Gaining insights into Tasmania’s dairy industry
In late February, Cooriemungle dairy farmer James Maxwell went on a three-day tour of Tasmania to visit leading dairy operations and agriculture research facilities.
The tour was organised WestVic Dairy’s Sheeraz Ahmad for the Port Campbell Dairy Discussion Group. The insights and experiences gathered during the tour will help inform future discussions within the group.
Virtual fencing a game changer
The tour began seeing virtual fencing technology in action on farm at P & N Dairies, Merseylea, and was one of James favourite parts of the trip.
“It was amazing seeing the cows mustered up to the dairy without a motorbike and the break moved for the milkers – it’s very exciting technology,” James says.
“Virtual fencing technology will have a huge impact on pasture-based dairy farming businesses in the future, allowing for efficient mustering of multiple groups at planned, staggered times to and from the dairy.
“It will also be extremely beneficial for pasture allocation and management as well as the already available animal activity monitoring. I will be getting virtual fencing as soon as possible!”
Pathways to farm ownership
James noticed the popularity of share farming in Tasmania compared to South-west Victoria. As the average farm size continues to grow and land value increases, young Tasmanian farmers are using the share farming model to work towards farm ownership.
“The highly structured and huge popularity of share farming in Tasmania is a key takeaway of the tour,” James says.
“We met three young dairy farmers that had been in the industry for five-plus years and had worked their way up to 50:50 share farming positions, two of which were on multiple farms simultaneously after starting from nothing.”
This was not the only path to ownership that was observed, with one farm making it their mission to maintain dairy farm ownership in the local community and offer opportunities that will increase equity for individuals aspiring to excel in their dairy careers.
“We had the opportunity to meet and talk to people involved in the Circular Head Farms group that partner with young and enthusiastic farmers to generate wealth for both parties,” explains James.
“They use a four-step share farming model adapted from New Zealand and that gave people the opportunity to achieve farm ownership.”
A valuable experience
The final day of the tour explored research and innovation at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) Dairy Research Facility in Elliott.
This visit reinforced the importance of meeting and talking with other farmers and researchers to gain practical insights for the continuous improvement.
“Everyone we met was passionate and enthusiastic about dairy and very generous with their time and answering all of our questions,” says James.
On behalf of the Port Campbell Dairy Discussion Group, James expressed his gratitude to DemoDAIRY Foundation for its support with accommodation and bus hire, and to WestVic Dairy for the tour facilitation and financial assistance.
“I really appreciated the opportunity to attend this tour. It was a beneficial experience. It was well organised with time for networking and socialising, as well as a great choice of farms to visit. Thank you WestVic Dairy and DemoDAIRY Foundation.”
If you would like to find more about discussion groups and WestVic Dairy farm business management services and resources, please contact Sheeraz Ahmad, WestVic Dairy Extension Coordinator on 0414 684 065 or via email.