News

Pollies get a message

Second generation farmers Ian and Amy Mathers were able to tell Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack exactly how much pressure dairying is under when he visited Cohuna in March. Mr McCormack spent time at their dairy farm and found out why they...

Dairy News
News

Australian dairy to help address antimicrobial resistance

Antibiotic use will be in the spotlight of a new Australian dairy industry project which is set to help maintain access to premium markets. Focusing on antimicrobial resistance stewardship — a priority for the United Nations and the World Health...

Dairy News
Dairy

System a cool purchase

Steve and Deanne Hore’s farm near Leitchville in northern Victoria has been a good breeding ground for top-quality cows.

Country News
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News

Dairy woman is finalist

A Western District farmer is among the top contendors in a competition testing the results of topping up trace minerals in cattle and sheep. Animal health company Virbac Australia says over the past 12 months, seven livestock producers have been...

Dairy News
News

Drone sensor trial measuring nutrients in pasture

Imagine using a drone to fly over a couple of hundred hectares of pasture and within hours all the information about its biomass and nutrient levels are on your phone or computer. Sounds a bit too good to be true? Well, welcome to the future of...

Dairy News
News

Proactive comeback

When Wayne and Bonnie Johnstone surveyed their burnt paddocks after last year’s St Patrick’s Day fires, it didn’t take long for revival mode to kick in. On the Sunday morning after the blaze which destroyed 75 per cent of their land near...

Rick Bayne
Dairy

Forced out due to costs

Deniliquin is now home to very few dairy farms as numbers plummet in the most challenging times the dairy industry has ever faced.

Country News
Management

Spot on with grazing management

Jan Giliam focuses on grazing management and benchmarks profit by how much of that home-grown pasture feeds his milking herd. To do that, he relies on an annual rainfall of about 1000 mm to produce grass and 2000 wrapped bales of pasture silage. He...

Jeanette Severs
News

Drone sensor trial measuring nutrients in pasture

Imagine using a drone to fly over a couple of hundred hectares of pasture and within hours all the information about its biomass and nutrient levels are on your phone or computer. Sounds a bit too good to be true? Well, welcome to the future of...

Dairy News
News

Proactive comeback

When Wayne and Bonnie Johnstone surveyed their burnt paddocks after last year’s St Patrick’s Day fires, it didn’t take long for revival mode to kick in. On the Sunday morning after the blaze which destroyed 75 per cent of their land near...

Rick Bayne
Dairy

Forced out due to costs

Deniliquin is now home to very few dairy farms as numbers plummet in the most challenging times the dairy industry has ever faced.

Country News
Management

Spot on with grazing management

Jan Giliam focuses on grazing management and benchmarks profit by how much of that home-grown pasture feeds his milking herd. To do that, he relies on an annual rainfall of about 1000 mm to produce grass and 2000 wrapped bales of pasture silage. He...

Jeanette Severs

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Management

Management

Spot on with grazing management

Jan Giliam focuses on grazing management and benchmarks profit by how much of that home-grown pasture feeds his milking herd. To do that, he relies on an annual rainfall of about 1000 mm to produce grass and 2000 wrapped bales of pasture silage. He...

Jeanette Severs
Management

Farm set-up key to pasture management

Setting up farms to make the most of production in a challenging environment is as relevant in Albany, Western Australia and King Island, Tasmania, as it is in the Bega Valley, NSW, and Walpa, Victoria. That was the message from veterinarian and...

Jeanette Severs
Management

Calving pattern suits business

Frank and Fiona Mills operate two dairy farms at Kilmany, in central Gippsland, milking 546 predominantly British Friesian cows (70 per cent), the remainder cross-bred with Jersey and Normandy genetics. The farm has been producing milk for Parmalat...

Jeanette Severs
Management

Negotiating dry conditions in the east

Mark Laity at Wiseleigh, Victoria, runs a one-person dairy, milking 160 cows off just a bit more than 160 ha of dryland country. Mark and Susan, with their children Chloe, Nigel, Lauren and Tori, are the second and third generations respectively...

Jeanette Severs
Management

Sowing the seeds for dairy success

Growing up on a dairy farm and later spending 10 years as a pasture agronomist sowed the seeds for Daniel Meade to become a farmer, and a Nuffield Scholarship helped those seeds to germinate. Daniel and his wife Michaela and their three young...

Rick Bayne
Management

Consulting for success

Josh and Lilli Philp like to know where they’re heading with their farm near Garvoc. They rely heavily on their experience with the farm and the industry but they also call in the experts to make sure they’re moving in the right direction...

Rick Bayne

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From The Experts

From the Experts

Summer heat advice

PROVIDING LIVESTOCK with shade and water during extreme heat is ‘‘paramount’’ according to an owner of a northern Victorian veterinary practice. Keith Fletcher, of Rochester Veterinary Practice, provided some tips on the best way to handle...

Dairy News
From the Experts

March reminders

Hay and silage stocks Check your levels of hay and silage and do your sums on potential hay and silage use for the balance of the year. Allow for milking cows, dry cows and young stock. It’s often a challenge to feed the best feed you can and make...

Dairy News
From the Experts

New tech helps manage cows

A NEW cow ‘fit bit’ is making it easier to diagnose sick cows and influence management decisions around fertility and performance. Cow Manager uses a small ear tag to monitor and record cow activity, temperature, eating, rumination and resting...

Dairy News
From the Experts

Broad range of seminar topics

Eight seminars will be held at International Dairy Week, covering topics from improving efficiency to heat tolerance. Held at the Ballantyne Centre at Tatura Park, the seminars will run over three days with presenters from across the industry...

Dairy News

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Markets

Markets

The rise of dairy alternative drinks in Australian supermarkets

Australians love dairy products and consume more dairy per capita than most other developed countries. In 2018 Australians drank close to 102 litres of milk per person with a proportion accounted for in coffees. More recently there has been an...

Sofia Omstedt
Markets

Seasonal milk outlook improves

Milk processors will be competing strongly for milk supply, with milk production slowing and robust demand from Southeast Asia and China, dairy consultants Fresh Agenda believes. The seasonal outlook has improved with slowing milk growth in key...

Dairy News
Markets

Indonesia — a growing market opportunity for Australian exporters?

INDONESIA IS the fourth most populous country in the world and one of the fastest growing economies in southeast Asia. It is also a country of increasing importance and interest among South-East major dairy exporters. While some suggest Indonesi...

Sofia Omstedt

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Machinery & Products

Machinery & Products

For sale: wear and tear on patience

Buying things is easy, most of the time. Not as easy as it should be, of course. I for one have had far too many experiences along the lines of “Sorry mate, is me coming here to spend my money at your establishment an inconvenience to you?” In...

John Droppert
Machinery & Products

Steiger wins Paris award

Case IH’s Quadtrac CVXDrive, known in Australia as the Steiger Quadtrac CVT, won the 2019 Machine of the Year title in the XL category at the recent biennial SIMA exhibition in Paris. The accolade was given in recognition of the benefits of the...

Dairy News
Machinery & Products

US manager learns the ropes

American-born Alyx Selsmeyer was working for Case IH at the brand’s headquarters in Wisconsin, in the United States, two-and-a-half years ago when a job opportunity on the other side of the world was too good to refuse. The University of...

Dairy News

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Animal Health

Animal Health

Proof how critical calf care is

Half of a cow’s lifetime height and growth is achieved in the first six months of its life, according to a visiting American calf-rearing specialist. David Kuehnel was raised on a family farm in Wisconsin, which reared 1200 specially-fed veal...

Dairy News
Animal Health

Raising babies

Animal adviser Bob James provided an animated and colourful lesson in calf rearing for the crowd attending the South Australian Dairy Conference in March. The American scientist encouraged, cajoled and inspired the group to raise healthier calves...

Dairy News
Animal Health

Know your poison

There are more than 1000 plants in Australia that have been recorded as toxic to animals. This article discusses some common plant toxicities that can affect cattle. Nitrate/nitrite High levels of nitrate in plants is toxic to grazing cattle...

Gemma Chuck