HEIFERMAX

Time spent recently delivering heifer management classes in Western Australia was very informative.

My interest in the W.A. dairy industry was kindled at the 2008 Australian Dairy Conference, held in Launceston. The chairman of Western Dairy made a presentation about the industry which painted the state and its industry in a rosy light.

Western Australians have always had a reputation for being very progressive, and many innovative agricultural ideas have come from W.A. It appears that their dairy industry is no exception; having declined in dairy numbers, the W.A. industry has made a concerted effort to attract new players into the industry and to consolidate its position in the global market place.

W.A. has 2.1% of Australian dairy farms but produces 3.7% of the milk; this is a testament to the attitude of these farmers and is a prediction of the future success of their industry.

The heifer management day, run on-farm near Busselton, was well organised and promoted. This ensured that it was incredibly well attended and the 5 hour presentation provoked a wide range of interesting questions. It was stimulating to present information to such a receptive audience and although some farmers had to leave mid-afternoon to milk, many stayed on to ask more searching questions.

I look forward to future interaction with this forward thinking sector of the Australian dairy industry.