DairyPod

Nitrogen fertiliser use within our dairy systems has come into sharp focus of late. The rapid price increase in the last 12 to 18 months has left many farmers questioning how profitable nitrogen is.  Add to this the fact the countries such as New Zealand have brought in caps on the amount of nitrogen that can be used annually on farm and farmers here in Australia are rightly concerned about how our dairy systems can still produce high amounts of home grown forage and remain profitable while reducing the amount of nitrogen inputs. In this DairyPod episode, Dairy Australia’s Project Co-ordinator, Major Innovations, Liz Mann discusses with Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture Research Fellow Adam Langworthy, some of the considerations to make the most of the nitrogen fertiliser that you use now as well as new nitrogen research that is about to commence as part of the DairyHIGH2 research program at the TIA Smartfarm in Elliot Tasmania.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With close to 60% of all dairy farms in Australia using some form of irrigation on their land, it is important to continually find more ways to use and manage water resources. In this Dairypod episode, Dairy Australia’s National Soils and Irrigation Lead, Cath Lescun, discusses with Climate Adaptation Lead Cathy Ashby some of the current challenges facing farmers when it comes to effective irrigation.The conversation also delves into the Smarter Irrigation for Profit (SIP) research project and the resulting outcomes and practical steps - defined as the eight principles for effective irrigation – which were identified as the result of a six-year study across five key industries and supported by Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry through the Rural R&D for profit program.You can find more information about this project at www.dairyaustralia.com.au/smarterirrigationforprofit    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The December 2022 Situation and Outlook report highlights strong farm finances and stable milk prices, set against challenges caused by inflation and widespread spring flooding. In this podcast episode, John Droppert Industry Insights and Analysis Manager discusses, with John Penry Manager, Technical and Innovation, the report insights including the increase in sales of fresh milk and yoghurt for the year to October 2022, ongoing labour shortage issues seeing an increased investment in labour-saving technologies and Australia’s milk production outlook for 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to achieve a high level of milk quality? On this episode Kristen Davis, Regional Extension Officer at GippsDairy, and Dairy Consultant Dr Mark Humphrys discuss some of the changes dairy farmers James and Luke from the MID in Gippsland and Darren and Tracey from Bega NSW, took to reduce their bulk milk cell count through effective mastitis management practices across their herd. The discussion covers some practical changes that were made on-farm along with the programs and resources available to help dairy farmers on this journey to improving dairy hygiene and milk quality including the redeveloped Cups on Cups off – Milking & Mastitis Management program.Find out more at www.dairyaustralia.com.au/mastitisSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hot Summers are part of the Australian landscape, but as our climate warms, we are seeing more extreme and frequent hot and dry weather conditions in all regions of Australia. Heat stress in dairy cows occurs when a tolerable threshold in environmental temperature and humidity is surpassed, and this can put at risk the wellbeing of cows and have negative implications on productivity. In this discussion we hear from Dairy Australia’s Technical Lead, Feedbase and Nutrition, Rodrigo Albornoz as he discusses everything from cooling infrastructure to nutritional strategies with Dr Kristy DiGiacomo, Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the University of Melbourne and Ian Sawyer, Ruminant Nutritionist with Feedworks. Find out more about the Feeding Cool Cows project here Cool Cows Manual | Heat Stress | Dairy AustraliaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this DairyPod episode, Dairy Australia’s Debbie Twiss sits down to talk with Jess, a dairy farmer in Victoria who shares a very personal story about her experience with anxiety and mental health and well being. Drawing on her personal experiences, Jess shares the very real and confronting challenges she faced, and the steps she took to seek help from those around her. Trigger warning - This episode does contain themes that may be upsetting for some of our listeners. If this does raise personal issues for you, there is help and you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue at www.beyondblue.org.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Setting the background on Dairy Australia’s Workforce Attraction campaign, in this discussion we hear from Dairy Australia’s Ross Bawden and Sarah Cornell talking with dairy farmer Kristy Grant, about the challenges of labour shortages, a new national approach to driving community awareness and engagement and resources available connecting job seekers with careers in dairy. Find out more at www.dairyaustralia.com.au/people  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hear from Dairy Australia’s Manager, Technical and Innovation John Penry and Industry Insights Analysis Manager and report author John Droppert, as they discuss the key insights from the September Situation & Outlook report. The discussion covers the effects and outlook resulting from record-high farmgate milk prices, global production volume outlook as well as ongoing challenges caused by weather conditions, workforce shortages and high input costs which remain key issues for the industry. Read the full report at Situation and Outlook | Dairy AustraliaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to Dairy Australia’s John Droppert talk to Situation and Outlook report author, Sofia Omstedt, in the latest DairyPod. John and Sofia discuss the forces influencing the global dairy commodities market, how they affect farm profitability, and the broad outlook for the dairy industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The December 2021 Situation and Outlook report notes increasing competition for resources between beef and dairy in some regions.  With that in mind, Dairy Australia’s John Droppert caught up with Matt Dalgleish from Thomas Elder Markets to discuss the outlook for beef prices and whether the beef boom is likely to turn into a bust.   If you want to read more about the latest Situation and Outlook Report, go to www.dairyaustralia.com.au/sando See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re back in beautiful South Australia where the high number of sunny days has led to a revolution in energy usage, especially involving renewables. But apart from whacking a few solar panels on the shed roof, how much do you really know about the opportunities and pitfalls involved in power usage? DairySA extension officer Beck Burgess recently sat down with farm energy expert Simon McKay to see just how fast the game is changing in generating and utilising power. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Treating lameness is an incredibly rewarding job, allowing farmers to ease pain and suffering as well as getting their prized milkers back in top shape. But for most farmers, treating lameness in their herd seems well beyond their skillset. In this podcast, a group of experts and farmers from a recent Healthy Hooves workshop look at approaches to preventing, diagnosing and treating lameness. It’s a great discussion led by GippsDairy’s Kristen Davis and Gippsland vet Mark Humphris, with plenty of practical tips on how to improve lameness outcomes in your herd. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An increasing number of farmers are strategically using sexed semen to increase their replacement rates and reduce the number of bobby calves or male calves produced. In this podcast, WestVic Dairy Regional Extension Officer Debbie Twiss caught up with Warrnambool based vet Dr John Kelly. John and Debbie discuss how modern sexed semen performs relative to conventional semen, the considerations you need to take on board when preparing to use sexed semen, when might sexed semen might be most appropriate to use and how you might go about getting started. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With an increasing number of farms considering more intensive dairy systems, we thought it would be a great chance to hear what respected farm consultant Phil Shannon has to say on the pros and cons of housed systems and the untapped potential for growth in existing grazing systems.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The DairySA team back is back in the in the pod, with regional extension officer Beck Burgess joined by DairySA chair Andrew Cavill for a chat on how heifer genomics have transformed his herd.  Andrew, who farms at Bool Lagoon, about half an hour from the Victorian border, is a great advocate for the positive benefits of genomic testing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the release of the September Situation and Outlook Report, it's a good chance to look at what’s happening in grain trends. With input prices remaining subdued and milk prices still favourable, farmers will now be looking down the track to see what their balance sheet will be like for the rest of the year. To help paint a clearer picture of hay and grain forecasts, Dairy Australia’s industry analyst John Droppert is joined by ProFarmer Australia analyst Claudia Kirby. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bega irrigator Will Russell is a young dairy farmer who is determined to maximise the yield from his water resource. Will is part of the Smarter Irrigation for Profit Two project which is delivering innovative ways to optimise pasture and crop yield. Will sat down with SIP2 co-ordinator Kym Revington to discuss how he’s getting more bang for his buck for the 500 megalitres he uses on his farm each year. For the latest tools, resources and information from the Smarter Irrigation for Profit 2 project, visit dairyaustralia.com.au/SIP2 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spring is just around the corner, which means silage season is here for many dairy farmers across Australia. In this episode of DairyPod, technical services manager for Lallemand Australia David Lewis joins Murray Dairy regional extension officer Lisa Birrell to discuss inoculants and additives in silage. David’s well known as a silage guru, so anything he says on the subject is well worth listening to.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heat detection technology has been changing rapidly over recent years, so Carl Hockey has joined Steph Bullen for the latest DairyPod episode. Carl services dairy farms across much of the subtropical region and is extremely knowledgeable about reproduction and heat detection. This is a must-listen podcast for any farmer looking to improve labour efficiency and reproductive performance. If you have ideas on podcast topics, we’d love to hear from you. Feel free to drop us a line at dairypod@dairyaustralia.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dairy Australia’s June Situation and Outlook report tells us that farmer confidence is riding high. With so much of our industry dependant on trade, DairyPod spoke to Stewart Davey, the man charged with helping exporters cut red tape and improve market access. Talking to Dairy Australia industry analyst, John Droppert, Stewart offers an insider’s look into some of the challenges of international trade. If you want to read more about the latest Situation and Outlook Report or National Dairy Farmer Survey, go to www.dairyaustralia.com.au/sando See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.