News & Events

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Modelling Irrigated Dairy Farming Systems:

This project began in the Murray Dairy region in 2001 with the aim of providing insights into options for dairy farm businesses to deal with changes in the operating environment.

The project uses a unique approach that combines the use of case study farms, biophysical and economic modeling and input from a regional stakeholder committee.

Project highlights and achievements include:

• Analysis of four different farm types: traditional family farm, modified family farm, high input farm and feedlot;
• Anaylsis of the impact of 2002/03 drought on farm performance;
• The impacts of changes in water price and availability;
• Analysis of the profitability of different labour saving options;
• Analysis of the profitability of automatic calf feeders and self feeding silage as labour saving option;
• Comparison of the profitability of different feeding systems, specifically a comparison of grain fed in thee dairy and hay in the paddock versus a partial mixed ration, under conditions of changing water availability.

The DPI has developed a number of fact sheets on the project, these include:

• Project Overview
• Automatic Cluster Removers - Do they Pay? June 2009
• Automatic Irrigation - Does It Pay? March 2009
• Once a Day Milking Technical Bulletin - February 2009
• Update May 2009
• Update February 2009
• Update October 2008
• Update July 2008
• Update March 2008
• Update December 2007
• Sub-Surface Drip Irrigation In Pasture Production - Does It Pay?