New donated hay partnership to target SA dairy herds with high-quality fodder
A new collaboration will assist SA dairyfarmers in accessing the fodder transport subsidy scheme for the first time.
With dairy cows needing certain types of high-quality hay to support quality milk production and reproductive health, most donated fodder coming into SA during the current drought has not been suitable.
The SA Dairyfarmers' Association and state government have entered into a partnership, which SADA president and Mount Compass dairyfarmer Robert Brokenshire believes will enable farmers to receive much-needed quality hay.
SADA is one of five organisations - the others being Rural Aid, Rapid Relief Team, Need for Feed and Farmers Relief Agency - that will have access to the $4 million announced in the recent drought support package to assist with the cost of transporting donated fodder across the state.
The initial $2m in support assisted more than 4,200 tonnes of hay to be delivered to 436 primary producers across SA.
Mr Brokenshire said SADA had set itself up as a charitable organisation some time ago, if a situation like this ever arose.
He said he was only aware of one dairy farm that had received donated hay thus far, and dairy cows needed high quality, palatable hay of 19 to 24 per cent protein to support milk production and reproductive health.
"Regular hay received from charity donations is not tailored to the needs of dairy cows," Mr Brokenshire said.
"This scheme means that dairy farmers can have much-needed relief in these challenging drought conditions."
SADA will seek expressions of interest from dairy farmers looking to source donated hay, then will advertise for suitable hay and also donations to cover hay purchasing costs.
Mr Brokenshire said while it wasn't a silver bullet by any means, any initiative to support dairyfarmers during the current drought was a worthwhile pursuit.
Feedback from farmers and charities from the first round of the donated fodder transport scheme has resulted in updated guidelines to better target support across geographical areas and streamline administrative requirements.
The changed guidelines include the removal of a 1500 kilometre limit from hay pickup to delivery point, allowing charities to reach more far flung parts of the state during runs assisted by the donated fodder scheme.
Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said the lessons learned during the first round of the scheme had been valuable in targeting those most in need.
"We are pleased that dairy farmers, through SADA, can now partner along with the four charities to continue the fantastic work being done to deliver fodder to drought-stricken farming communities across South Australia," she said.
"We are extremely grateful for the work of these organisations and to the producers who have provided feedback to ensure the support is fair and effective."
Primary producers are encouraged to contact participating organisations directly to understand what types of fodder are available and to register their interest.