WAFarmers annual dairy conference was held in Busselton recently. It is a highlight on the calendar for dairy farmers and industry participants each year, and this year’s conference certainly did not disappoint. The theme of the conference was: Smart, Safe, Sustainable - all key points essential to any long-term, successful farming operation.
The day began with the Western Dairy Business breakfast. The aim of the session was to keep the WA Dairy industry informed of the current state of the market. It covered the present situation and also the outlook for the coming years, and encouraged conversation about the future of successful dairy farming. It was pleasing to note that the outlook for dairying in WA is becoming increasingly positive, a fact which added to the atmosphere on the day.
Dairy Australia Industry Analyst, Eliza Redfern, gave an excellent presentation on the 2023 situation and outlook. She explored the current situation in WA dairy, the effect of record milk prices and what that means for farmers. Given the uncertainty created by the volatility in both global and domestic markets, Eliza also discussed what dairy farmers can expect in the coming season.
New Zealand Agribusiness consultant, Lynaire Ryan, took the audience through key steps to wealth creation in their dairy businesses. Highly regarded as one of New Zealand’s top agribusiness consultants, Lynaire’s presentation offered WA dairy farmers a unique opportunity to gain experience and explore opportunities for growing the profitability of their businesses. Her experiences working with many, varied farming families, along with her in-depth knowledge of the management challenges facing dairy farmers, were well received by attendees.
‘Healthy Estuaries for WA Project’ covered the topic of effluent management, which is something every dairy farmer is familiar with. This project update looked at how effluent stacked up as a re-useable resource and how dairy farmers could overcome the challenges to make it a viable option for their farms.
The conference was officially opened by the Hon. Jackie Jarvis MLC, Minister for Agriculture and Food. Other topics covered included Planning for Dairy Business Success, Digital Farm Safety Systems, Developing Resilience in Dairy Business, and the importance of understanding the Carbon Baseline for the WA Dairy Industry.
All presentations were well received and extremely insightful. Several Milne team members, including Milne Feeds General Manager & WA Farmers Board Member Michael Tarling, Sales Manager Paul Nenke, Dairy Specialist Jess Andony and Business Process Manager Oxana Yashina, attended the conference and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to support the WA dairy industry and catch up with the many Milne Feeds dairy customers. We look forward to the conference next year!
