Making Dairy More Profitable

DAIRY farming is a difficult sector to make profitable at the moment, but the Hunter Local Land Services have helped some farmers improve their position through reducing feeding costs and making small changes which impact on their profits.

Phil Shannon, expert pastoralist, dairy consultant and author of ‘Feeding Pasture for Profit’ will lead a two day course to help local dairy farmers later this month.

“Farmers who have attended the course previously have found marked improvement in the grazing management and several farmers who have attended the course for a second time report even greater success the second time around,” Mr Beale said.

Mr Shannon specialises in pasture based systems that increase intake of pasture and keep overhead costs down.

Pastures officer for Hunter Local Land Services, Peter Beale said finding the right balance in each farm is important.

“Individual farming systems have their own ‘point’ where offering the herd more supplement reduces farm profit, while not using enough supplement will impact on potential profit not being realised,” he said.

“This course will help farmers to identify the cost per kilogram of feed offered to the herd and calculate the ‘income’ generated,” Mr Beale said.

Day 1 of the course will focus on grazing management, with attendees to learn the science behind good grazing recommendations. Participants will be introduced to a ‘Rotation Right’ system as a simple way to implement and manage good grazing.

Day 2 will focus on profitable feeding, including the role of supplements and the interaction between grazing, supplement use and cow performance.

• When: 9:30am – 2:30pm, November 23-24
• Where: Tocal Dairy
• Cost: Free
• Register: online on the website www.hunter.lls.nsw.gov.au or contact Peter Beale on 0427 007 468 or Sheena Carter on 0427 434 412.