News New power farms announced New solar and wind farms will pump more than 900 megawatts of energy into Victoria’s power grid following the Victorian Government’s reverse auction. Country News 5 hours ago 5 hours ago
News Dogs to be put through paces The people of northern Victoria will get a chance to see owners and their dogs working as a team in the annual Rochester Working Sheep Dog Trials, starting on Friday, September 21. Country News 9 hours ago 9 hours ago
News Rate hike hits farmers A group of farmers have seen red at their recent Greater Shepparton City Council rates notices, which have seen significant jumps as a result of rising farm values. Country News 10 hours ago 10 hours ago
News Funds for rail freight study Northern Victoria’s agricultural production will benefit from better rail freight infrastructure, Federal Member for Murray Damian Drum said when announcing a $900000 study into rail freight for the region. Country News 18 Sep 2018 18 Sep 2018
News Snakes on the move The phones have started ringing for the spring season with people alerting Goulburn Valley snake catcher Craig Bergman of his slithery friends’ whereabouts. Country News 18 Sep 2018 18 Sep 2018
Dairy Giant posts loss New Zealand’s biggest company, dairy giant Fonterra, has posted a loss of $NZ196million ($A179million) — the first annual loss in its 17-year history. Country News 2 hours ago 2 hours ago
News Bigger isn’t always better KEEPING THINGS simple and fresh has been a successful formula for Nullawarre farmers Jason and Abby Burleigh. Never inclined to go beyond their means, the Burleighs have built a sustainable operation while successfully embracing the domestic fresh... Rick Bayne 4 hours ago 4 hours ago
News Celebrating whats best in dairy THE 2018 Great South West Dairy Awards celebrated the achievements and commitment of the local dairy industry at a gala night on Wednesday, July 11 at the City Memorial Bowls Club in Warrnambool. This year for the first time the awards celebrated... Dairy News 18 Sep 2018 18 Sep 2018
Dairy Founder back in top job The founder of Bubs Australia is returning as chief executive after the baby food maker’s current head said he would step down next month. Country News 17 Sep 2018 17 Sep 2018
Dairy Fonterra helps feed needy Dairy processor Fonterra has delivered 2.5million kilograms of dairy products to charity. Country News 17 Sep 2018 17 Sep 2018
Horticulture Showcasing opportunities A Greater Shepparton delegation to China and Indonesia has met with AusTrade Commissioners, advocating for apple and pear protocols to be developed. Country News 3 hours ago 3 hours ago
Horticulture Seeking trade opportunities A Shepparton delegation has been in China and Indonesia to showcase the region’s fruit product and boost trade opportunities. Country News 13 Sep 2018 13 Sep 2018
Horticulture Tackling pest Home gardeners, commercial growers and community groups have been enlisted to stop the spread of Queensland fruit fly. Country News 04 Sep 2018 04 Sep 2018
Cropping Handling the heaviest loads The Massey Ferguson TH7038 Telehandler meets the high capacity requirements for lifting the heaviest high-density bales, offering fast and efficient cycles for loading as well as the power to tow a loaded trailer. Country News 1 hour ago 1 hour ago
Cropping Producing quality silage Dairy Australia has provided some tips on how to produce quality silage. Country News 6 hours ago 6 hours ago
Cropping Cover up to protect new-season hay Hay makers are being warned to pay attention to moisture levels at baling if cutting drought-affected or frosted cereal crops. Country News 18 Sep 2018 18 Sep 2018
Livestock Live export ban fails to get votes A push to end live sheep exports has been shelved in federal parliament after Coalition MPs opposed to the trade refused to vote to ban it. Country News 8 hours ago 8 hours ago
Livestock Breed judging to be on farm The Victorian Branch of the Australian Limousin Breeders Society will conduct an On-Farm Challenge next month. Country News 18 Sep 2018 18 Sep 2018
Livestock Scales help club, community Merrigum Lions Club was unaware of the success that calf scales would bring when it started the program 40 years ago to fundraise for town benefits. Madeleine Caccianiga 13 Sep 2018 13 Sep 2018
Livestock Stop stock wandering Parks Victoria is urging livestock managers to be responsible and prevent their animals from wandering into parks and reserves. Country News 12 Sep 2018 12 Sep 2018
Water Water group seeks neutral impact answer Water leaders in the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District met this week to determine what socio-economic neutrality means for the region under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Country News 4 hours ago 4 hours ago
Water Drought water diversion warning Diverting environmental water to drought-stricken farms could result in a dangerous precedent for water rights, some irrigators and environmentalists have warned. Alana Christensen 7 hours ago 7 hours ago
Water Government back-flip on water Royal Commission Despite going to the High Court to block the request, the Federal Government and Murray-Darling Basin Authority have announced they will co-operate with the South Australian Royal Commission into the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Country News 18 Sep 2018 18 Sep 2018
Management Subsurface drainage keeps farm on top FARMING SUCCESS all starts underground for Cooriemungle’s Andy Powell. His farm, just 15 km inland from the iconic Port Campbell National Park, receives about 750 mm of rain every year but, with subsurface drainage covering 98 per cent of the... Rick Bayne 21 Aug 2018 21 Aug 2018
Management Gold plaque just reward for team approach COORIEMUNGLE DAIRY farmer Andy Powell has been named in the Top 100 dairy suppliers nationally in the Dairy Australia 2018 Milk Quality Awards. The annual awards recognise farms which have achieved the best milk quality based on annual average bulk... Dairy News 21 Aug 2018 21 Aug 2018
Management September Reminders Grain feeding When the grain price and milk price change, the opportunity to make milk from grain for a margin also changes. Grain prices vary depending on the type of grain fed, additives used and volume delivered; the price is currently between... Dairy News 20 Aug 2018 20 Aug 2018
Management Education goes outside the classroom TESS BLAKE has just spent 12 weeks on work placement in the dairy industry as part of her final year of a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. Ms Blake’s placement was organised by Murray Dairy and was... Dairy News 20 Aug 2018 20 Aug 2018
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 22 Apr 2018 22 Apr 2018
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 16 Apr 2018 16 Apr 2018
From the Experts Invest in all aspects of farm capital There are a number of future choices open to farming businesses. In short those choices are: retire, die, sell (in any order); hand over the farm to one child with the others unhappy; hand over to one child with all happy; build a multi-generational... Dairy News 06 Mar 2018 06 Mar 2018
Markets World wheat crop, fodder supplies declining WE ARE now more than halfway through winter, and more than halfway through a year that has so far been unseasonably warm and dry. Rainfall for the year to date has been well below average in most of southern and eastern Australia and across the... Sofia Omstedt 21 Aug 2018 21 Aug 2018
Markets What’s the alternative? THERE’S BEEN lots of discussion lately about alternative — or non-dairy — milks and whether they should be allowed to use the word “milk” at all. A lot people in the dairy sector are getting pretty excited about the US Food and Drug... Jo Bills 21 Aug 2018 21 Aug 2018
Markets Tide turns but more needed to lift confidence THE NEW dairy season has just commenced, and there is already plenty to keep track of. We have seen some of the highest opening prices ever announced coincide with farmer confidence hitting a multi-year low, more farmers than ever changing processor... John Droppert 13 Jul 2018 13 Jul 2018
Machinery & Products Jaylor specialists talk nutrition with farmers JAYLOR SPECIALISTS have been visiting Australian farms to further their knowledge of the local dairy and beef industries, and discuss feed techniques with farmers. International Business Development Manager for Jaylor mixer wagons, Marty Philippi... Dairy News 28 Aug 2018 28 Aug 2018
Machinery & Products Agrowplow releases new seed drill AGROWPLOW TEAM has worked closely with farmers and contractors from across the country to develop a drill engineered to meet the demands of Australian conditions. It has released its new AD730 seed drill. Agrowplow principal, Shannon McNab, said the... Dairy News 28 Aug 2018 28 Aug 2018
Machinery & Products Wrangler makes hoof work easy THE WRANGLER dairy crush, popular in New Zealand dairy sheds, is now available in Australia through De Wit Trading. “I had a farmer ask if I could import one in for him. I looked into it and thought this is brilliant and just what is needed... Dairy News 21 Aug 2018 21 Aug 2018
Machinery & Products Weigh and go without woe THE HIGH cost of fertiliser makes it important to understand how well a spreader performs — in the quantity applied and the spread pattern. Quantity is taken care of by calibration, to compare set rates with actual weights, and spread pattern is... Dairy News 21 Aug 2018 21 Aug 2018
Animal Health Is off-label drug use off limits? THE OFF-LABEL use of veterinary medicines on dairy farms is surprisingly common. This article discusses the safe use of veterinary medicines and scenarios where these medicines are unintentionally used off-label. There are many definitions... Simone Dunne 28 Aug 2018 28 Aug 2018
Animal Health Every picture tells a story AT OUR farm visits, we often take photos of key factors that we identify, and also the dairy shed layout — it helps us to quickly and easily recall the details later. But as the collection of images has got larger, finding a specific image has got... Rod Dyson 20 Aug 2018 20 Aug 2018
Animal Health Do you have the facts on mycoplasma? MYCOPLASMA IN dairy herds is a topical issue. Much of the media coverage has related to farm biosecurity, management options and the decision to eradicate. This article discusses mycoplasma in relation to animal health: how does Mycoplasma cause... Gemma Chuck 13 Jul 2018 13 Jul 2018
Animal Health Detecting cause of lameness the first step LAMENESS CAN be on par with multiple mastitis cases as one of the costliest animal health issues on a dairy farm. More than 75 per cent of all lameness in Australian dairies is related to non-infectious lesions, with White Line lesions being the... Dairy News 13 Jul 2018 13 Jul 2018
