News

Proof of profitability in black and white

MORE THAN 300 people from across Australia descended upon Jelbart Dairy at Leongatha South last month on the day the rain came to hear how genomics had directly influenced the profitability of farmers involved in the ImProving Herds project. The...

Dairy News
News

Fonterra opens at $5.85kg/MS

Fonterra has announced an opening price of $5.85 per kilo of milk solids for the 2018/19 season and a forecast closing rage of $5.85-$6.20kg/MS. The New Zealand-based processor announced the opening price 10 days out from the opening of the season...

Stephen Cooke
News

Conference inspires young farmers

A VISIT to this year’s UDV Annual Meeting and Conference was well worth it, according to Numurkah dairy farmers Rachelle and Carl Moon. The couple traded gumboots and work clothes for some city attire and headed to the conference in Melbourne last...

Dairy News
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News

Recouping herd test costs in one month

BEFORE JOINING the Improving Herds project, dairy farmers Brad and Meagan O’Shannessy, Cooma, northern Victoria, had only done the occasional spot test on their 200-cow herd. Now a convert, Brad says herd test costs of $4500 a year can potentially...

Dairy News
Dairy

Burra Foods’ fat to protein ratio welcomed

Burra Foods has announced its opening milk price range for the 2018-19 season and in an innovative step is also offering all milk supply partners the opportunity to be paid on a 1:1 fat to protein ratio, reflecting the strong market returns for fat.

Rodney Woods
News

Change is around us so embrace it

“I HAVE a confession to make,” said Beth Comstock, former vice chair at General Electric and the first woman ever to hold the post. “I call myself a change-maker, but I have to tell you — I really don’t like change. “But, the reality...

Dairy News
Dairy

Arrested over cattle theft

A woman and a teenage boy have been arrested after a month-long investigation into theft of livestock from northern Victoria, which has resulted in the eight Speckle Park calves stolen on June 7 being found.

Country News
News

Holsteins ready to line up again

THE FIFTH annual National Herd Winter Fair will be held next month, with organisers and exhibitors looking forward to another successful show. A Holstein-only show, the Winter Fair features the popular Red Holstein Show, junior judging and dry and...

Dairy News
Dairy

Burra Foods’ fat to protein ratio welcomed

Burra Foods has announced its opening milk price range for the 2018-19 season and in an innovative step is also offering all milk supply partners the opportunity to be paid on a 1:1 fat to protein ratio, reflecting the strong market returns for fat.

Rodney Woods
News

Change is around us so embrace it

“I HAVE a confession to make,” said Beth Comstock, former vice chair at General Electric and the first woman ever to hold the post. “I call myself a change-maker, but I have to tell you — I really don’t like change. “But, the reality...

Dairy News
Dairy

Arrested over cattle theft

A woman and a teenage boy have been arrested after a month-long investigation into theft of livestock from northern Victoria, which has resulted in the eight Speckle Park calves stolen on June 7 being found.

Country News
News

Holsteins ready to line up again

THE FIFTH annual National Herd Winter Fair will be held next month, with organisers and exhibitors looking forward to another successful show. A Holstein-only show, the Winter Fair features the popular Red Holstein Show, junior judging and dry and...

Dairy News

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Management

Management

Brothers keep pioneering spirit alive

TIM, GEORGE and Will Jelbart have embraced genomics in their quest to improve farm and herd profitability and reduce their reliance on milk income. The focus on genetics also continues the pioneering spirit of their late father, Max. Max and his...

Dairy News
Management

Pesky experts need a good spray

I’VE DISCOVERED a new species of farming pest. Self-proclaimed experts. Self-proclaimed experts have invaded agriculture in droves. Lately, it seems that no matter where I go, the moment I mention that I live on a farm, the unsolicited advice...

Katie MacAuley
Management

Jersey breeders honoured

IT CAN take a lifetime to build up a reputable dairy herd, but Col and Narelle Bacon from Colnarco Jersey Stud have done it in just over 17 years. The Bacons, from Lockington, were recently inducted onto the Genetics Australia Honour Roll for their...

Dairy News
Management

Getting bigger, getting out, getting in or just getting better?

DAIRY FARMERS in the Murray Dairy region of northern Victoria and southern NSW are no strangers to change. There is significant change occurring in the operating environment, from markets and policy to climate and water. Recognising this, Murray...

Dairy News
Management

Organic prices fall as more US farmers convert

DAIRY FARMERS running pasture-based systems on the coast of California have adapted their practice to produce organic milk. However, the rise in farmers making the transition over the past few years has caused a fall in organic prices. The Bordess...

Stephen Cooke
Management

Sexed semen is a game changer

ALLANSFORD DAIRY farmers Sam and Christine McCluggage have reduced their reliance on milk income through the use of sexed semen to produce surplus heifer calves. The McCluggages milk 700 Holstein cows on their 319 ha home farm, Ballyvernstown. They...

Dairy News

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From The Experts

From the Experts

Opinion: Farmers deserve mandatory code of practice

There’s an emerging issue occurring in the dairy industry between advocates of the industry’s current voluntary code of practice and a proposed mandatory code. The voluntary code of practice was adopted last July by the Australian Dairy Industry...

Stephen Cooke
From the Experts

Bringing new pastures on line

GETTING YOUR grazing rotation right is critical to maximise your pasture production. A well-managed rotation will help not only to boost pasture intake per cow but enable a more effective use of supplements. Establishing a rotation with newly sown...

Dairy News
From the Experts

Genetics may ease heat stress

THE MODERN dairy cow is highly susceptible to the effects of heat and in the Australian climate, the effects of heat stress cause millions of dollars in lost production every year. Temperature and humidity that exceed certain thresholds lead to...

Dairy News
From the Experts

Five tips for growing better maize

FutureDairy’s Yani Garcia says management has a big impact on the profitability of a high input crop such as maize. “A profitable maize crop is achieved by optimising both yield and nutritive value,” Professor Garcia said. “Very high...

Dairy News

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Markets

Markets

Prices to push past $6 but watch out for rising feed costs

MARKET CYCLES have little to do with rapid changes in demand — it is mostly about the effect of weather on supply, and how the demand side of commodity trade responds. The spectacular turnaround in prospects for the world’s dairy markets since...

Steve Spencer
Markets

Hay and grain markets rally

WHILST THE farmgate milk price outlook is a key discussion point at this time of year, farmers will no doubt have noticed some unpleasant changes in other parts of their profit and loss sheets. After an unusually dry and hot autumn in many parts of...

Sofia Omstedt
Markets

Australia becomes more entwined with global markets

AUSTRALIAN DAIRY farmers produced an estimated 650 million litres in March, an increase of 2 per cent on March 2017. On current numbers, this means Australian milk production for the 2017–2018 season is ahead by 3.4 per cent on a Year-To-Date...

Laurie Walker

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Machinery & Products

Machinery & Products

New ‘super’ sprayer released

THE AMAZONE UX01 Super series of trailed sprayers boasts a new operating concept and innovative boom guidance systems for greater precision, capacity and comfort. Initially offered with tank volumes of 6200, 5200 or 4200L and Super-L2 booms from 27...

Dairy News
Machinery & Products

Allflex wins two World Expo awards

Allflex received two Dairy Herd Management Innovation Awards at the recent World Dairy Expo for its SenseTime cow monitoring system and the eSense Flex ear tag. The awards recognise the top 10 dairy industry innovations introduced over the previous...

Dairy News
Machinery & Products

Drip irrigation cuts water use by half

THE ABILITY to produce more tonnes with less water was the major focus for dairy farmer Anthony Wood, of Byrneside, in the Goulburn Valley of Victoria. Mr Wood runs the family business, Deloraine Holdings and milks 500 cows as well as producing...

Dairy News

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Animal Health

Animal Health

Virbac launches Australian-first combination treatment for BRD

ANIMAL HEALTH company Virbac Australia has launched a brand new combination treatment designed to tackle Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD).Virbac Technical Services Manager, Dr George Cox, said BRD is on the most costly diseases to affect cattle...

Dairy News
Animal Health

Assess internal development by hip height

REARING OUTSTANDING dairy replacement heifers is viewed by many successful dairy businesses as an absolute non-negotiable. So an appropriate contextual question to ask is, “How relevant is calf nutrition to sustainable business performance in...

Dairy News
Animal Health

Keep an eye on E.coli

THE RAIN and cooler weather has arrived in many dairying regions of Australia and while these changing conditions have been welcomed by most dairy farmers, cool wet weather also favours the survival and proliferation of many calf scour pathogens. In...

Gemma Chuck