July 2010 edition
Murray Dairy News - Note from the Chairman – Jeff Odgers
CEO Appointed
The Murray Dairy Board has appointed Sarah Parker to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Sarah has been Acting CEO at Murray Dairy since March, 2010. Prior to this, Sarah was the YDDP Coordinator for Northern Victoria/Southern Riverina. Sarah has a strong background in community development and demonstrated a key involvement in industry committees prior to commencing in the Acting CEO role. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters in Agriculture and Rural Development. Sarah and her husband own and operate a dairy farm at Undera.
Sarah looks forward to working with the region’s dairy farmers, service providers, and broader industry focusing on development and capacity building for a strong future in the Murray Dairy region.
Regional Priority Setting Sessions
Murray Dairy facilitated a series of Regional Priority Setting Sessions across the region in April and May this year. These sessions help formulate the direction of future service delivery for key stakeholders including Dairy Australia, Murray Dairy, Victorian Department of Primary Industries and NSW Department of Industry and Investment. The information and feedback from these sessions has been collated with a number of key issues highlighted:
- Human Resource Management: Increasing support and training available to employees and employers in the Dairy Industry; promoting the dairy industry to potential new entrants and employees
- Improving Business Management: understanding business analysis, including cash flow. Managing finances and risk.
- Optimising Resource Efficiency:
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- Farmers in the Murray Dairy region face continued pressure to optimize use of resources (land and water) to improve efficiency particularly in growing feed.
- Finding the balance and managing flexible feed systems in a whole farm context
- Water: Farmers seeking to understand in more depth water trade, policy and irrigation delivery systems which underpin capital investment decisions
- Herd Management: Key areas of concern in animal management focused on milk quality, mastitis and herd fertility.
Cups On Cups Off
Industry Partners Murray Dairy and the NCDEA have completed delivery of 11 Cups On Cups Off sessions across Northern Victoria and Southern Riverina. Delivered with the support of milk companies over 170 dairy farmers attended the two day workshops, centered on milking practice and mastitis management.
Key messages from the workshops include:
- be aware of pathogen entry into the udder through the teats
- wearing milking gloves is essential along with teat spray and continued implementation of good hygiene practices
- good teat coverage using teat spray is essential along with correct mixing procedure
- teat condition is vital and should be monitored regularly
- Herd Testing is a vital tool for monitoring cell counts on an individual cow basis and
- the cost of high cell counts and treatment of mastitis cannot be underestimated.
Further advice and assistance is available from Field Services at your milk company with information available from the Count Down Website http://www.countdown.org.au/
