” CFA’s Trevor Owen said.

“It’s also about supporting the tourist — we saw in the 2019–20 fires there were many tourists from overseas who were affected and they had no idea about the communication coverage that was or wasn’t available.”

The call for better technology support is gaining widespread momentum.

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) is the peak body representing all consumers on ensuring telecommunications, broadband and emerging new services are inclusive and available to all.

In their submission to the 2020 Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, [which followed the 2019–20 bushfires], ACCAN identified concerns about the resiliency of mobile, fixed and NBN networks during emergencies and disaster situations — concerns which had been raised by the National Council for Fire and Emergency Services for more than two years prior to 2019–20.

These concerns included using technology that didn’t rely on voice-only services and avoiding an over-reliance on radio and other mainstream services to provide emergency information to consumers.

ACCAN identified that solutions needed to be affordable and deliverable for people living in and visiting across Australia’s remote, rural and regional areas.  The 2021 Regional Telecommunication Independent Review Committee delivered its final report and recommendations to the Federal Government on December 20, 2021.

The committee received a record-breaking 658 written submissions, along with strong feedback from 24 online consultation sessions attended by almost 500 people.

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It’s not only the general community that will benefit. Medical, ambulance, police and other emergency services were offline in some communities during the 2019–20 bushfires. Helicopters were used to relay satellite phones into incident control service outposts, to support decision making and communicate up-to-date information with the State Incident Control Centre.

Mobile phone and internet infrastructure were not able to cope with increased data demands in real crises.

That inability to cope was also demonstrated in 2021, with a number of storms in NSW and Victoria — where electricity and mobile telephone coverage was offline or considerably weakened for up to three weeks and people were unable to contact necessary emergency services and medical support.

Trevor said the CFA did use satellite phones during the 2019–20 fire period, and in some communities CFA volunteers were the only emergency services people with any communication. But the CFA was looking for a longer term solution.

“In 2019–20, the mobile phone towers went down more quickly than anyone envisaged.

“The Australian Defence Force dropped EPIRBs and military satellite phones into communities and they still had limited ability because of heavy smoke. You still have to have a line of sight connection to the satellite, and smoke and clouds can reduce that.”

But the satellite technology was more reliable than mobile telephone networks.

Trevor also cited the cost of using satellite phones as restrictive. Whereas adaptive technology, like a satellite modem installed in a fire truck, means one or several phones can hotspot to the satellite link, and — crucially — maintain connections with other trucks and the incident control centre.

Trevor said the concern for emergency services was how to ensure people in the community received emergency updates by text and maintained internet connectivity. He believed there was a role for satellite phone technology in that space.

“Emergency warnings are sent out using mobile phone towers — loss of mobile coverage meant there was also loss of warnings about danger — so a bigger thing in an emergency is that we need a way of bridging that technology gap,” he said.

Being at the forefront of embracing technology change also required government support — not only financial and policy direction — but lobbying private companies [like Telstra and Optus] to provide better and appropriate service.

“I think it’s useful to have an organisation like CWA lobbying for better communications services and connectivity,” Trevor said.

“Private companies require a stakeholder and shareholder interest because it’s about a business proposition. Government can financially support that. I think we’ve seen that even where government identifies there’s a need, private providers have agreements with their shareholders and financial backers about the level of service they’re providing. Government might have one view, but then businesses have a separate agreement with shareholders.

“Even in conversations with Telstra and others in 2019–20, they had their business lens.

We had an emergency lens. We can’t require them to do something they either don’t have the will to do or the business principles to do.”

But the reliability of a phone and internet connection is more than crisis management.

Community members need access to a variety of options, rather than be limited to poor mobile connectivity.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

12 // NEWS

Emotional and welcome win IT MIGHT have taken two years for cows to

finally return to Tatura’s International Dairy Week, but it was well worth the wait for Matt and Nicola Templeton, after their seven-yearold cow View Fort Dictator Dottie was crowned Grand Champion Cow. The win makes it two in a row for the Tarwin couple, who won Grand Champion in 2021 with Avonlea Reginald Jacobina.

Ms Templeton told the Around the Barn video/podcast the win was exciting and to come out on top was an amazing achievement.

Understandably the couple was very emotional considering Dottie was bred by Mr Templeton’s dad Bruce and he was unable to attend the event.

“Dottie’s win is an acknowledgement we are getting somewhere with our home breeding program, she is the type of cow we all want in our herds,” Mr Templeton said.

Holstein judge Murray Sowter said there was great depth across all classes and great consistency among all cows on show and he was very pleased with the champion cow.

Reserve grand champion was Windy Ways Galaxies Dawn 7 owned by Windy Ways’ Frank Walsh, formerly from Tongala, and Cherrylock’s Brad and Jess Gavenlock from Tallygaroopna.

Dawn now has won champion Jersey for the past three IDWs. “She is such a well-balanced cow. There is nothing wrong with her and it’s very hard

to pick any holes. She really is a once-in-alifetime animal and we will keep showing and enjoying her for as long as we can,” Mr Gavenlock said.

Mr Walsh said they were fortunate to have such a great cow.

“This gives me a real thrill and keeps me alive,” he said.

“The quality of cattle this year was outstanding and it was good to see the event back up and running again.”

For Declan Patten and Bradley Cullen, IDW has taken on a whole new meaning after the business partners took over the running of the event.

“We are just so grateful and thankful to have IDW back and people could attend,” Mr Patten said.

“Despite a drop in numbers our feedback has been extremely positive, not just from exhibitors but from the sponsors as well who all had some great conversations.”

He said the new format was well received with a focus of in-milk cows shown in the morning for better cow comfort.

Around the Barn was a new social media initiative and was also well received, offering a personal insight into winners, cows and the event in general.

“The sale was great,” Mr Patten said.

“We had a new partnership with STgenetics and they decided to host a virtual sale which was a great success and resulted in the highest price

View Fort Dictator Dottie, with Matt Templeton, was crowned Grand Champion Cow.

Glen and Drew Gordon from Gorbro Holsteins, Cohuna, with Reserve Champion Holstein Avonlea Rival. Gorbro was also named Holstein Premier Exhibitor.

paid for a Brown Swiss in Australia with Tandara Glenwood Heidi 303 selling for $27,000.”

More stories and photos, pages 14 and 15.

Reserve Grand Champion Windy Ways Galaxies Dawn 7, owned by Windy Ways’ Frank Walsh, formerly from Tongala, and Cherrylock’s Brad (pictured) and Jess Gavenlock from Tallygaroopna.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

14 // NEWS

Heidi wins records and hearts WHEN BEN Govett decided to sell Tandara

Glenwood Heidi 303 at International Dairy Weeks STG Australia Create the Future Sale, he was hoping she would make some ‘decent money’.

He couldn’t believe when the hammer finally fell that the decent money was $27,000 and an Australian record for the highest priced Brown Swiss sold in the country.

“I had no idea she would go that far, it’s just unbelievable,” Ben said.

Ben has been breeding cows for 20 years and he said Heidi 303 was the best two year old he had ever had.

“Her grandmother won her class at IDW, her mother was reserve champion and won the On Farm Challenge last year so she certainly has a great show pedigree behind her,” Ben said.

Ben said Brown Swiss were gaining popularity and there was a lot more interest in the breed across the country.

Ben milks 150 Brown Swiss and 150 Jersey cows on his Dingee property.

He likes the brown Swiss for their robustness and longevity.

For Maddy Foot and her sister Shelby it was love at first sight when they laid eyes on Heidi 303.

And despite going well over her initial $15,000 budget, Maddy couldn’t be happier that she is finally hers.

“I saw Heidi in the catalogue and I really, really liked her. I didn’t need to buy anymore cows but when I arrived at IDW on the Saturday night she really caught my eye and that was it.

“I blew my budget and then some, but I really did love her from the very start,” Maddy said.

Maddy and Shelby are looking to form a partnership and see where Heidi takes them in the future. They are hoping the next stop for Heidi will be Sydney Royal this year.

Maddy has about a dozen cows of her own and has three other Brown Swiss cows already.

She loves the breed and in particular their quiet nature.

Maddy has been involved in the dairy industry for 10 years and is currently farming in Oxley with Murray and Jane Polson.

The STG sale was held online and consisted of 37 lots which averaged $7157.89.

The next top priced lots were Lightning Ridge SMDW Chief Vera and Gorbro Sunsupreme Joan which sold for $10500 to Gordon Pastoral P/L Tongala and G and A Meyland from Waaia respectively.

Ben said the sale format worked well and it was good to see the industry embracing new technology.

“The colour breeds all sold really well and I think everyone was pleased with how it all went in the end,” Ben said.

Ben Govett, Tandara Glenwood Heidi 303 and new owners Maddy and Shelby Foot, who paid a record $27,000 for the Brown Swiss.

When Maddy and Shelby Foot spotted Heidi in catalogue they were immediately interested.

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NEWS // 15

IDW 2022 in pictures

Madisyn Kenzie with Bailey from South Gippsland.

Declan, Ellie, Eva, 6 and Hendrix Patten, 2, from Sale. Eva competed in the fancy dress event with her mane-wearing calf dressed as a lion.

Karl Munden with Ringer Maiden from Gippsland and Munden Farms. Mr Munden’s cow Magic Park Shady Maiden went on to win Ayrshire Grand Champion.

Lochie Polson from Oxley Islands, NSW, with Chief Pauline. The pair achieved third place in their class.

Laura and Elodie Taylor, 1, from Timboon.

Fletcher Menzies, 5, from Nowra.

Senior Champion Red and White Holstein Robley Park Dback Shakira (left), Reserve Champion Cairnsdale Absolute Red Delight and Honourable Mention Bluechip EV Shesawesome Apple.

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16 // NEWS

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Surinder Singh and Jaspreet Singh. Surinder worked as a Melbourne taxi driver and knew there was a large demand among Indian bakers for non-homogenised milk. Jaspreet worked as a Neverfail Springwater delivery driver around Shepparton and knew how rich the area was with dairy farming families. Photo: Rodney Braithwaite

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to Australia, and started Kisaan after seeing a demand for non-homogenised milk among Melbourne’s Indian sweet bakers.

“There are about 20 Indian sweet bakers in Melbourne. Before we started doing milk in bulk

bags a lot of them were using milk powder and it was not good,” Surinder said.

“It was sweet but it didn’t taste anything like the traditional sweets … so we saw there was a market.”

Both Jaspreet and Surinder come from farming families in Punjab, India where they grew up with fresh buffalo milk.

“Buffalo milk is creamier than cow milk and people have been missing that taste,” Jaspreet said.

“Here in Australia people have been drinking homogenised milk for generations and it’s only the dairy farmers who know what milk really tastes like.

“People in the know buy our milk because they know what non-homogenised means while those who don’t just buy the cheapest bottle.”

Kisaan milk is pasteurised to meet food safety requirements but isn’t homogenised.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

NEWS // 17 “We’ve been doing dairy processing since 2017 but there were ups and downs,” Jaspreet said.

The Singhs first tried creating Indian cottage cheese but it wasn’t a hit.

After upgrading to a bigger facility they secured a contract with another dairy business to process fresh milk in 2019, but the real turning point was the Dairy Code of Conduct being realised on January 1, 2020.

The code was introduced by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to help clean up the dairy industry, which was dominated by a handful of powerful processors.

The code ended the practice of processors locking farmers into contracts that require farmers to not supply any other milk processor.

These contracts could last years and were designed to smother competition.

“Getting farmers was quite difficult because in the early years they were in contracts with their processors,” Jaspreet said.

“But when the ACCC ended exclusive agreements that was an opportunity for us.”

The Kisaan plant in Mcharry Place, Shepparton, takes five people to operate. It runs for about 10 hours every second day with the milk tanker coming in the night before.

At the moment Kisaan works with three farmers in the Katandra West area.

Fiona Rourke is one of those farmers and runs just under 100 cows.

Ms Rourke said without Kisaan her farm would have collapsed during the 2018–19 dry period.

“I call him (Jaspreet) Jassie. He gave me a funny look but I said ‘nah mate, it’s a badge of honour, you’re a good bloke’,” she said.

Kisaan means ‘farmer’ and ‘malaidaar’ means creamy. Kisaan sells milk in two-litre bottles, and five and 10-litre bags

“I wouldn’t have made it through the 2018– 19 dry spell without them. They were paying 14¢ more than the average joe.”

Ms Rourke said she started out supplying Kisaan 200 litres twice a week and was now supplying 3000 litres every second day.

“I was their second farmer and was there for the cottage cheese,” she said.

“I’ve never known blokes to work like them.

Jeez, they worked hard and now they have employees. Surinder was driving taxis in Melbourne, coming up at night to process milk and going back down to drive taxis the next day.”

It’s been nearly two years since the dairy code was introduced and the pair estimates nearly 90 per cent of Indian sweet makers in Melbourne are now using Kisaan milk, completely changing the quality of sweets in the city.

COVID-19 showed the pair there was a demand for non-homogenised milk in the household market as well.

“When Daniel Andrews announced we were going into lockdown in March 2020 we had a little van by then. I’d filled it with milk and was driving to Melbourne,” Jaspreet said.

The plant takes five people to operate. It runs for about 10 hours every second day with the milk tanker coming in the night before.

According to the Singhs, the majority of their work is cleaning, rather than bottling.

“I rung the sweet bakers and one by one they said ‘no, we don’t need milk any more, we’re going to shut down’. So I was thinking, what am I doing to do with 1000 litres of milk?

“I had some friends in Craigieburn and they were the turning point of our story. I gave them some milk for free and a neighbour came over to ask how much the milk was.”

After that the friends got busy calling people they knew, looking for buyers.

“The next day we had a lot of calls so we sat down and decided to make a website,” Jaspreet said.

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The second round of the $5 million Woolworths Dairy Innovation Fund is now open and seeking applications from farmers for grants to support on-farm projects that deliver innovation, efficiency and seasonal resilience.

Australian dairy farmers in the Woolworths supply chain, including those supplying vendor brands, can apply to the fund before February 20.

Victorian farmer Lisa Dwyer received $100,000 from the inaugural round of the fund earlier this year to roll out herd monitoring collars across more than 400 head of cows on the Purnim farm she runs with her husband, Eddie.

The grant will also fund a new automatic draft system on the couple’s property.

The Dwyers supply to Fonterra and employ a team of six ranging in age from their 20s to 70s.

Lisa says in the six months since they introduced the new technology she’s already seen the benefits in early detection of illness and heat, which has improved animal welfare and breeding, boosted production and reduced costs.

“In the 18 years I’ve been dairying, this is the single biggest game changer we’ve come across and it’s helping us foster a workplace that’s pro-

gressive and rewarding for our team,” Lisa said.

“We’ve seen first-hand the benefits technology can bring to our business, our people and most importantly, our animals, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the Woolworths Dairy Innovation Fund.”

Lisa is a vocal advocate for technological innovation across Australian dairy farms and encourages farmers to consider the strategic investments they could make with the assistance of the grant.

“While our industry’s past has largely been driven by commodity exports, our future will be driven by a transition to high-value agricultural production — and that can only be achieved through clever and compelling technological innovation.”

The Dairy Innovation Fund was launched in November 2020 to invest a total of $5 million in about 60 businesses across three years.

The fund was designed in consultation with peak industry groups Australian Dairy Farmers, Dairy Australia, National Farmers’ Federation, Premium Milk Ltd and the NSW Farmers’ Association Dairy Committee.

To read more about the fund and how to apply, visit woolworths.com.au/dairyinnovationfund Submissions close on February 20.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

NEWS // 19

Bega under price pressure BEGA CHEESE shares fell to their second lowest point in 12 months in January as the company wrestled with COVID-19 disruptions, changes to the Chinese infant formula milk market, supply chain challenges and a tight milk supply.

However, executive chaiman, Barry Irvine believes the company is comfortable with the overall operations of the business, the quality of brands and the investments that have been made for growth and efficiencies.

He expects the 2022 financial year earnings to be in the range of $195 million to $225 million in

normalised earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA).

The company earned $142 million for 2021, which more than doubled the previous year’s result.

The company, in a market update released just prior to Christmas, noted positive seasonal conditions but milk supply was flat to declining in the face of strong competition.

“The company expects upward pressure on farm gate milk prices to remain for the balance of the year reflecting high global dairy commodity prices, limited supply availability and the resultant competitive circumstances,” the statement said.

On Monday, January 24, the share price dipped to $5.10, after reaching $6.45 in March last year.

Three years ago the share price hovered between $6 and $7.

On December 23 Australian businessman, Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest bought up a $108 million of shares in Bega. His company, Tattarang AgriFood Investments snapped up 20 million shares.

Bega is working through an incorporation of the Lion Dairy and Drinks business it acquired.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

20 // NEWS

Water Dynamics Mount Gambier is now a dealer.

Jersey Australia says independent studies back up what Jersey farmers have been claiming for years; that Jersey cows are more profitable and sustainable.

Jersey profitability highlighted TWO NEW studies have found that Jerseys have

the attributes that can make them Australia’s most profitable and sustainable cows.

The studies by consultants Steve Little and Scott Barnett show that Jerseys have higher fertility, higher production efficiency, and greater heat tolerance and longevity compared to other breeds, while modelling shows Jerseys have up to 14 per cent advantage over Holstein Friesians in the cost of producing milk kg/Ms and a better return on asset.

Jersey Australia engaged Dr Little of Capacity+ Ag Consulting to review evidence in published studies on the attributes of the Australian Jersey compared to other breeds.

Following Dr Little’s report Jersey — The Most Profitable and Sustainable cow? — Jersey Australia engaged Mr Barnett of Scott Barnett & Associates to undertake desktop economic modelling of Jersey versus Holstein Friesians in Australian dairy production systems.

Jersey Australia CEO Glen Barrett said the independent studies back up what Jersey farmers have been claiming for years; that Jersey cows are more profitable and sustainable.

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“We needed the facts to back up the call and now we have them. All the evidence is backed by research that will stand up to any scrutiny.”

Mr Barrett said the studies’ findings would be used to publicise the breed and inform farmers of the benefits of transitioning to Jerseys.

“Our ambition is to have 25 per cent of Jerseys in the national dairy herd by 2030. It is achievable with the right strategies and these studies will help guide us to that goal.

“Farmers are looking for profitability and now we have the proof that Jerseys are the most profitable cow.”

Jerseys currently make up about 15 per cent of the national herd and that figure has been steadily rising over the past decade.

Dr Little’s review found that Jerseys produce 6–11 per cent more energy-corrected milk (ECM) than Holsteins per kilogram of dry matter intake; 26–31 per cent more ECM per 100 kg bodyweight than Holsteins; have about 14–21 per cent higher feed intake capacity than Holsteins per 100 kg bodyweight; and have about 5 per cent higher feed intake capacity than Holsteins per unit of metabolic weight.

“This review found that the Australian Jersey has several attributes compared with other breeds used in the Australian dairy industry that may contribute to the profitability and

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

NEWS // 21 of milk production, as Jerseys emit more methane per kg DM intake compared to Holsteins.”

The follow-up economic modelling to assess potential of Jersey cows to enhance the profitability of Australian dairy farm businesses found the Jersey breed is as well placed to deliver a profitable outcome as the other major pure breed cattle breed in Australia, the Holstein Friesian.

The follow-up economic modelling to assess potential of Jersey cows to enhance the profitability of Australian dairy farm businesses found the Jersey breed is at least as well placed to deliver a profitable outcome as the other major pure breed cattle breed in Australia, the Holstein Friesian.

Mr Barnett said his report was based on broad assumptions and not definitive but was designed to guide discussions about breed selection and identify under which conditions Jersey cattle are able to be more profitable than Holstein — Friesian cattle.

Mr Barnett developed two models — one with a high proportion of directly grazed grass (HiGrass) based on dairy farming systems of southern Victoria, Tasmania and south east South Australia, and the second with a higher proportion of purchased concentrates and purchased forage resulting in higher DM intake (HiCons) being fed reflecting northern Victoria, NSW, WA, and Queensland systems.

The HiCons also had higher milk production for both Holstein Friesian and Jersey herds.

His study found in the HiGrass system, the investment cost was $17.24 kg/Ms for the Jersey herd compared to $19.67 for the Holstein Friesian herd — a 14 per cent advantage, and in the HiCons system the investment cost was $12.30 kg/Ms for the Jersey herd compared to $14.38 for Holstein Friesian herd, a 13 per cent advantage.

He found Jerseys have a significantly higher income per hectare and feed utilised — an inherent advantage — however their economic advantage was diminished by lower value per kilogram in the market.

“The major relative disadvantage the breed seems to suffer is the sale value of surplus stock (cull cows, bull calves and surplus heifers).

This disadvantage may be overcome with current work being carried out on improving the dairy beef supply chain and educating buyers on advantages of dairy beef stock.”

Mr Barnett added that the export market was pushing up prices for Holstein heifers, creating a lower entry price for Jerseys which improves their return on asset.

His modelling found that the comparative advantage of Jerseys was more apparent in lower grazing intake systems than in the high grazed grass model.

The review found that Jerseys appear to be performing well in mixed breed Australian herds.

“Based on the Jersey’s reported higher dry matter intake per unit of body weight coupled with the Jersey’s reported higher conversion of dry matter intake into ECM, it would be expected that under a higher feed intake model the Jersey would be able to exhibit these advantages more readily,” he said.

“It appears that the closer a Jersey is fully fed, the more she is able to fully express her comparative advantage.”

Mr Barnett said any advantage the Jersey breed enjoyed in EBIT performance was further enhanced when measured against return on asset.

“Jerseys are, at the very least, as good as Holstein-Friesians and have excellent production advantages that utilise their feed efficiency and follow through to an economic response,” he said.

The full reports can be found at: jersey.com. au/jersey-most-profitable-cow-project/

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sustainability of Australian dairy farm businesses,” Dr Little said.

“In doing this review, I’ve discovered Jerseys are remarkably different to other breeds in a number of ways,” he said. “I wish I had known what I know now about Jerseys and how to manage their nutrition when I was a young farm advisor.”

Fat and protein concentrations in Jersey milk are higher than those of Holsteins by about 1.1– 1.4 g/100 ml and 0.5–0.56 g/100 ml respectively.

Jersey milk has higher concentrations of calcium, phosphorus and zinc but a lower concentration of potassium.

Jerseys have higher fertility than Holsteins which Dr Little said was likely due to genetic selection and energy metabolism, particularly in the transition period and early lactation, leaving Jerseys in negative energy balance for a shorter time.

“Fertility jumps out as a significant advantage,” he said.

They are also more heat tolerant due to their hair coat, skin structure, subcutaneous fat layer, and body surface area-to-volume ratio.

“Jerseys tend to live longer, produce for longer, and survive to later lactations more frequently than Holsteins in straight and mixedbreed herds,” Dr Little said.

“Increased longevity in a herd means the herd’s average milk production is higher and fewer non-productive replacement heifers are required.”

Their ability to eat relative to their bodyweight is higher and they spend more time grazing and eating more evenly across the day. There is also evidence indicating that Jerseys have higher NDF digestibility and may utilise dietary nitrogen more efficiently.

The review found that Jerseys appear to be performing well in mixed breed Australian herds, although those in straight Jersey herds produce more milk solids per year than those in mixed herds.

Dr Little found that Jerseys have demonstrated advantages in grazing systems, longevity, productive life, calving ease, fertility, heat tolerance and hybrid vigour contribution, are better suited to walking long distances for grazing and can adapt to different production systems.

They also potentially have a smaller environmental footprint.

“Several studies have suggested that the emission intensity of milk production is about 8–12 per cent lower with a Jersey herd compared to a Holstein herd when the life cycle analysis approach was used to calculate GHG emissions,” Dr Little said. “However, there may be little difference between the breeds in emission intensity

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

22 // NEWS

A sustainable transformation THE DOOLAN family’s farm at Brucknell in

south-west Victoria has changed a lot over three generations, but the rapid transformation of the past three years has been unprecedented.

The farm has installed a solar PV system, load shifting milk cooling, underground water tank and plate cooler, a CO2 heat pump, variable speed drives, and a power supply monitoring and feedback system. It is also trialling multi-species crops and composting.

The results have been stunning, with substantial soil and environmental improvements and long-term financial benefits, making the business a template for sustainable dairy farming.

Sam and Belinda Doolan and Sam’s brother Peter and his wife Bonnie share farm with the brothers’ parents Sam senior and Carol. They detailed their successes at a Farming Sustainably for Future Generations field day hosted

by WestVic Dairy and supported by Heytesbury District Landcare Network (HDLN) and DemoDAIRY Foundation.

While sustainability has always been high on the Doolans’ agenda, the recent transformation started when the farm was chosen for a HDLN Keeping Carbon on the Farm trial in 2018, a program that has now expanded to 30 farms across Western Victoria.

The farm has been trialling multispecies cropping with different species and different tillage methods, and different rates and types of composting.

There is already a lift in the organic carbon percentage in the soil.

“We were pretty good anyway — about five to

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six per cent — but it’s now regularly seven, eight and even nine per cent,” Sam (Jr) said.

The improvement has not only been in the trial paddocks, it’s spreading across the farm as effluent and compost is spread further.

Visual soil assessments show there is more biological activity and worms in every plot.

The revolution of the dairy is already leading to financial savings.

In just two years, the Doolan farm’s CO2 emissions have been cut from 242.5 to 180, a 26 per cent saving from all energy audit upgrades.

The new C02 heat pump is a stand-alone system replacing an old hot water system. It meets two key demands — 85 degrees for the plant and 60 degrees for the vat.

The plant changes have led to management changes. Previously they did a plant and vat hot wash in the morning in a rushed half hour before the tanker arrived at 8 am.

“We called the processor and they now pick up our milk at night so we do the plant wash in the morning and the vat wash at night, and it’s got time to heat up using the solar,” Sam said.

The tank is able to be cleaned and the pump is a natural refrigerant.

A new vacuum pump VSD has more than halved emissions and energy costs, running only when it’s needed.

The Doolans are installing a scheduling system so it can be run using solar during the day.

The new milk chiller, underground tank and plate cooler inside the dairy are all linked as part of the same milk cooling system, although they involved different tradespeople, with locals

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NEWS // 23 always given first preference.

Sam said the previous cooling system was outdated.

“Milk would go through the first plate cooler and get cooled by water from the old lakeside cooling tower,” he said. “After that initial cooling, it would get anywhere from 14 to 18 degrees, then it would go straight to the vat and the old cooling system would have to get it down to four degrees and it was quite energy-hungry.

“That was our only cooling system and the fans were 25 years old.

“Now, instead of using the cooling tower, the chiller steps in and we have another plate cooler right beside it, which the cold water carries through. It’s getting from 14–18 down to around 4 before it even hits the vat; all the vat is doing now is holding it at that temperature.”

The chiller runs during the day through solar power and the system accesses cold water stored underground.

The energy intensity footprint will be less than half. With the solar connection, payback period will be 6.2 years — or 9.8 years without solar.

The underground tank has about 300 mm of gravel over the top, allowing people to walk on it, but you can’t drive a truck on it.

The new technologies have addressed the farm’s biggest concerns.

“When we did our original energy audit with

the HDLN Keeping Carbon on the Farm project, we identified that chilling milk and heating water accounts for 50 to 60 per cent of energy in the dairy,” Sam said.

“They’re the two big ticket items to tackle first.”

The farm already had 36 kW of solar power but during the past three years added another 54 for a total of 90 kW. “People will say ‘what about cloudy winter days?’ — but we factor that into our plans and the economics still work out and we can cover all bases,” Sam said.

“We can see through our monitoring system how much the solar is making, how much the dairy is using and what we’ve got in reserve.”

They have been able to make adjustments to better use the solar.

“We know when we can crush the grain or start the effluent pump because we have power in reserve,” Sam said.

“Between milkings, the chiller is running, the heat pump is running, the grain is getting crushed, the effluent pump is running during the day and it’s all for free because it’s paid by solar.”

The dairy has also changed from halogen globes to LED lighting and new skylights have been installed.

Payback time will vary depending on the new technology and its cost but the longest is just

Participants at a recent workshop held on the Doolan farm heard from energy consultant Gabriel Hakim (see story below).

nine years and the average six to seven years.

The project has been supported by dollar-fordollar funding from the Victorian Government.

The Doolans say they are trying to keep in front of the game by introducing sustainable farming practices.

“Like New Zealand, I think there will be tariffs and limits on fertiliser usage and I wouldn’t

be surprised if governments introduced criteria that farms have to adhere to for greenhouse gas emissions,” Sam said.

“We’ve got to set it up for our children like Dad did when we were growing up. We want to encourage the next generation and have things in place that they can carry on.”

GETTING TO ZERO IN THE DAIRY An asteroid apparently killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago; now, it’s time for dairy farmers to dispose of their dinosaurs.

Energy consultant Gabriel Hakim from AgVet Energy told a Farming Sustainably for Future Generations workshop hosted

by WestVic Dairy that getting rid of powerguzzling dinosaurs from the dairy could be the first step in creating a roadmap to a netzero carbon dairy.

Speaking at the workshop at the Doolan family farm at Brucknell, Mr Hakim said the energy landscape had changed dramatically in the past 25 years with the introduction of solar power and new technologies, and farmers were keen to get on board.

“Everyone wants to know where to start but everyone has a different starting point and a different road to take,” he said.

However, he said there were easy steps that all farmers should follow: use less energy to reduce demand and waste, increase energy efficiency and monitor progress, and get the cheapest renewable source.

“The question you have to ask is ‘can we do it better and achieve the same outcomes with less’.”

Mr Hakim said farmers needed to ensure that what they changed in the dairy did not compromise milk quality, and that they constantly monitored new systems to check that savings were being made.

While many farmers have installed solar power, not all work as well as they should.

Mr Hakim said a survey of Queensland farms found half had solar power but 60 per cent were not working properly.

“Farmers get excited about solar power but you have to know it’s working properly,” he said.

“And you have to remember that most milking times are not at peak solar times.”

Solar investment should have a payback period of 6.2 years if properly used.

Investing in new cooling, heating and vacuum systems can be costly but will pay off within a few years.

“You’ve got to get rid of dinosaurs from 20 or 30 years ago and don’t use crap

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domestic units and think they will work on a dairy,” he said.

“It’s like going to town on a horse.

“We need to help the industry shift from what we did 20 or 30 years ago to what we should be doing now. It’s a big investment and the upfront costs will be higher, but the overall cost base will be lower and the payback will be five to six years, and then farmers will be smiling.”

Mr Hakim said new technologies could reduce energy use by more than half while not adversely affecting hygiene and production.

“The number of times I go on-farm and see coolers not working correctly beggars belief,” he said.

“Most farms could save money by fixing their coolers.”

Mr Hakim said it was possible for farms to go to zero emissions.

“We can do it, but you’ve got to be clever.

Success for farmers will be seeing their bills coming down.”

Energy consultant Gabriel Hakim from AgVet Energy.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

24 // PASTURE IMPROVEMENT

Appealing new Italian rye-grass PASTURE SEED breeding company Cropmark Seeds

is launching a new Italian rye-grass called Appeal this autumn.

Appeal is the latest heading diploid Italian rye-grass on the market at +28 days (compared to Nui = 0) and was bred for greater cool season performance and improved persistence.

Appeal is a true all-rounder, being exceptionally high yielding, highly palatable with high digestibility, high nutritive value and is extremely persistent.

It has shown an ability to hold on over tough dry summers and even under moderate insect pressure, and is great for sowing new pastures or for over-sowing into existing run-out pastures.

Bred to withstand some of the country's more marginal country it has been thoroughly trialed throughout Australia in varying conditions, including under dairy, beef and sheep grazing operations, and has shown consistently strong performance across the board.

Appeal Italian rye-grass offers fast establishment, strong winter and spring growth and can handle tough grazing management. It responds well after harsh grazing.

Appeal is up to two weeks later heading than most Italian ryes on the market, therefore maintaining its forage quality longer for late season livestock performance.

Your livestock will perform at their best on Appeal Italian rye-grass as it also ticks all the boxes for animal health, with no grass staggers or heat stress.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

PASTURE IMPROVEMENT // 25

Legumes offer extra value LEGUMES HAVE always been a valuable addi-

tion to perennial pastures, and considering nitrogen prices have skyrocketed over the past 12 months, this is true now more than ever.

These high nitrogen costs serve as a reminder of the importance and value proprietary legumes can contribute to an operation by fixing free slow-release nitrogen for perennial grasses.

Research has shown that for every 1000 kgDM/ha above ground legume growth about 20–30 kg/ha of free atmospheric nitrogen can be fixed. Legumes fix atmospheric nitrogen into usable nitrogen through a symbiotic relationship with rhizobia and root nodules. When foliage is removed from a legume, for example grazing a white clover, this induces the root nodules to break down and release nitrogen available for plant uptake.

In other words, legumes can potentially reduce the synthetic nitrogen fertiliser requirements of pastures while increasing the overall quality as legumes are naturally high in crude protein (CP) and metabolisable energy (ME).

On average a proprietary white clover within a perennial rye-grass pasture will grow around 4000 kgDM/ha/year, that’s 80 kg N/ha/year of free nitrogen fixed from the atmosphere. With the current cost of urea about $1100/tonne (or more) a unit of nitrogen costing about $2.39/kg; 80 kgN/ ha fixed by a white clover is worth about $191/ha/ year to the farmer, excluding the extra pasture

growth and increased animal performance from increased pasture quality when including legumes.

To optimise performance of perennial legumes and maximise persistence within a perennial pasture sward: So, who needs free nitrogen? Pair highperforming perennial rye-grass varieties such as Base AR37, Reward Endo5, Platform AR37/ AR1 or summer-active tall fescues such as Quantum II MaxP® or the new Quantica MaxP with proprietary white and red clovers and maximise pasture mixes fixing up to 80 kgN/ ha/year plus.

The following proprietary clovers have been bred in a pasture sward offering the following benefits and more: Red and white clovers available from DLF Seeds are bred and selected from within a high performing perennial rye-grass sward, whereas traditional clover selection was completed under cut and carry trials for two years. Amigain, Legacy, Quatrz and Hilltop clovers were evaluated for growth and persistence under cattle grazing over multiple years. Through these trials it was evident that the increased stolon density fibrous root systems and their ability to compete and persist in the modern pasture sward make them the ideal companion to a perennial pasture.

Ultimately, if established and managed well, sowing legumes as part of a pasture mix may increase the overall pasture quality,

Nitrogen-fixing legumes may increase overall pasture quality.

reduce fertiliser requirements, improve stock performance and provide a higher return on investment.

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THE MORE PERSISTENT ITALIAN RYEGRASS

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

PASTURE IMPROVEMENT // 27

Supplements can boost profits IMPROVING DAIRY cattle performance is at

the forefront of every producer’s mind.

Performance Feeds says it believes that nutritional supplementation is often the missing piece of the puzzle for producers looking to take their herd’s performance to the next level.

You will often hear that an engine is only as good as the fuel you put into it, so why should livestock be approached differently?

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CARBON FARMING AND DROUGHT STUDY Charles Sturt is running a survey for landholders to share their experience of carbon farming and drought planning.

The insights from this research will be used to inform a formal guideline for carbon farming participants to help them plan and include drought resilience into the design of their carbon farming project.

PhD candidate in the Charles Sturt School of Business in Bathurst Emily Webster is leading the project.

Ms Webster’s PhD is looking at drought preparation of farmers across Australia.

“Understanding how farmers prepare for droughts and where they may need help can be used to inform government policy and industry,” Ms Webster said.

“Support for farmers is essential to maintaining high quality agriculture that has been established. In the changing conditions we find ourselves, farmers of this country are continuing to innovate and show their resilience.”

Carbon farming activities create positive environmental impacts generally and it is believed that a positive link between carbon farming and drought resilience exists.

Ms Webster is aiming to prove the biophysical benefits of carbon farming activities can build drought resilience through regenerative grazing practices to maximise pasture productivity, increasing soil carbon resulting in landscape rehydration and providing shade and shelter for livestock.

Carbon farming provides a diversified income for farmers, helping them to maintain their financial stability during drought and allows them to prepare for drought financially.

Ms Webster is seeking participants from all levels of engagement with carbon farming, from landholders currently not engaged in carbon farming like activities, through to those with a registered carbon farming project.

The research covers both land-based and the financial effects of carbon farming, as well as the business planning that goes into drought preparation.

The survey is open until Monday, February 28. For more information, contact Ms Webster at emwebster@csu.edu.au.

Anipro will promote greater immunity in a herd, stronger hooves and reduce the stress of calving.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

28 // PASTURE IMPROVEMENT

Future forages for future climates DAIRYBIO SCIENTISTS are among the first in the world to apply cutting-edge gene editing technologies to improve the digestibility and quality of forages such as perennial ryegrass.

These improvements can result in higher animal productivity.

“Digestibility is a measure of how quickly forages break down and release energy in a cow’s

rumen,” Agriculture Victoria Research scientist Dr Daniel Isenegger said.

“Improving the quality of forages our animals eat is about increasing the uptake of metabolisable energy, which in turn boosts milk production and animal productivity.”

Researchers at AgriBio in Melbourne and Hamilton SmartFarm in West Victoria, have previously focused on improving different tem-

perate forages, including perennial ryegrass, tall fescue and Italian ryegrass, however, the changing climate has prompted a move towards warm season grasses.

“We have begun using gene editing tools to improve warm season grasses such as kikuyu, Rhodes grass, paspalum and brachiaria. These grasses are important as recent modelling suggests the grass species that thrive in Austra-

The new high yielding persistent Italian ryegrass

Appeal Italian ryegrass is the newest addition to livestock menus.

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.

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

Appeal produces high quality forage, of high nutritive value, high digestibility and high palatability. In addition, it has strong disease resistance including against rust, resulting in improved animal acceptance.

And unlike some Italian ryegrasses, Appeal will not cause grass staggers.

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

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lian environments could alter under climate change.”

Gene editing is a group of technologies that give scientists the ability to change an organism’s DNA, such as switching off genes of interest involved in the biosynthesis of lignin in plant cell walls, which makes plants more digestible.

This research involved establishing a gene editing platform for forage grasses and applying a range of molecular genetic analytical capabilities to a variety of grass species.

“First we generate the edits, and that’s a really big deal as this technology is still fairly new and it can be quite technically difficult to achieve,” Daniel said.

“Then we generate the plants in tissue culture and grow them in the greenhouse and test their cell wall composition. The end goal is to breed elite forage grass germplasm; we are one of the first laboratories in the world to undertake this kind of research.”

The research is ongoing, but the team has so far characterised hundreds of tall fescue and perennial ryegrass plants and are screening and preparing the best ones for breeding.

“It is a huge task, it’s time-consuming, and requires a lot of scientific capabilities across cell biology, molecular genetics and molecular phenomics,” Daniel said.

“We are the gene jockeys, we’re good at throwing in things that change the genes, but then we have people in our team who are skilled at analysing DNA sequences to determine the genotypes, and we also need to work with the biochemists to see if our intended changes result in favourable phenotypes.”

Later stages of the research will involve field trials at the Agriculture Victoria Research Hamilton SmartFarm to examine plant growth, biomass yield, plant performance and importantly herbage quality. This work is utilising the research team’s previous expertise in gene editing in grains — particularly in canola and wheat, as well as transgenic technology of forage grasses, which showed that downregulating the expression of certain lignification genes in grasses improves dry matter digestibility and forage quality.

Agriculture Victoria Research is at the forefront of pioneering gene editing technology and these tools and technologies aim to improve animal productivity across the dairy and red meat industries and increase food production under a changing climate.

“Based on our preliminary data, these technologies are estimated to improve herbage digestibility by up to 30 per cent, and research has shown improved digestibility and nutritive quality of warm season forages could potentially aid the development of future climate resilient varieties,” Daniel said.

• DairyBio is an initiative of the Victorian Government, Dairy Australia, and the Gardiner Foundation with a dedicated purpose of delivering to Australian farmers through the use of bioscience.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

PASTURE IMPROVEMENT // 29

Heat-tolerant cows to boost dairy milk production

Cool cows: Agriculture Victoria researchers have identified five new genes strongly associated with heat tolerance in dairy cows.

GROUND-BREAKING RESEARCH is helping

farmers deal with the impact that hot weather conditions can have on the milk production of dairy cows.

Agriculture Victoria researchers are supporting dairy farmers to respond to changing climates and extreme temperatures through their study on heat tolerance in dairy cows, and are now one step closer to unlocking the genetic code to breeding more heat- resistant cows.

Agriculture Victoria’s Ben Cocks said researchers identified five new genes strongly associated with heat tolerance in dairy cows.

The findings come after studying almost 500,000 milk records from about 30,000 Holstein cows — a six-fold increase in sample size from prior comparable studies.

“This large increase in sample size has helped the team pinpoint the specific regions in the cow’s DNA that controls heat regulation, helping us better identify which cows are more heat tolerant than others,” Professor Cocks said.

When temperatures and humidity rise, dairy cows reduce their feed intake, resulting in a decrease in milk production. In areas such as northern Victoria, this means more than 100 days a year are considered too hot for dairy cows to produce optimal amounts of milk.

“By breeding cattle that can adapt to rising temperatures, we are helping create a more resilient dairy industry under a changing climate,” Prof Cocks said.

“This gives farmers the support they need to minimise the impact of heat on their herds and maintain milk production.”

Researchers also discovered that genes associated with the nervous system were critical for heat tolerance — an important finding as the nervous system connects the inside of the animal to its outside environment.

The research team at Agriculture Victoria is using the results from this study to begin a fiveyear research project — testing and comparing the newly found heat-tolerant genes with DNA from dairy cows across Australia to find new ways to identify the most heat-tolerant cows for farmers to breed.

As temperatures increase across Australia, heat-tolerant dairy cows are fast gaining the attention of scientists and farmers to help maintain consistent milk production and create a more efficient and competitive dairy industry.

This world-leading study is part of the DairyBio program — a $55 million research partnership between Agriculture Victoria, Dairy Australia and the Gardiner Foundation.

For more information, visit dairybio.com.au

Setting new benchmarks for late season quality

Dash annual ryegrass is fast establishing, high yielding, high quality and very palatable.

At +24 days relative heading date (relative to Nui = zero) it is up to 10 days later heading, so that higher pasture quality will be maintained for longer into spring, translating into higher stock performance during DASH IS AVAILABLE FROM YOUR this critical period.

LOCAL SEED MERCHANT OR FARM If you are looking for an 8-10 month winter feed, then add Dash to your stock’s diet.

It is a great feed and makes great silage and hay.

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

MERCHANDISE OUTLET

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

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

30 // PASTURE IMPROVEMENT

Pre-spraying check pays off MAXIMISING AUTUMN pasture renewal

starts with optimising pasture establishment by checking for and eradicating competing weeds and grass — and this can make all the difference in success or sub-optimal establishment of new pasture.

A final check of your paddocks before you spray them out this season is the first step towards establishing strong and persistent pasture. It’s an opportunity to find out what weeds are present, taking pictures if you’re unsure, and getting in touch with your local agronomy team to find out what you need to get rid of them.

It often as simple as this final check.

Peter Notman of Notman Pasture Seeds says even if you’re ticking all the other boxes with good variety selection, adequate soil fertility and start-up fertiliser, this final paddock check before sowing can establish the need to broaden the spectrum of weeds killed in the knockdown sprayout.

“As farmers know, seedling weeds vigorously compete for nutrients, moisture, light and most importantly, space,” he said.

“Young weeds are generally faster growing then rye-grass, fescue and clover seedlings, and if certain weeds are missed in the sprayout then they can often compromise the long-term persistency of new pasture.

“We’ll see healthier pastures and improved feed value from an integrated weed management

program which includes a system of good specie selection, pasture competition, timely slashing, hay and silage, and herbicides.”

Peter says by checking paddocks before sowing, farmers may find they may need to add a companion herbicide to get rid of weeds not controlled by Glyphosate alone. If woody plants are also present, or are the dominant species, consider products labelled for brush control.

“Spraying with Glyphosate and Techdeck penetrant is generally the first step, but we’re also eradicating weeds such as marshmellow, annual nettles with the addition of Carfentrazone.

“And the great thing is, we can select these optional companion sprays and still have zero plant back or grazing withhold periods—which quickens the sprayout process and onto re-sowing pasture.”

It’s critical to optimise paddock weed control before re-sowing into rye-grass and clover blends, as options pastures containing clover can be severely limited, depending on the weed type.

“If you miss some of the weeds in the sprayout, it’s often your last chance to get rid of them in clover and rye-grass-based pastures.”

Alternatively, four to six weeks after pasture germination use a post emergent program to suppress weeds in rye-grass and clover paddocks.

Aim to spray the weeds before they get six true leaves, don’t let them get too big and get in a salvage situation.

Heifers enjoying new weed-free luscious ryegrass pasture.

When effective agronomic practices are integrated with a tactical herbicide program, the result is a more cost-effective weed control program.

“Ultimately we’ll see better pasture performance and optimise yield potential by favouring

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the pasture over the weeds. This final check can reduce weed growth, minimising weed seed set and reduce costs of spraying weeds later.”

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

PASTURE IMPROVEMENT // 31

Bright options for autumn

Barenbrug can help you find the right product for your autumn plantings.

THE ONSET of warm days and cooler nights

heralds the start of autumn, and for many, thoughts turn to more productive pastures.

Milk and protein production are top of mind for dairy, but so too is the quality and yield of the feed. In most situations the aiming for a balance of grasses and legumes, with grasses holding the majority.

Grasses are largely the main source of energy, dietary fibre and the bulk of feed, while legumes are a valuable part of the feed, and importantly, fix nitrogen in the soil to feed the growth of the grasses.

For many dairy farmers, deciding on the mix of grasses and legumes is another headache on top of decisions for hay, silage or grazing. Premixed blends can offer peace of mind where the decision is then based on local conditions such as soil pH and rainfall, long term persistence or as a once-off production.

The inclusion of perennial ryegrasses in the mix will give longer term persistence, while annual or Italian ryegrass are better suited to short term pastures, particularly for silage.

The Renovator® range of pasture mixes are suited to temperate zones to provide high quality dry matter, metabolizable energy and roughage. Perennial ryegrasses with clovers improves animal performance and freedom from staggers.

Mixed with white, red or sub-clovers, it will give excellent grazing tolerance and persistence for year-round production. If fast establishment and high winter growth is needed, Italian and annual ryegrasses within the short term Renovator® blends fit the bill.

Another autumn consideration is Maxsyn ryegrass — a mid to late heading diploid perennial ryegrass that helps fill critical feed gaps in autumn and spring with greater persistence.

With NEA4 endophyte, its improved insect resistance gives stronger plant growth and no ryegrass staggers.

To round out the autumn offerings by Barenbrug, SARDI 7 Series 2 lucerne is highly productive and bred in Australia for Australian conditions to provide feed when many pastures are dormant or for excellent hay and silage production.

For more information on Barenbrug’s autumn selection of pasture mixes, lucerne and perennial ryegrass, visit https://barenbrug.com.au/aboutus/campaigns-promotions/2022-autumn-campaign

Zoom – the king of annual ryegrasses TM

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.

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

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

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

New to Australia, Legion AR37 is a march forward in perennial ryegrass performance.

Legion is a brand new diploid perennial ryegrass which will see a step forward in autumn and early winter growth. Being a diploid it will maintain strong tiller density, enabling it to handle winter grazing pressure. Legion AR37 also has strong rust resistance and will be suitable for many high performing sheep, beef and dairy farms.

• Exceptional autumn recovery and early winter yields • AR37 endophyte protects against some key insect pests Available at your local reseller today or contact 1800 619 910. ausweststephenseeds.com.au

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

32 // PASTURE IMPROVEMENT

Safe sorghum planting while controlling weeds

Syngenta’s field biology manager Rob Battaglia says the new use patterns for Dual Gold® in sorghum centre on extending application flexibility and residual activity of the herbicide on target weeds.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

PASTURE IMPROVEMENT // 33 GRASS WEEDS can flourish in sorghum crops

over summer if left untreated, but an old herbicide is standing the test of time.

Pre-emergent herbicide, metolacholor and S-metolachlor, have been used in Australia primarily to control grass weeds for over 40 years.

To date, no instances of resistance to this active ingredient have been documented in Australia and even internationally the few cases of resistance are in broadleaf weeds only. Resistance in northern summer grasses is probably low at present.

Syngenta’s field biology manager Rob Battaglia says some recent changes to the label use patterns and the launch of a new seed safener product will further expand the usefulness of S-metolachlor products in summer crops while protecting sorghum seedlings from herbicide damage.

“S-metolachlor is registered for use in a wide range of crops, including sorghum, maize, sweetcorn, soybean, sunflower and cotton, as well as in fallow situations,” he says. “The new use patterns in sorghum, cotton and fallow centre on extending application flexibility and residual activity of the herbicide on target weeds.”

In sorghum, a rate of one to 2 L/ha can be applied either as a single application before the crop or weeds emerge, or as a split application pre and post crop emergence (up to six-leaf stage).

Similarly, the full rate can be applied after harvest to establish the fallow or one to 1.5 L/ha can be applied pre-emergent to weeds at fallow establishment followed by 0.5 to 1.0 L/ha within four weeks. Be sure to observe replant intervals when planning the next crop.

“There are several factors that affect the length of effective residual activity of S-metolachlor, some of which are outside the grower’s control,” Rob says. “The product needs to be incorporated and has interactions with rainfall, temperature, soil type, soil organic matter and stubble. Having more flexibility in the application timing gives growers the ability to compensate for some of these factors and control new waves of weed germinations for longer.”

S-metolachlor is only active on weeds that have not yet emerged and has no effect on weeds that have already emerged from the soil or that do not come in contact with the herbicide as they emerge from the soil. It is essential to control already-emerged weeds first and then apply the pre-emergent to control subsequent flushes of weed germinations.

“There are some situations where the residual herbicides will appear to be less effective than they should, but this can often be attributed to compromised application timing, limited rainfall and soil conditions, rather than herbicide performance,” Rob says. “The difficultly in achieving perfect application timing and incorporation with rainfall is one of the main reasons why the new use patterns for Dual Gold® have been registered. Pre-emergent herbicides are best used within the WeedSmart Big 6 integrated weed management program and not as a stand-alone control measure.”

While other crops listed on the S-metolachlor label can metabolise the herbicide, sorghum requires a seed safener to protect the germinating plants from the herbicidal effects of S-metolachlor. The new Epivio C® seed safener replaces Concept II® and provides better overall protection for sorghum seed.

There is evidence that growers can maintain crop yield and reduce summer grass seed production by planting sorghum crops at a density of 10 plants/m2 and a row spacing of 50 cm.

The WeedSmart Big 6 includes diversity in crops and pastures, crop competition and mixing and rotating herbicide mode of action groups.

For more information about pre-emergent herbicide use in sorghum crops visit the WeedSmart website: www.weedsmart.org.au • Cindy Benjamin, WeedSmart

S-metolachlor damage is seen as distorted and twisted growth in sorghum, the rightmost plant is unaffected (protected by seed safener).

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.

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

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

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

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

34 // ANIMAL HEALTH

Eye cancers – blink and you’ll miss them LUCY COLLINS

EYE CANCERS in cattle are invasive and can spread rapidly, leading to significant economic losses if the animal is condemned. Figures from NSW indicate that 33 per cent of total condemnations in mature cattle are due to cancer eye, while 58 per cent of all cancers that result in condemnation of mature cattle slaughtered in NSW involve the eye. (Australian Quarantine Inspection Service, NSW, 2010–2014).

Eye cancers are more common in cattle with little or no pigmentation around their eyes, such as Herefords or Holstein-Friesians. As in humans, this unpigmented skin is higher risk for sun damage predisposing to cancers, but they are possible in any animals of any colour.

Older cattle are also more susceptible, with cancers being uncommon in cattle under the age of five. Other risk factors are not fully understood, but it is suggested that viruses and infections causing inflammation of the soft tissues in and around the eye may also predispose animals to eventually developing eye cancers. Risk factors leading to eye cancers are moderately heritable.

Identification Tumours may be found on the third eyelid, along the the edges of the upper and lower eyelids, and on the eyeball itself.

There are four common types of growth involving the eye region:

Treatment Veterinary attention to cancer eyes should be prompt. Treatment is usually aggressive.

The success of treatment is highly dependent on the location of the tumour and invasion of surrounding tissues. Your veterinarian should check the lymph nodes of the head and neck prior to any treatment to help give a prognosis.

If there is evidence of spread, the animal should be humanely euthanased as it will be condemned at an abattoir and is not fit for sale.

Cryotherapy (freezing the tumour off with a cryogen such as liquid nitrogen) works well on small tumours (<2 cm diameter) on the eyeball itself. Ionising radiation such as strontium-90 may also be applied to the tumour.

Surgical treatment of eye cancers is common and warranted, particularly in the early stages, but must be performed by a veterinarian. Cancers can be removed, either in isolation or by removal of the entire eyeball.

In some cases, removal of very early cancers will result in a permanent cure, however despite treatment 50–60 per cent of cases recur — particularly where the cancer is more advanced and achieving good surgical margins is unlikely.

Where possible it is not advisable to continue to breed from treated cattle.

Prevention and control To avoid financial loss and maintain a high standard of welfare in your herd, early detection and appropriate treatment are essential. Maintaining easy identification of cow numbers and performing regular inspections of both eyes is advisable.

Personally, nothing makes me more disappointed in a client than spotting an eye cancer during a herd health visit that has been left far too long and is causing the animal pain.

You can expect a stern conversation with your veterinarian if you knew about it but haven't acted — failing to obtain veterinary attention or provide appropriate treatment for a cow with an advanced eye cancer is a notifiable offence.

Cattle with moderate to severe cancers (large, ulcerated or foul-smelling tumours) are not fit for transportation. If transported, they may be judged unfit for sale and condemned, and farmers risk penalties. Animals with small (less than a 2 cm diameter or 5¢ coin size) and mild lesions

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where treatment is not pursued should be sent directly to the abattoir rather than to public ­saleyards. If there is any evidence of spread of the cancer to nearby lymph nodes, the animal will be condemned at abattoir inspection. Occasionally, a seemingly small cancer may have already spread internally, in which case the carcass will also be condemned.

Lucy is completing her Dairy Residency with The University of Melbourne. She works as an on-farm veterinarian for Apiam Animal Health, and alongside her partner on his family's dairy farm in South West Victoria. She is a 2021 ­Nuffield Scholar supported by Gardiner Dairy Foundation.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

ANIMAL HEALTH // 35

More than one way to achieve goals DIANNA MALCOLM

A DUTCH-BORN family milking 500 head in South Gippsland, hasn't looked back since deciding to formalise its Holstein, VikingRed and Montbéliarde three-way cross, and introduce probiotics.

Jan and Annie Giliam are joined by one of their four sons, George, 31, and his wife, Jaimee, on this rolling property which spans 242 hectares (230 ha usable, including two 10 ha lease blocks). They moved to Australia 31 years ago to avoid the environmental challenges they could see coming their way in The Netherlands. It has been an inspired decision for their family, which today includes six children (two Australian born) and 16 grandchildren.

Their dryland farm at Dumbalk had enough steeper country for them to chase mobility and fertility in their dairy genetics. They use the VikingRed (Swedish Red, Finnish Ayrshire and Danish Red), Scandinavian Holstein, and the French dual-purpose Montbéliarde.

Jan said, “Originally we had the Canadian and Dutch Holsteins. They were very hard to get incalf, and 10 years ago I made a decision to put everything to VikingRed. Everything.

“Their offspring were then joined to Montbéliarde and — in turn — their offspring were joined to Scandinavian Holstein. The Scandinavian Holsteins are a bit smaller, and they had been breeding for fertility a lot longer than the Canadian and Dutch Holsteins. As a result, we have now got smaller cows that are a lot stronger, with a lot more muscling.”

He said their strength and lower centre of gravity offered some practical advantages.

“In the past, if we had a cow slide down a hill, you’d have to pick them up with the hip clamps.

Now they just shake their head and stand up and off they go,” Jan said.

“The calves are much stronger and bigger, but because the shape of their frame is different, they just seem to come out easier.”

Herd production on the fully automated 60-stand De Laval E100 rotary (installed May 2020) is 600 kg of milk solids per cow. While the amount of grain they feed depends on the automatic cow ID, averaging out at 7 kg/cow/day.

They also have an undercover feed pad, and while this doesn’t hold all the herd today, it still offers some important management options.

Probiotics a natural progression The decision to move to probiotics with Australian Probiotic Solutions (APS) has been a natural progression.

“At that time we had some ‘off ’ cows,” Jan said. “You could see it on their faces. They just weren’t happy. I had an antibiotic buffer going into the dairy, and they definitely didn’t like that.

I liked the probiotic story.

“So, we thought, ‘We’ll try this’. And, really it changed things around.”

‘Can tell the cows are healthy now’ The BioPro probiotics (including trace minerals) is made from a unique combination of 11 powerful biological compounds, five selected strains of probiotic bacteria and a specific strain of active live dry yeast — Saccharomyces cerevisiae — which stimulates cellulose-digesting bacteria, improving fibre digestibility and rumen development. (The probiotic bacteria are microencapsulated, to reach the lower gastrointestinal tract for improved immune function and the competitive exclusion of pathogens.) Finally, a blend of five digestive enzymes in BioPro supports feed breakdown, allowing more surface

area for microbes to work on.

“You can tell the cows are healthy now,” Jan said. “You can see it in how they act and their coats. Their black is black, and their white is white. Our components have lifted, and their manure is really good too. It’s a good consistency, with no grain in it.”

He said their in-calf rates had improved, and that encouraged him to extend their probiotic story to include APS’s Superstart lead feed, which Ridley Stockfeed includes in their springer grain.

The combination of their herd’s baseline probiotic history, combined with the lead feed, has tightened calving dates and eased calving issues across the board within this predominately spring-calving herd.

“Calving this year was extremely busy. We had inseminated the cows for 10 to 11 weeks, and that was it,” Jan said. “With the probiotics, they cycled quicker after calving, and more held in-calf to those early joinings. To the point that most of them got in-calf with one straw in the first six weeks.

“We don’t use mop-up bulls and we only had a small group of perhaps 50 carryovers this year.

We were finished calving by August 1.

“We only had one or two cases of milk fever in the 500. It felt like we had more twins, but less retained afterbirths. And, anything that did retain membranes cleaned up after a couple of days.”

Vet’s perspective Veterinarian Robyn Plunkett said Jan’s observations are in line with the science.

“A lot of it has to do with general health and wellbeing of the animals,” Dr Plunkett said.

“When you don’t get that subclinical acidosis from the time of calving, the cows then don’t have any checks or negative impacts on their health. That’s because we’re not only keeping the rumen stable with the yeast, we’re improving their immune system with the bacteria, and the enzymes are also helping to break down the feed better — so those cows are getting more bang for their buck out of what they are fed.

“In turn, they hold their condition better, they cycle better, and they tend to go in-calf easier.”

Calves benefiting too Probiotics are included in the calf shed too.

The Giliam family raises 400 calves every year for replacements, export and beef (sold at four to five months). They are building a new shed this year with automatic calf feeders. They add BioCalf — sourced through Daviesway DASCO — to the calves’ milk every day. It includes five of the industry’s top-strength micro-encapsulated probiotics (at 15.5 billion colony forming units), five digestive enzymes, active live yeast, Actigen (a yeast carbohydrate that normalises gut microflora and promotes microbiome diversity) and Yucca (an extract derived from Yucca schidigera, which is native to the US deserts and leads to higher microbial yields through rumen nitrogen uptake).

Their regime also includes BioBoost — a popular oral probiotic treatment paste. Jan says it is a no-brainer, and it’s as good for the cows as it is for the calves.

“We always have the BioBoost in our pocket.”

Eyes forward Jan said he’s not one to look in the rear vision mirror very often, and probiotics have been an important part of his family’s forward motion.

“I wouldn’t stop using the probiotics now.

The cows are happy, they’re grazing better, they’re more active in the paddock, and I think that’s probably all because they feel heathier, It’s going great.”

Darby Norris, of Darby’s Consulting, with farmer Jan Giliam and Australian Probiotic Solutions’ Ash Spence have worked together to bring Jan’s Holstein, VikingRed and Montbéliarde three-way cross herd to a 600kg milk solid average on some steeper country in South Gippsland.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

36 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Driving electric trucks forward THE TRUCKING industry has made a decision

about its future: electric needs to happen.

On January 18 the Australian Trucking Association and Electric Vehicle Council revealed they’d worked together to create the policies desperately needed to make electric freight vehicles take off.

EVC chief executive Behyad Jafari said the AdBlue shortage crisis was a potential warning about Australia’s extreme fuel insecurity.

“Why should Australia be dependent on China and the Middle East to keep itself moving when we could be using homegrown power?”

Mr Jafari said.

ATA association chair David Smith said it cost $177 to fuel a diesel truck for 300km, but just $18 for an electric truck.

“If Australia gets left behind on the transition to electric and zero emission trucks, we risk our supply chains and exporters getting stuck with high, globally uncompetitive per km freight costs,” Mr Smith said.

The ATA and EVC also say electric adoption will end volatile diesel costs, reduce maintenance costs, improve urban efficiency and deliver better conditions for truck drivers.

Right now Australia is lagging behind the developed world when it comes to electric truck adoption.

Of the 58 electric truck models being manufactured, only 14 are available to the Australian

Key recommendations from the ATA and EVC policy agreement include: ■ exempting electric trucks from urban curfews; ■ changing Australian weight and width limits to accommodate batteries; ■ increasing Australia’s steer axle mass limit by one tonne so larger electric truck models can be deployed (currently the weight of the batteries is keeping them from meeting the 6.5 tonne limit); ■ exempting electric trucks from stamp duty; ■ mandating Euro VI emissions standards for all new heavy vehicle models from 2024; and ■ investment in public charging infrastructure to support on-route electric truck charging.

SEA Electric began in Melbourne 10 years ago and has gone on to have success in faster adoption markets such as the EU and North America.

market, signalling to the ATA and EVC that reform is urgently needed domestically.

Founded in Melbourne but now headquartered in California, SEA Electric was one of the

stakeholders ATA and EVC worked closely with while drafting the policy agreement.

SEA Electric Asia-Pacific region president Bill Gillespie said the Australian industry would need

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SEA Electric started producing all-electric trucks and truck components in Australia in 2021, becoming the first manufacturer in the world to release a comprehensive range of EV solutions.

In December the business announced an agreement to supply Midwest Transit Equipment with 10,000 systems for use in North American school buses, showing how the technology is taking off faster outside Australia.

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1st

1 100% Roller Chains >> With EzFeed, gone are the days of troublesome link

PUCKBOARD FLOORS Proven on our Combi RX range, the massive impact resistance of our ultra high-density 15mm thick Puckboard floors never corrode, handle the heaviest root-crops with ease, and out last any other floor system on the market.

chains and conveyor belts which require constant adjustment, fine-tuning and are often slipping or breaking, disrupting your feeding program. EzFeed is the first wagon on the market to run a 100% roller-chain design to overcome this. And the chains are covered to prevent feed material building up in chains, sprockets and driver, ensuring longer life and less wear or stretch.

2 Hungry Boards >> Virtually indestructable, our replacable roto-moulded

hungry boards can take a beating from your front-loader without turning to splinters or dinging up your nice new EzFeed silage wagon. Another industry first from Hustler.

3 TwinFeed >> The first silage wagon to feature left or right hand feed

discharge for more feeding versatility. And with 5 positions for the discharge floor allows for easy setup when feeding into troughs.

Coming soon is an electric in-cab controller option for on the fly feed direction change and hydraulic side-shift.

4 Simple operation >> As the name suggests EzFeed makes feeding

silage easier than ever before. As standard, only one set of hydraulics is all it takes to connect and power the whole machine and our clever adjustable load-sensing hydraulics take care of the rest, making EzFeed the ideal wagon for low-skilled staff.

5 Proven Platform >> Built utilising our proven Combi wagon

platform EzFeed has the toughest axle design on the market by a country mile, large suspension travel, comes scale ready for our industry first FeedLink feed management system which weighs on both the jack/skid and drawbar, impact resistant puck-board floors, toughest bars and more.

For more information Contact your local Hustler rep 0435 371 311 or visit hustlerequipment.com/ezfeed

100% ROLLER CHAINS Say good-bye to troublesome link chains and conveyor belts! EzFeed utilises 12,000lb roller chains on all floors, combined with the toughest bars on the market to reduce maintenance and downtime. We’ve also covered the main chains to prevent feed material from getting in sprockets or chains for even longer life.

TWIN FEED The first silage wagon to feature left or right hand feed discharge for more feeding versatility. And with 5 positions for the discharge floor allows for easy setup when feeding into troughs.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 37

Efficient, safe and easy to use GCS PARTNERS In Farming is a family farm

owned and operated by Glenn and Colleen Moxey with Shane their son and his family based in the Central West region of NSW, near Forbes.

They have been making hay in this area for over 30 years.

The farm is a mixed operation.

“We produce mainly lucerne and hay in the summertime, somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000 little bales of lucerne. We have about 20,000 to 30,000 little bales of cereal and then we do about 5000 to 10,000 big bales of hay for our own stock and for sale,” Shane said.

Before owning a Hustler wagon, Shane was using hay feeders. Because of the multiple trips to the paddocks and the soil compaction due to the herd concentration and foot traffic, “in wet times that ended up being a boggy mess,” Shane explained.

The Hustler Combi RX148 multi-feeder wagon feeds out bales of any type in a long windrow, encouraging the cattle to move and to spread around the feed over hundreds of metres.

As the feed is never concentrated in a few spots, the soil can regenerate quicker, offering a better pasture efficiency.

The waste caused by using hay feeders/hay rings was also significant. The Hustler now allows Shane to distribute a more adequate volume of feed, which is less trampled by the cattle, significantly reducing his hay waste.

Time and ease of use are among the many benefits of the Hustler Combi RX148.

The Hustler Combi range is able to feed out every supplementary type of feed, including all bale types, shapes and sizes and any type of loose feed including fine chop silage, maize silage, root crops, vegetables and more.

For Shane’s operation, the most important was to find a large-capacity feedout wagon able to handle the big eight foot square bales made on the farm. This type of wagon isn’t always easy to find, and mixer wagons aren’t suited for the job.

The Hustler Combi RX148 “just ticked all the boxes,” Shane said. “It fed out, presented and it was safe to use and quite easy to use.”

Health and safety on farm is a growing concern. Heavy machinery is becoming safer, but the fact that the Combi wagon is 100 per cent hydraulically powered makes it less dangerous than a PTO-powered machine.

Safety was definitely “one of the main reasons why we’ve got this piece of machinery,” Shane said. “One-man operation, you take all your bales to the field in one trip and you’re not carrying big loads of hay on the front of the loader across highways. It just travels up the road so safely.”

The Combi wagon is also a piece of machinery easy to use, even for low-skill operators.

This becomes an asset on large-scale farms as it takes less time to train new employees on the equipment.

Today, Shane has improved his feeding efficiency thanks to the Hustler Combi RX148 feedout wagon and can spend more time on other important tasks around the farm.

“The biggest commodity wasted on a farmer is time. The best thing about the Hustler for us is pre-Hustler it was taking nearly half a day when we’re in the drought feeding, and now we can feed more cattle in two or three hours in the morning. Makes life easier,” Shane concluded.

BUILT TOUGH Multi 4 & Multi 5 Bale Feeders You expect strength, quality and performance from your farm machinery and McIntosh Bale Feeders deliver all three.

The range of McIntosh Bale Feeders are designed to a strength and performance standard with an all steel construction.

Every detail has been carefully thought out to reduce breakdowns and provide trouble free operation for years to come.

To find your nearest dealer, please contact:

www.tracmac.com.au 03 5625 1522

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

38 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Next-level emissions technology THE CASE IH Puma tractor series has received its first major styling updates in more than a decade, and combined with some key design upgrades, it addresses customer needs and offers the latest in engine and emission technology solutions.

Due to arrive this spring, the new MY2021 Tier 5 Puma Series sports a distinctive new hood with the latest Case IH family styling, and all models now meet Tier 5 emission standards.

The new Puma models have a long wheelbase with horsepower ranging from 185-240 — and still feature the impressive 6.7-litre FPT Industrial six-cylinder engine. Available with the continuously variable transmission, this tractor is designed to generate power and optimise fuel efficiency.

“The reliability of our Puma tractor range has always made it attractive to our customers. We have taken this appeal to the next level with the new design and feature updates,” Case IH ANZ’s Seamus McCarthy said.

“Emission-compliant power has been a major focus of research and development at Case IH and these new Pumas feature the latest in this technology. Our patented High Efficiency Selective Catalytic Reduction exhaust gas after treatment ensures we meet emissions standards without the need for exhaust recirculation, which optimises engine power and performance for customers.”

The Case IH Puma is sporting some exciting new updates.

On the Tier 5 Puma Series, engine service interval levels have been extended to 750 hours, while transmission oil service intervals have been pushed out to 1500 hours, meaning fewer oil and filter changes over the lifetime of a machine, lowering the cost of ownership.

New front axle suspension improvements include reactive steering as standard, which allows the wheels to return to a straight position after making a turn, creating an enhanced ride for operators. An adaptive steering control option allows smooth operation and accurate steering in both field and road operations.

The CVT transmission is renowned for offering intelligent efficiency. In these new Puma models, there’s improved acceleration and deceleration, better shuttle behaviour, as well as drive pedal sensitivity, cruise control override, better multi-controller sensitivity, and position detection.

Other features include: ■ optional hood-mounted camera; ■ fully integrated front hitch is optional, with increased linkage travel and front wheel clearance;

upgraded road and work lights, including hood work light options; ■ a low-mounted front windscreen wiper for improved visibility in wet or dusty conditions; ■ cool box with cover on the front end of the steering column; ■ new left-hand aluminium steps with high performance LED ingress lighting; and ■ optional hand wash tank.

For more information contact your local Case IH dealer.

■

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2022

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 39

2021 sales finish on a high TRACTOR SALES have exceeded 18,000 units for the year following another stellar month in December with sales across the nation up two per cent on the same month last year, according to Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia.

This has resulted in a full year rise of 25 per cent above 2021.

Sales were strong in all states fuelled by the excellent harvest season and supported by government company tax incentive programs.

In NSW sales were up four percent for December and were 39 per cent ahead for the year. Queensland was again strong up three per cent and finished up 23 per cent full year. Victoria was down two per cent in December but was up 14 per cent for the year.

Sales in Western Australia recorded a drop of one per cent for the month following a frantic harvest season, to be 33 per cent ahead for the year. South Australia had a five per cent lift for the month and was up 16 per cent for the full year, Tasmania bounced again and finished 22 per cent up for the year while sales into the Northern Territory enjoyed a strong year to be 21 per cent up.

All performance reporting categories have enjoyed strong rises for the year, beginning with the under 40 hp (30kw) range which was up 13 per cent despite an eight per cent drop in December due to ongoing supply challenges.

The 40 to 100hp (30-75kw) range was again up strongly 16 per cent in the month, up 27 per cent for the year, the 100 to 200hp (75-150kw) category was up three per cent to finish 23 per cent ahead. The large 200 hp (150kw) PLUS range came back to earth with a 17 per cent drop in December but still finished 56 per cent ahead of 2020 in support of harvest operations across the nation.

Baler sales enjoyed a significant bump in December and finished just shy of 1000 units, down on 2020 by around 24 per cent and sales of out-front mowers finished in line with 2020.

Much has been written about the challenges surrounding supply, not just relating to agricultural machines. Industry forecasts for 2022 indicate another solid year ahead supported by very healthy commodities markets.

The TMA was engaged in a wide range of important issues throughout 2021 with the most recent of these being the situation regarding supply of AdBlue.

While the industry is making headway on replacing supply shortages, the matter of machine integrity has been brought into sharp focus with some in the industry questioning the viability of disengaging the emissions management systems on diesel tractors.

TMA members have been very strong on this topic, fully supporting a farmer’s right to repair machines but not supporting the right to modify.

This example goes to the heart of the TMA position — read more on the TMA website.

Also note, the 2022 TMA conference has been scheduled for Wednesday July 20 at the Hyatt Essendon Fields in Melbourne. Visit the website for more details.

■ Source: https://www.tma.asn.au/

Last year was a bumper year for tractor and machinery sales.

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