EMS in the Dairy Industry

Dairy Self-Assessment Tool Project I Regional BIZLINK Trial

The concept of EMS in the dairy industry is relatively new, although Best Management Practices (BMP's), checklists and whole farm plans have been used in the past to address environmental issues. Exporting dairy companies are now begining to experience increasing pressure from overseas markets to substantiate their 'green' claims. Natural Resource Management (NRM) coordinator positions have been developed and appointed in each of the 8 dairying regions across Australia to provide support for dairy producers at a strategic NRM level and provide assistance in obtaining incentives and grants. The project summaries listed below describe some pioneering EMS work for the dairy industry that is having very positive results with dairy farmers and the dairy industry. EMS-related projects in the dairy industry

Dairy Self-Assessment Tool Project Contact: DPI Ellinbank, ph. 03 5624 2226 or; Dairying for Tomorrow (link below) Funded by: DRDC, GippsDairy, EPA Victoria & DPI Approach taken: The Dairy self Assessment tool project has been a significant step in helping farmers to identify, prioritise and address natural resource management right around Australia. The project is into phase two - implementation on-farm, using various methods. DairySAT is unified and endorsed by dairy companies and implementation of the document will vary according to customer or market needs and available resources and company infrastructure.

There have been three dairy specific EMS Pilot projects that have utilised DairySAT in the initial stages of EMS development. The projects are;

The Bega Cheese Dairy Farmers’ EMS Pilot Program, Developing Dairy Farmers and Processing partnerships for EMS implementation and The King Island EMS pilot. The tool is now a recognised approach in all states and is widely used in Victoria.

Regional BIZLINK Trial

“Combining a formal financial and environmental risk assessment component to existing agronomic and engineering components of the whole farm planning process in the North Central Catchment”.

Contact: Susan Emmett – DPI Echuca (03 5482 1922) in collaboration with Jenny Wilson – DPI Kyabram (03 5852 0532)

Approach Taken: This project aims to trial the integration of three existing processes that the dairy industry have implemented in conjunction with DPI; “Taking Stock” financial analysis program (developed through Dairy Australia’s Dairy Moving Forward program), “Dairy Stewardship/DSAT”, and “whole farm planning” in the North Central Catchment. It aims to use the whole farm planning framework to effectively complete a structured economic and environmental stock take of a specific property. This will address recommendations from previous water for growth projects and aim to add value to the existing farm planning process in the North Central Catchment (NCC).

This projects seeks to strengthen the existing farm planning program in the NCCMA and aims to reduce the abandonment rate of existing plans by integrating into the process:

• The dairy industry’s NRM self-assessment and environmental risk assessment tools and the Taking Stock program.
• Tools that assist dairy farmers produce development plans and budgets.
• A continuous improvement framework which will facilitate the adoption of a strengthen benchmarking and stock take component in the farm planning process