Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John Cartwright on November 28, 2009 at 7:54pm

Matthew,
I think this is DA sticking their nose in where it does not belong.
This is a role that the farm associations should be looking after (of course we all know that they are completly usless)
But it is no reason for DA to want to get involved.
Like nearly everything else they are doing is only duplicating some one else work.
And you are quite right in that if the did have a point of view they can not lobby any way.

Permalink Reply by Russell G Holland on December 2, 2009 at 8:22pm

G'Day Matt and John, It;s easy for Dairy Australia D.A. to stick their noses in when when they are getting about 19.5 million dollars from the Govt purse.They follow Govt policy on anything and everything. Look at the ETS when on the 24th of Sept they sent 4 or 5 people to Berlin to pledge all australian dairy farmers to climate change reductions. Last year the DA total budget was approx 48 mill dollars, whilst at the same time dairy farmers Australia wide cannot get anywhere the cost of production. What good or use is DA apart from adding cost to the production of milk and farm costs. Another total waste was the 500-000 dollars spent on what drivers were needed to keep the dairy industry going from Wodonga to Murray Bridge in S/Australia when any child could have told them the 2 main items required are a price above the cost of production and water. Dairy farmers Australia wide will be better of if they grab with both hands the opportunity when the next vote on the levy comes around that we have to pay to DA and vote ZERO. At the same time make sure that a reputable body handles the vote. RUSS

Permalink Reply by John Cartwright on December 3, 2009 at 11:10am

Russ,
Your point to have a reputable body handle the voting would be a number one requirement if we are to get the vote through.
For if the last one was as how the people voted well i will go he.

Permalink Reply by Matthew Hoffmann on December 4, 2009 at 8:25pm

I wonder if bodies such as the Electoral Commission (unlikely) or entities who run share registers for multiples of companies, would be available to fulfill an impartial third party service for collating results? I recall John that a small % of people actually voted to increase the DA Levy. Is this a conscious vote on their part or a demonstration of the confusion that existed over the voting form?

Permalink Reply by John Cartwright on December 6, 2009 at 9:46am

Matthew,
You can get the Electoral Commission to conduct votes.
As for anyone voting for an increase in the levy, well some people will believe anything and maybe they went to one of the DA meetings telling all they had done for farmers.
( you know like wasting our money on important projects)

Permalink Reply by Matthew Hoffmann on December 6, 2009 at 11:34am

I once queried the point of DA running a research project on automatic milking machines in NSW (alfa laval I think they were) in a Jersey website forum. I noted that a Lely automatic system was established in Gippsland Victoria and it was understood that the owner was prepared to allow his data (and experiences) to be shared with the wider community. I don't know whether any strings were attached to that offer, but it was not taken up. That was dissappointing, but I also wondered why DA was effectively doing the promotion work for that sector of the dairy milk harvesting industry? Why reinvent the wheel? If a manufacturer of any piece of equipment wants to establish themselves in the market place, they either conduct extensive testing themselves or offer a good deal to a farmer to instal and test the prototype (which I understand that Lely did to an extent in Gippsland).

Oh yes, did I mention that within a week of posting my comment on the forum an article promoting the DA auto dairy project had appeared in the Weekly Times?

Permalink Reply by Russell G Holland on December 6, 2009 at 3:53pm

G'Day Matt With all the duplication and re-inventing the wheel, this is only to create jobs and keep snouts in troughs. The projects done Australia wide should be preceded with a profit over cost impact statement for on farm benefits for farmers from all of the research money that is spent. We cannot get grants from Govt's DA, Gardner Foundation , and commercial enterprises as the Demo Farms get and still run at a loss. They keep telling us we have to do this course and that course to become good business people and farmers, so this is the least they can do, set the example. RUSS

Permalink Reply by Matthew Hoffmann on December 9, 2009 at 8:29pm

Anyone seen today's Weekly Times? Tony Bourke (Fed Ag Minister) taking shots at salaries of industry bodies that take the gov. dollar to do research. TB (sounds like a nasty disease) also notes that these bodies are getting involved in agripolitics....

Permalink Reply by Matthew Hoffmann on December 9, 2009 at 8:33pm

Just think of the glossy mag that you might get at the end of the project... We participated in the herd fertility project "InCalf" a number of years ago. Really good info came out of that but I recall being asked to pay for the publication that resulted from the research. OK, paying for good oil is acceptable to most of us but surely the results and conclusions should have been mailed to every dairy licence holder between Perth and Sydney?

Permalink Reply by Matthew Hoffmann on December 9, 2009 at 8:39pm

I heard a few years back where one guy apparently used his feed wagon to mix concrete... don't know if he poured the feed pad and then went on to feed his cattle with the wagon.

On a more serious note, don't you add water to the feed ration when you are mixing up the various elements? I guess you bring the DM rations to your mixing area and pop them in the mixer before adding the water to 'balance' the ration and make it more palatable than a dry salada bikkie (probably could drop that in the ration too!)

Permalink Reply by Russell G Holland on December 12, 2009 at 7:13pm

G,Day Matt and Shane, Do you think it is possible to expand this Group with dairy farmers male and female who are in their prime. [i am nearly BC ] Every one you talk to say exactly the same about our industry and representative bodies and DA. If this group was to expand then other people may feel inclined to join it too. I do remember steve had some flyers made up for the Forum and could be drawn up for a Group. I do feel that if nothing is done then this industry will be just as dirty and corrupt in 10-20 years time as it is now. Interested to hear your comments RUSS

Permalink Reply by John Cartwright on December 12, 2009 at 10:00pm

Russ,
Those two members are about as prime as you can get ( even got hair on their head )and we have some good women but they probally are out help running the farm to save it.(no time to sit in front of a computor)
Would be nice for a few more members to have a say,for every one has a opinion.
You say that you are nearly BC but people like you have a good experiance to tell.
I would like for you to tell us what years you thought were the best and most rewarding in your milking days, and how you see it now.
Most of us have a list of friends on our e-mail lists and maybe we could all send a note to the dairy farmer ones and ask them to have a look at the group and see if they might want to have a say.