Gippsland - How Now Gippy Now - March 2010 Edition
Grainy picture clears on feed quality for cows
Just as beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, grain quality means different things to different people, especially if you are a dairy farmer or a grain grower.
The quality grades used by the grain industry do not reflect the value of grain as a feed for dairy cows.
The grain grower’s assessment is in terms of the grain industry’s quality standards and grades defined by Grain Trade Australia (GTA) such as AGP1 wheat, Feed 2 Barley etc.
Unfortunately, these grades don’t tell the dairy farmer customer much about the nutritional value of grain for dairy cows.
Australian dairy farmers feed their herds about three million tonnes of grain a year, making them a significant customer in the national grain market.
Dairy farmers are becoming much more savvy grain buyers. They are specifying quality in their orders and checking the delivered product matches these. An increasing number are using feed analysis reports to look beyond the price tag and focus on nutritional value-for-money.
Dairy Australia is working with the grains industry to achieve a better understanding of what dairy farmers’ value in terms of grain quality. For example the value of energy, protein and screenings to a dairy farmer is quite different to its value for food processing.
Remember, The quality standards and grades used by the grain industry do not reflect nutritional quality for dairy cows.
For more information:
- Contact Dr Steve Little on 0400 004 841 or email slittle@dairyaustralia.com.au.
- Feed purchasing fact sheets: http://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Farm/Feeding-Cows/Purchased-Feed/Feed-Purchasing.aspx
- Grain quality grades: www.qta.com.au
When buying grain from a grower, broker, trader, or merchant, here are some simple tips:
- Always confirm a verbal grain purchase in writing, whether it is for a spot purchase or forward contract. Include specifications for quality, price and supply.
- If purchasing on the basis of GTA grades, make sure you understand what you are ordering, and specify exactly which grain grade you require. For example, don’t write, ‘feed barley’; stipulate Feed barley 1. Otherwise you will have to accept delivery of feed barley grades 2, 3 or even 4 and these all have much higher screening levels (proportion of small grains) which lead to poor digestibility and wastage if they can’t be processed effectively with the grain-crusher on farm.
- Consider negotiating an additional clause in the contract with a target metabolisable energy (ME) value based on feed lab analysis with a premium or discount if it is above or below this value.
- Always check grain quality on each farm delivery.
- Remember, you have every right to reject a delivery if it does not meet the agreed standards.
