New trial of floating solar panels for farms underway at Lardner Park
A trial to install solar panels on lake's lagoons and farm dams will give landholders who wish to switch to renewables an option without losing land.
Visitors to Farm World at Lardner Park, were given demonstrations on a 50-kilowatt floating solar installation project at the park's reservoir, which is progressively being installed next year.
General manager of Victorian solar installation company Greenwood Tom Johnson said there were many opportunities in Gippsland to use agricultural dams for floating solar panels.
To read the article in full you will need a subscription to the newspaper, if you already have a subscription or wish to subscribe go to: Farmonline National
Source: Farmonline National, Philippe Perez, 10 May 2023
How Oxley Island dairy farmers Pat and Em Neal operate a successful pasture-based system
High-quality soil, reliable annual rainfall and good management make for a successful pasture-based dairy on the NSW Mid North Coast.
Pat and Em Neal own and operate Willaree Dairy, more than 200 hectares, at Oxley Island in the Manning Valley.
Pat is a fifth-generation dairy farmer, and Em hails from a strong dairy farming family.
To read the article in full you will need a subscription to the newspaper, if you already have a subscription or wish to subscribe go to: Farmonline National
Source: Hayley Warden, 2 May 2023
Final broadside as dairy lobbyist retires
Outgoing co-CEO of eastAUS Milk Shaughn Morgan launched one last broadside in protection of the dairy industry as he warned the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to remain wary of Coles' incursion into milk processing.
The regulator has yet to approve the purchase by Coles Group Limited of the former Murray Goulburn plants at Erskine Park and Laverton North, Vic, lately subsumed by Saputo Dairy Australia.
To read the article in full you will need a subscription to the newspaper, if you already have a subscription or wish to subscribe go to: The Weekly Times
Source: Jamie Brown, 13 April 2023
Dairy farmers Ruth and Neville Kydd say water buybacks hurt environment
Irrigation is a key component of on-farm biodiversity, argues Riverina dairy producers Ruth and Neville Kydd, Avonmore, Finley, NSW.
AgriProve launches Next Generation Soil Measurement Platform at evokeAG
Soil carbon project developer AgriProve has built an integrated system to make it easier than ever to measure and map soil.
Source: Melody Labinsky, Farmonline National, 24 February 2023
Ryegrass discovery has researchers worried for northern cropping zone
Bhagirath Chauhan, weed researcher with QAAFI, has made a number of concerning findings surrounding ryegrass in northern cropping zones.
Dairy can’t shrink to success: Australian Dairy Conference told
The Australian dairy industry can't shrink its way to success, the Australian Dairy Conference in Hobart was told…
Source: Carlene Dowie, Farmonline National, 23 February 2023
In Focus report reveals dairy industry statistics
Despite relatively high milk prices offered to farmers, the number of dairy farms has fallen.
For more information and to subscribe to In Focus, visit Dairy Australia
Source: Farmonline, 14 January 2023
Safeguard food security
IT IS time to consider food security in Australia and abroad.
War in Ukraine, inflation and rising costs of production and goods, floods and supply chain constraints make us ask an important question - are people able to access the food they need to live a healthy life?
During the coming months, the Australian House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture will be seeking to answer this question in its Inquiry into Food Security.
On December 9, Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) made a comprehensive submission highlighting the important role dairy plays in food consumption.
The submission identifies various actions to ensure this continues long into the future.
Food security: the challenge in a growing world
Feeding a world population of more than nine billion people in 2050 will require raising overall food production by some 70 per cent between 2005 and 2050.
In its own right this is a significant challenge.
Yet when we consider the United Nations definition of food security, we are not just talking about the volume of food consumed, but whether that volume is consistent with nutritional requirements.
Growing dairy and agriculture is the only way the global food security challenge can be met.
Strong dairy and food security go hand-in-hand
ADF is concerned about the growth trajectory of the dairy industry.
Our sector has experienced declining milk volumes since deregulation in 2000.
This is due to a range of factors, including - but not limited to - a lack of productivity growth, a decline in export market share, social license challenges, changes in consumer preferences and production systems and climate change.
“Initiatives to increase the profitability and sustainability of the Australian dairy industry will improve food security in Australia and abroad” - Craig Hough
The Australian Dairy Plan and its supporting programs and initiatives is the industry's blueprint for addressing these challenges and making dairy more profitable and sustainable into the future.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend consumption of at least two to three serves of dairy foods per person every day.
Unfortunately, Australians and the rest of the world are consuming much less than the recommended amount.
This is contributing to rising adverse health conditions like osteoporosis.
We often consider Australia as a food secure nation because we export about 70 per cent of agricultural production and import around 11pc of our food.
However, when applying the broader definition of food security - achieving dietary requirements, the nation falls short.
Actions to safeguard food security, sustainability
Our submission recommends government take action on the demand and supply sides of industry to help resolve our problem.
On the demand side, we suggest that adequate dairy servings are included in the mandatory dietary standards for aged care - which are being developed.
We also suggested the government support industry's initiatives to increase Australia's consumption of dairy foods more broadly.
Dairy Australia's Dairy Matters campaign, an initiative that delivers on a commitment in the Australian Dairy Plan, promotes dairy's contribution to jobs, regions and bone and nutritional health.
These types of initiatives are critical for helping people understand the importance of dairy to them and their family.
Our submission also called on the government to address the misuse of dairy terms on food labels and to deliver accurate and truthful product labelling for consumers.
We also want to see action to ensure domestic trade is free and fair.
This would include addressing the imbalance between dairy suppliers and retailers, which has seen retailers misuse their market power.
A move to strengthen the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 would strengthen food security.
Free and fair global trade in agricultural products would improve food security too.
So, a serious commitment by the government to reduce non-tariff barriers (NTB) via the G20 is needed to make this happen.
Reducing food loss and food waste is important to strengthening food security.
That is because about one-third of all the food produced for human consumption is wasted.
The Australian Dairy Products Federation (ADPF) and Dairy Australia are partnering with Stop Food Waste Australia to develop a Dairy Sector Food Waste Action Plan to reduce food waste across the dairy supply chain.
We would like the Australian government to co-fund its implementation with industry.
Our submission outlines ways the government can support an increase in dairy farm productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supplying climate adaptation measures.
Our industry also needs support to resolve labour shortages, secure water supply and maintaining a biosecurity system that is able to respond to the growing risks of pests and diseases trying to enter our shores.
All of these priorities will help Australia meet its global dairy food security challenge.
Source: Craig Hough - ADF, Farmonline National, 5 January 2023
Teatseal recycling initiative launched
Zoetis has partnered with TerraCycle to launch a recycling initiative for dairy farmers in an effort to keep plastic waste out of landfill.
Dairy has culturally diverse history in Australia
AUSTRALIA is recognised as one of the most vibrant, multicultural societies in the world which, in turn, shapes its rich food culture.
Paul van Heerwaarden appointed to Dairy Australia board
The outgoing chief executive officer of Bega Group Paul van Heerwaarden has been appointed to the Dairy Australia board.
Dairy Australia said he was appointed after a thorough search and interview process.
Mr van Heerwaarden joining the skills-based board as a non-executive director with dairy supply chain and product promotion experience.
Mr van Heerwaarden has been with Bega Group for more than a decade and has been in the CEO role for nearly six years.
His retirement from Bega was announced in October.
Dairy Australia's board selection committee chair Tania Luckin said: "Paul will bring significant business expertise including sales, marketing and a deep understanding of future trends and issues that could impact on the sustainability and profitability of the dairy industry.
"Along with a strategic mindset he has a breadth and depth of experience in dairy and across agriculture more broadly having held a number of executive roles. This experience will assist Dairy Australia to continue to deliver for farmers and the dairy industry."
READ MORE: Dairy Australia digs into reserves as levy income declines
A board vacancy became available due to the resignation of Russell Abotomey.
Mr van Heerwaarden is appointed until November 2023 with the opportunity to seek a further three-year term at the 2023 AGM.
More information on the director election process is available on the Dairy Australia website.
Source: Carlene Dowie, Farmonline National, 19 December 2022
Singleton farmer Max Wake fights to build new dairy on floodplain
A Hunter Valley, NSW, dairy farmer says he has been told by the local council he cannot build a new dairy on his land as it is located on a floodplain.
Max Wake and his son Gavin were busy last week organising repairs to the centre pivots used to irrigate their property located on the Hunter River floodplain at Whittingham, NSW.
Standing on land where the Wake family hope to build a new multi-million dollar dairy and cow feed pad facility, last month's mud has swiftly been replaced by dust - the cycle of life on the land.
Despite the current dryness of the site selected for the family's proposed dairy infrastructure, Max Wake said had received a verbal rejection from Singleton Council's planning department that the development application (DA), submitted by Pittman Building Services, could not proceed as it is located on a floodplain.
Floodplain developments are currently front of mind for many councils following record flooding this year.
Singleton Council spokesperson said the council was in receipt of a DA for an upgrade of an existing dairy shed at Whittingham.
"The proposal is located in a high hazard floodway as identified in council's flood mapping. Council is currently assessing the application. No determination has been made," the spokesperson said.
Mr Wake, who has been dairying on the property for 47 years, said the selected site was not impacted during the most recent flood in July.
"In fact in the second highest flood on this property since 1955, in June 2007, the water was only lapping at the bottom wire of this fence," he said pointing to the fence on the nearby paddock.
"We are prepared to build the site up a metre with fill, that will cost several hundred thousand dollars, to ensure the building is out of flood.
"I know at this stage it is just a verbal rejection, but I hope council would be prepared to take a site visit and discuss the proposal with us."
Mr Wake said two years ago council approved a hayshed adjacent to the dairy infrastructure site.
This shed was not impacted by the two floods this year and Mr Wake said why take a different approach now when it was fine to build on this section of the floodplain in 2020.
Gavin Wake said the family wanted to spend in the vicinity of $4 million to improve the farm's efficiency and productivity, create a better work environment for workers and improve cow comfort.
"This farm supports four families, is the major supplier to the Hunter Belle brand of milk, cheese and other dairy products and we want to continue to grow the business in a changing environment," he said.
"Our existing dairy is well and truly past its used-by date with the new dairy capable of handling 250 cows/hour where we are currently only milking 80 cows/hour in the existing dairy.
"We have to build this infrastructure to survive."
The Wake family's existing herringbone dairy is now the oldest one still operating in the Hunter.
Keeping with the family tradition of adopting emerging technologies, they wish to now build a new facility, which Max Wake said would lift the herd's milk production from 23 litres/cow/day to 30litres/cow/day.
"That's a huge difference in terms of productivity," he said.
Gavin said the feed pad, where the milking herd would be housed, would allow the business to use water far more efficiently as they would opt to grow corn rather than rely on pastures to feed the milking herd.
"With the two centre pivots it just makes economic and environmental sense to grow corn silage and feed that to the cows. We have to make the most of that water and this management system is proven to do that," he said.
At the heart of their operation is their nationally acclaimed Benleigh Brown Swiss stud.
Source: Louise Nichols, Farmonline National, 8 December 2022
ACCC makes a move Dairy Code compliance
The supply chains in which farmers and the broader agribusiness community operate have experienced significant challenges over the past 30 years, particularly around 'deregulation'.
These include unequal bargaining power between processors and farmers, and systemic transparency issues in contract and pricing practices, and have now culminated in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission implementing the Dairy Industry Code of Conduct, which came into effect on January 1, 2020.
The Code regulates the conduct of farmers and milk processors in their dealings with one another and applies to retailers to the extent that they purchase milk directly from farmers. Under the Code, all processors that intend to buy milk from farmers in the next financial year are required to publish standard form milk supply agreements by the publication deadline, which is 2pm (ACT time) on June 1 each year.
Additionally, an MSA must not permit a processor to unilaterally terminate an MSA, except where the farmer has committed a 'material breach' of the agreement to ensure that farmers are not treated unfairly.
The ACCC considers has signalled a focus on ensuring compliance as part of its 2022-23 Compliance and Enforcement Policy and Priorities. Farmers will be pleased to hear these weren't empty words following the conclusion of the first court proceedings instituted under the Code since it came into effect.
In the case of Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Lactalis Australia Pty Ltd [2022] FCA 1087, the court found that Lactalis Australia Pty Ltd breached the Code in relation to the 2020-2021 milk season when it failed to publish its MSAs on its website by the Code's deadline of 2pm on June 1, 2020.
The court also found that Lactalis breached the Code by publishing and entering into agreements that allowed them to unilaterally terminate the agreement in circumstances that did not amount to a material breach.
Farmers should feel encouraged to report potential non-compliance with the Code to the ACCC.
Kylie Wilson and Geoff Farnsworth are partners, and Kayla Plunkett is a graduate at Holding Redlich.
Source: Kylie Wilson, Geoff Farnsworth and Kayla Plunkett, Farmonline National, 29 October 2022
Aussie producers warned they must also pay to tackle animal disease outbreaks
Australia's livestock and wool industries have been warned to brace themselves for a massive financial hit if the feared outbreak of an animal disease occurs.
They will have to pay their share of the clean-up costs.
Under agreed national arrangements, producers would have to pay 20 per cent of the cost of the response to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
This is on top of the devastating cost to individuals from lost markets and possible on-farm impacts, like culling.
With some estimates putting FMD's potential impact as high as $50 billion, producers would need to pay their one fifth share through increased transaction levies over 10 years.
If the outbreak were the other grave threat, lumpy skin disease, at the moment producers are up for half the total bill - again to be paid back over 10 years.
Government experts calculate a lumpy skin disease outbreak could cost Australia more than than $7 billion in its first year.
This is why beef and dairy farmer groups want lumpy skin disease to be given a stronger priority under national arrangements, to bring it into the same category as FMD.
This would avoid the expensive 50/50 cost sharing deal, to access the 80/20 arrangement.
Experts believe lumpy skin disease is much more likely to arrive in Australia before FMD.
African swine fever is also lurking dangerously close to Australian shores and shares the same category as lumpy skin, with the 50/50 cost sharing arrangements.
An ACIL Allen impact modelling report on an African swine fever outbreak has predicted it could cost Australia's 3700 pig producers, plus meat processors, transport operators and others linked to the meat industry, $2.03 billion over five years.
The wool industry is considering how best to prepare for an animal disease outbreak, given it does not have the same levy arrangements and only $5 million tucked away for an animal disease outbreak.
Red meat livestock industry bodies are signatories to the federal Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement which sets out the response to 66 categorised animal diseases.
The government is expected to "initially" cover an industry's cost-sharing obligations but the relevant industry "will then repay the government within a reasonable time period - generally up to 10 years".
The cattle and sheep industries fund their industry commitments through transaction levies paid through the sale of stock.
Those industry levies pay for marketing, research and development and a small contribution for Animal Health Australia, which is responsible for reacting to animal disease outbreaks.
But most producers do not realise their levies also include a component called Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement or EADRA levy which currently lays dormant but would be "activated" to repay the government for the industry share of an outbreak.
The size of that "extra" payment would still need to be negotiated and would depend on the actual cost of the outbreak, but still needs to be paid.
Wool Industry Australia has estimated a FMD outbreak would cost the industry an estimated $2.2 billion in revenue alone over a decade.
Australian Wool Innovation has been questioned over its preparedness for an outbreak.
Victorian Farmers Federation livestock group president Steve Harrison suggested during a webinar with AWI last week they should consider doubling the size of its outbreak emergency fund.
AWI chairman Jock Laurie said both AWI and growers were operating in a tight financial environment.
"What other industries have is a levy mechanism set up ... so in the very unfortunate position that that did happen there is a cost sharing arrangement ... the other industries they trigger a levy and the levy pays a pool of funding for the management of that (outbreak), under an agreement of 80/20 with the Federal government," Mr Laurie said.
Mr Laurie said the wool industry was in discussions with industry bodies about establishing a levy which could potentially collect those funds.
"If the wool industry doesn't do it we still have an obligation to meet that 20 per cent funding over a period of time and we need to think about how we are going to do it and AWI is not a position to turn around and pull that money out."
Source: Chris McLennan, Farmonline National, 2 November 2022
Farmers want promise that methane pledge won’t hurt ag in writing
THE federal government has assured the agriculture sector it would not be adversely affected by a global pledge to reduce the nation's methane emissions, but farmers want the promise in writing.
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen confirmed Australia would sign the pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, joining 120 other countries who had already agreed to the proposal put forward by US President Joe Biden.
Mr Bowen said the pledge does not require Australia to focus solely on agriculture, or reduce agricultural production or livestock numbers, nor would the government legislate or introduce taxes or levies to reduce livestock emissions.
NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin said Mr Bowen, along with the Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister, should sign a statement that farmers would not be left worse off under the Methane Pledge.
"We've been told that farmers will be excluded, but the same thing happened in New Zealand and now they're experiencing the disastrous impact of these international agreements," Mr Martin said.
"Australia cannot afford to put global appearances ahead of our ability to feed and clothe ourselves, and our government should make an iron-clad assurance - in writing - that agriculture will not be impacted by Joe Biden's methane pledge."
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the industry had already committed itself to carbon neutral meat production by 2030, and the government was catching up to the industry's ambitions.
"By signing the pledge, we are putting Australia's ag sector on a level playing field with our trade competitors.
"Increasingly our trading partners are wanting to do deals with countries that demonstrate a stronger commitment to sustainability."
Mr Watt said the global market was increasingly hungry for low-emission products and also announced $5 million in grants for projects researching methane-reducing feed supplements for livestock.
Cattle Council chief executive John McGoverne supported the pledge and said the industry's levies had already been heavily invested in feed additives, such as asparagopsis seaweed, that could cut emissions by more than 90pc.
"The Australian beef industry is already on track to reach net zero emissions without reducing livestock numbers," Mr McGoverne said.
Red Meat Advisory Council chief Alastair James said the industry had committed to being carbon neutral by 2030 and it was currently just shy of 59pc of the way there.
"Industry quite some time ago set itself its own target because sustainability of the red meat and livestock industry is key," he said.
"So we're very, very comfortable with the approach that the industry is taking in achieving that goal."
Source: Jamieson Murphy, Queensland Country Life, 24 October 2022
Dairy Australia plans new phase in Dairy Manifesto sustainability campaign
IN 2019 Dairy Australia launched the Dairy Matters 'Manifesto' campaign with the objective of building community trust by reinforcing the industry sustainability commitments: enhancing livelihoods, improving wellbeing, best care for animals and reducing environmental impact.
Dairy Australia marketing manager Glenys Zucco said as the industry made progress against its sustainability commitments, it was important it continued to tell that story and demonstrate that it understood community expectations.
"Our insights tell us that improving health and wellbeing and reducing environmental impact are what's most important to our community, so this year we are launching Manifesto 2.0, where these two commitments and the actions we are taking will be a key focus," Ms Zucco said.
"The recognisable voice of dairy ambassador Jonathan Brown features as our narrator for the campaign, where our overarching message is about Australian dairy's sustainability promise. A promise to protect what matters most."
Although 21 million Australians enjoy dairy foods every day and milk is in 98 per cent of households, nine out of 10 people are not consuming the recommended daily intake of milk, cheese and yogurt.
To encourage consumption and drive home the role of dairy foods in a healthy balanced diet, the campaign will leverage the fractures trial research published last year, as well as new data that says Australians are unaware of just how many serves they should be consuming per day.
Health messages and resources including posters for clinics will also be delivered to health professionals to ensure they feel confident to recommended dairy consumption and respond to health-related questions or concerns from the community.
The campaign will also communicate environmental messages and the progress dairy is making across the supply chain, focusing on topics of community interest including water use, packaging, biodiversity and commitments to achieving net zero emissions.
The campaign is being delivered across TV, digital and social media, with a particular focus on our younger Australians via podcast partnerships and the development of content for TikTok and YouTube.
With both health and environment proving to be critical topics in the minds of the younger generation, TikTok creates an exciting opportunity to tell the dairy story in a way that is authentic and engaging.
Learn more at dairymatters.com.au.
2022 Manning All Breeds Dairy Youth Camp and Heifer Show at Wingham Showground
It has been cuteness overload at Wingham Showground in the NSW mid north coast on the last week of the spring school holidays, with doe-eyed little dairy heifers (and a few more grown-up ones) acting as models for a show on Friday, October 7.
The heifer show is the culmination of the Manning All Breeds Dairy Youth Camp, a four-day camp for children from nine years old to youth 18-25.
The event has been a long time in the making.
"Our local dairy industry has been battered after the last few years from drought to floods and the camp has been postponed twice already due to COVID lockdowns but now we are finally going ahead," local dairy farmer Joel Dorries said.
A total of 39 heifers spent three days getting the salon treatment as the 38 campers learnt how to prepare cattle for parading ahead of the show on Friday. And going by the half-closed sleepy eyes of one of the animals flanked by its glam squad, the heifers thoroughly enjoyed it.
The heifers have been donated by dairy farms from around the district. The human participants come from as far away as Wagga in NSW and Beaudesert in Queensland, and are a mixture of kids whose families own dairy farms, to kids who have no experience with dairy farming whatsoever.
Fourteen-year-old Chelsea Atkins is one of the ones with experience. She lives on a 300-cow dairy farm at Tamworth, NSW, and she has been most looking forward to the show at the end of camp.
"We love showing cows. We're pretty used to doing it," she said.
Young Jackson is 11 years old and also lives on a dairy farm, at Comboyne, NSW. He was looking forward to learning how to clip the heifers and parade them.
"It's been pretty good so far," he said.
However, the kids are not just learning how to make cows pretty and presentable to a judge. They are also being given lessons on the parts of a cow and confirmation - why they need a wide muzzle (it's the cow's air conditioning system, mentor Andrea Henry explains to me), for example.
They are also learning about animal selection and handling, nutrition, skeletal development and animal welfare, employment opportunities within the dairy industry, marketing business and animals, first aid, the use of drone technology in agriculture, rope halter making, and team work - all in the three days.
The lessons are being given by leading mentors from across the country in their areas of expertise.
"The camp is based around agriculture and farming. Some of (the youth participants) are from beef properties, but this whole week is all about hands on learning opportunities in the agriculture industry," camp organiser Karen Polson explained.
But it's not all hard work. After dinner on the first day a trivia night was held, and on Wednesday night, a disco.
"The whole idea of the camp is for the kids to socially meet, form lifelong friendships, and at the end of the day, just long as it has been fun, that's the main thing," Karen said.
Biosecurity threats won’t wait for Labor’s ‘political agenda’
AGRICULTURAL leaders have urged Labor to deliver its biosecurity election promise, saying exotic diseases won't wait for the party to work through its political agenda.
But the Agriculture Minister has indicated the government was still considering how to rollout a long-term sustainable funding model to fund the nation's biosecurity system.
For years, the agriculture sector has been urging governments to commitment on-going funding to biosecurity, as the number of threats continue to grow.
National Farmers' Federation chief executive Tony Mahar said Labor already had "runs on the board" with its handling of the Indonesian foot and mouth disease, and the endorsement of the National Biosecurity Strategy.
"The timing is absolutely right for the government to demonstrate in this budget a long-term commitment," Mr Mahar said.
"Everything is in place. If they don't do it now, when is the perfect time?"
GrainGrowers chief executive David McKeon said historically it had been hard to get biosecurity on the agenda and it made sense to use "this opportunity to continue the momentum".
"The biosecurity threats facing ag are not going to sit around and wait a couple of years for the government to work through its agenda," Mr McKeon said.
The former government initially proposed an importer levy on all container freight to fund the nation's biosecurity system, but scrapped the idea after objections from importers, which were compounded by the economic impact of COVID-19.
The government then proposed a user-pay cost-recovery system, that would see importers pay in proportion to how much they use government-provided biosecurity services.
Nationals leader and former agriculture minister David Littleproud revealed one of the last orders he gave the department before the election was to finalise the consultation process, so the user-pay model could be implemented.
"I had approve in the budget process for the cost-recovery measure... I wasn't able to get in into the April budget, but it was approved for MYEFO [the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook]," Mr Littleproud said.
"A lot of that work had already been done, and there should have been nothing stopping the department from completing that. It's whether the new minister held the department to account to complete those instructions."
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt indicated the government was still consulting with stakeholders, and slammed the previous government for the botched the introduction of a biosecurity levy.
"They were more interested in the announcement than talking to industry... we will not make the same mistakes," Mr Watt said.
"We understand this is a complex matter that requires careful consideration and time to engage in meaningful conversations with stakeholders."
Mr Watt said biosecurity would remain a key focus of the upcoming budget, and the government was committed to delivering long-term sustainable funding to strengthen the biosecurity system.
Source: Jamieson Murphy, Farmonline National, 5 October 2022
What the market really wants in a dairy-beef carcase: Greenham’s Jess Loughland
GROWTH, yield and eating quality are the key areas where dairy-beef breeders have the most opportunity to pull genetic levers that will drive carcase value in the beef sector.
This message came from experienced livestock supply chain manager Jess Loughland at this month's Growing Beef from Dairy conference, hosted by Dairy Australia and held at Attwood in Victoria.
Speakers from around the world repeatedly spoke about the exceptionally positive traits coming from the dairy animal around eating quality.
Ms Loughland supported those sentiments but said yield and growth were probably the areas where there was less confidence in parties to invest in dairy-beef animals year-in and year-out.
In her role with southern Australian processor Greenham, Ms Loughland looks after natural beef programs, producer engagement and supply chain sustainability initiatives.
Greenhams has been in the beef industry for more than 150 years. The family started with small butcher shops in Melbourne and today runs three beef export facilities in Victoria and Tasmania.
"When we look at developing supply chains, we've heard many advocate the market-first approach," Ms Loughland said.
"That is about moving away from saying we have product so where can we find a home for it, towards looking at where there might be an opportunity with high value markets.
"Through doing that, there are some real opportunities to develop strong, viable and sustainable pathways for cattle of dairy origin in the beef sector."
In terms of carcase value, there was never one over-riding driver - it was a multifaceted business, Ms Loughland said.
Consistently high eating quality is, of course, the holy grail in high value markets but in saying that we have to recognise Australian beef is the most expensive in the world at the moment, she said.
"We have the most expensive cattle costs. Historically we've run at a 25 per cent discount to the United States but we are now sitting at a 17pc premium," Ms Loughland said.
"That means that processors have to look, on a global basis, at how we can extract every last piece of consumer value out of the products we are selling to sustain those high prices."
So while meat quality is important in keeping consumers coming back, other factors such as volume, raising claims, product presentation and branding also play a role.
The place of raising claims is less about saying any one production system is good or bad but rather identifying areas where a consumer may be looking for a particular thing and be willing to pay a premium for it, according to Ms Loughland.
"Dairy-beef could really capture a high value niche in this area," she said.
"For example, in the US where such a high focus is placed on long-fed beef, for a consumer in that market seeking a more natural product there would be the opportunity to extract a premium."
So how do these drivers translate back into genetics?
From a dairy perspective, the focus has been around calving ease and gestation length to maintain profitability but we must also start looking at what is of value to the grower, the finisher and the processor.
Animals that grow faster can provide greater returns to the grower and finisher, and also produce a finished product with a lower carbon footprint, Ms Loughland said.
Animals that yield better in the processing plant provide more kilograms of saleable meat per kilogram of liveweight paid for.
So for growth, estimated breeding values on 400 and 600-day growth are key and then from a yield perspective, it is eye muscle area and retail beef yield.
Source: Shan Goodwin, Farmonline National, 26 September 2022