News

Support for Saputo takeover

THE COMPETITION watchdog won’t oppose Saputo’s takeover of Lion’s Tasmanian cheese business, saying most local farmers think there will still be enough buyers to support prices. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission last month...

Dairy News
News

Income hit hard in challenging year

AVERAGE EARNINGS by dairy farmers in Victoria plummeted last year, according to a new report that surveys a sample of 75 farms across the state. Northern Victoria was hit particularly hard, with the worst economic performances in the 13 years the...

Dairy News
News

Takeover backed by Bellamy’s board

Bellamy’s Organic, a 15-year-old company established in Tasmania, is being taken over by a Chinese company in a deal that values the milk powder company at about $1.5 billion. Bellamy’s entered into a scheme Implementation deed with Mengniu...

Dairy News
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News

China mission reveals opportunities for Jersey farmers

AUSTRALIAN JERSEY farmers could be major beneficiaries from China’s need for more dairy product while addressing many of the issues confronting the country. China needs 109 million tonnes of dairy to meet current nutritional targets but last year...

Dairy News
News

Farm profit holds up in Gippsland

Varied seasonal conditions impacted farm performance throughout Gippsland. South and west Gippsland experienced reasonable pasture growing conditions, while farms in the central and eastern areas had inconsistent rainfall that compromised pasture...

Dairy News
Animal Health

Know your fodder: feed testing facts

THIS SEASON there is the potential for a fodder supply shortage across Australia’s dairy regions. In times of low pasture supply, it is essential to carefully plan what the likely feed requirements will be for your herd and actively manage the...

Dairy News
Dairy News

Fonterra NZ posts big loss

Fonterra is scaling back how much milk it sources from Australian farmers after the NZ dairy giant posted a $NZ557 million ($A514 million) loss partly related to the drought across the ditch. The dual-listed dairy processor said an increase in...

Geoff Adams
Dairy

Rabobank forecasts further milk production drop in 2019-20

Australian milk production fell by 5.7 per cent, a loss of 530 million litres, in the 2018-19 season, according to Rabobank’s latest global Dairy Quarterly report.

Rodney Woods
News

Farm profit holds up in Gippsland

Varied seasonal conditions impacted farm performance throughout Gippsland. South and west Gippsland experienced reasonable pasture growing conditions, while farms in the central and eastern areas had inconsistent rainfall that compromised pasture...

Dairy News
Animal Health

Know your fodder: feed testing facts

THIS SEASON there is the potential for a fodder supply shortage across Australia’s dairy regions. In times of low pasture supply, it is essential to carefully plan what the likely feed requirements will be for your herd and actively manage the...

Dairy News
Dairy News

Fonterra NZ posts big loss

Fonterra is scaling back how much milk it sources from Australian farmers after the NZ dairy giant posted a $NZ557 million ($A514 million) loss partly related to the drought across the ditch. The dual-listed dairy processor said an increase in...

Geoff Adams
Dairy

Rabobank forecasts further milk production drop in 2019-20

Australian milk production fell by 5.7 per cent, a loss of 530 million litres, in the 2018-19 season, according to Rabobank’s latest global Dairy Quarterly report.

Rodney Woods

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Management

Management

Victorian soil profiles drying out

SOIL MOISTURE levels are varying across Victoria, including in the north, with full information detailed in the latest Soil Moisture Monitoring newsletter. Central Victoria and the north east have crops with high water demands and have consumed all...

Dairy News
Management

Efficiencies in scale as US producers expand operation

EVERYTHING LOOKED new. There were no marks on the walls and any manure which splashed on the milking machines was quickly pressure cleaned-off. The 80 Holsteins calmly chewing their cuds where spinning around on a shiny rotary platform. Above all...

Dairy News
Management

Secret to top quality milk is all-round approach

AFTER YEARS on the cusp of the dairy industry’s top prize for milk quality, Yarroweyah dairy farmer Chris and Nicole Hibberson have been announced the 2019 winner of Dairy Australia’s Milk Quality Awards. Maintaining a focus on mastitis...

Dairy News
Management

Mastitis prevention maintains winning quality

NSW DAIRY farmers James, Peter, Cheryl and Katrina Neal have just won their fifth consecutive milk quality award − staying up-to-date with best practice for mastitis prevention and treatment is keeping them at the top of their game. James believes...

Dairy News
Management

Business prize for Tongala farmer

TRANSITIONING HER farm’s milk pool to A2 has seen Tongala dairy farmer Bonita Koch awarded Rabobank’s annual Dr John Morris Business Development prize at a graduation dinner in Sydney in July. Mrs Koch participated in the bank’s Executive...

Dairy News
Management

A decade in the making for three-way breeding results

A decade in the making for three-way breeding results THE USE of three-way cross breeding in dairy operations is a popular topic at present. With more farmers using the system, and herd conversions are obtaining critical mass due to decisions made...

Dairy News

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From The Experts

From the Experts

ABV release prompts sire review

The August release of Australian Breeding Values (ABVs) and the upcoming joining season will have dairy farmers around the country thinking about the next best sires to use over their herds. While breeding enthusiasts will delve into great detail...

Dairy News
From the Experts

Sires’ success is proven

THE DESIRE by ABS to make better cows faster has never been more evident than in the August ABV proofs, delivering top sires in both the Holstein genomic rankings and sires with Australian milking daughters. The success of the ABS genomic program is...

Dairy News
From the Experts

Scientists expand genetic horizons

Australia’s geneticists are leading the world in expanding the horizons of genetic selection of dairy cattle. WHAT DO you achieve if you take a team of clever geneticists, give them state-of-the-art research facilities and supply them with...

Dairy News
From the Experts

Trial sparks interest

A TRIAL of sexed semen three years ago ignited one Tasmanian dairy farming family’s passion for breeding and laid a foundation for the business’s future. Stuart and Kylie Nailer milk 215 cows at Ringarooma, in Tasmania’s north-east, with their...

Dairy News

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Markets

Markets

Trade disputes and their impact

THE BEGINNING of spring has routinely seen a flurry of activity, both on farms and throughout the wider dairy supply chain. Global markets remained subdued over winter but have now started to see increased activity. While the outcome of the spring...

Dairy News
Markets

Value change in the Australian milk market

THE START of 2019–20 has seen record high milk price announcement as processers compete for a smaller national milk pool. Cost of production is elevated, due to high cost of feed, electricity and purchased irrigated water, which is impacting...

Sofia Omstedt
Markets

Australian milk production continues to slide, while global markets present opportunities

THE 2018–19 season will most certainly be remembered as an exceptionally challenging season for the Australian dairy industry. Universally high feed costs, record high temporary irrigation water costs and widespread dry seasonal conditions have...

Sofia Omstedt

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Machinery & Products

Machinery & Products

New range at O’Connors

SAMASZ AND Elho products were launched at Shepparton’s O’Connors dealership on September 11. The European brands are new to Australia in the past few years and O’Connors has been selected as the dealership for northern Victoria and the...

Dairy News
Machinery & Products

Henty winner from the west

A SOUTHERN NSW designed, and manufactured grouper bin has won the coveted Greater Hume Council Award at the Henty Machinery Field Days. Kaidan and Dallas Boyd, of Clear Ridge Fabrication, from West Wyalong, won the award for their CRF SUPA Bin 42...

Dairy News
Machinery & Products

Robot feeder

THE FIRST robotic feed pusher in Oceania to refresh and also remix feed has been installed on a dairy farm in the South Island of New Zealand, with the farm already reporting a promising milk production increase and significant labour savings...

Dairy News

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Animal Health

Animal Health

Know your fodder: feed testing facts

THIS SEASON there is the potential for a fodder supply shortage across Australia’s dairy regions. In times of low pasture supply, it is essential to carefully plan what the likely feed requirements will be for your herd and actively manage the...

Dairy News
Animal Health

Nutrition will aid heifer growth

WELL-GROWN HEIFERS are more likely to reach their full potential for milk production and recover their rearing costs earlier, therefore it is key to have a management plan for your heifers and not neglect them. The critical times for feeding young...

Dairy News
Animal Health

The rise and fall of antibiotics

PERHAPS ONE of the greatest medical breakthroughs of our age was the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Flemming in 1928. New antibiotics were rapidly discovered which revolutionised the means by which infectious diseases were treated. Common...

Gemma Chuck