Is systems research addressing the current and future needs of dairy farms?

Abstract

During the past decade, Australian and New Zealand dairy farmers have been increasingly exposed to volatility in milk prices, declining terms of trade, climate variability, changing regulation, and increasing consumer demand to demonstrate their ‘social licence to farm’. In response to the varying challenges, it is not surprising that we see significant diversity in dairy-farm systems in Australia and New Zealand. Despite much research effort to address these challenges at both the component and farm-system level, the evidence of adoption and dairy farming-system change over the past 5 years has been inconclusive. The present review explores how farmers and systems research have been affected and are responding, and whether systems research is developing research in the appropriate direction, proactively researching dairy-farming systems that are resilient, profitable and sustainable into the future, notwithstanding the increased volatility that dairy farms are experiencing. While much farm systems research in Australia and New Zealand has addressed the challenges associated with improving productivity and profitability, and the known challenges such as climate variability and improving environmental outcomes, there is need to fore-sight future risk, challenges and opportunities for dairy systems. It is also important that the system researchers explore alternative approaches such as working collaboratively with the known system experts, the dairy farmer, in a participatory environment to increase rate of knowledge transfer and adoption of positive research outcome.

The Behaviour and Productivity of Mid-Lactation Dairy Cows Provided Daily Pasture Allowance over 2 or 7 Intensively Grazed Strips

“…The intensification of animal production is often associated with long periods of confinement and indoor housing [ 1 ], rather than with outdoor pastoral production systems. Although the Australian dairy industry has intensified considerably over the past 3 decades (i.e., by increasing stocking rate and the proportion of supplementary grain provided), the key profit driver of dairy production in Australia continues to be home grown feed consumption [ 2 , 3 ]. Intensive grazing regimes, such as the provision of pasture in single or half day allocations (i.e., strip-grazing), are commonly utilised by pastoral dairy farmers.…”

Waste not, want not: Value chain stakeholder attitudes to surplus dairy calf management in Australia

“…Participants also commented on the volatility of the Australian climate (Raedts et al 2017 ) and that “there is always competing priorities, if there’s not a drought it’s a flood and if it’s not that it’s the price of produce and what’s happening in other countries and exports and things like that” [Interview 7]. The impact of seasonal variation and other market factors on commodity price volatility has been reported as a major contributor to the economic viability of the industries dependent on surplus calves (Raedts et al 2017 ). The impact of price volatility on confidence in the long-term economic viability of dairy beef value chains was made clear by one participant: “Like every time when we go through those big spikes in beef prices, everyone goes ‘oh I can buy a calf at 20 kgs for 700 bucks’ and then by the end of the time when it comes round to selling the animal it’s only worth $1,000 in the market because it’s a dairy cross and [they realise] ‘I’ve run that animal for 2½ years for 200 bucks’.…”

The Topic of the Ideal Dairy Farm Can Inspire How to Assess Knowledge about Dairy Production Processes: A Case Study with Students and Their Contributions

“…Many elements of dairy production are involved in considering the future, including livestock systems and animal welfare [72], as well as advanced technologies [73]. An important role in meeting the current and future needs of dairy farms is played by systematic research [74], but also advance in teaching dairy production [75], taking into account the modern approach to education about dairy production and management [76]. Recognition of the current needs in connection with the perspective vision of dairy farms involves taking into account a wide spectrum of factors [7] that will ensure the sustainable development of dairy production in the food economy transformation chain [77].…”