Annual General Meeting

South-west Victorian farmers and their advisors have been challenged to test their knowledge about feed performance systems.

WestVic Dairy is organising a `Hungry 4 Better Feed Performance’ workshop in Warrnambool on September 16 and which aims to answer the questions in a quiz developed to test how much farmers know about feeding systems.

A Cow fertility workshop in Warrnambool later this month will help farmers understand and address infertility problems, one of a number of big on farm issues facing the dairy industry. WestVic Dairy will host the `High In Calf Rate – Is It Conceivable?’ workshop at 10.45 – 2.30pm on Friday September 17.

The WestVic Dairy Inc Annual General Meeting was held at the Port Fairy Yacht Club on the 4th of September, 2009. During 2008/9, WestVic Dairy invested farmer levies in dairy farm small grants, research into better feeding cow systems and using first pond sludge, farm management discussion groups, newsletters and other dairy communications, dairy awards, and modelling future fairy farm business results. It also attracted significant funding to the region’s farmers. During 2008/09 about $600,000 of service levy was available for investment and that helped attract about a further $2 million to the region.

South-west dairy farmers may face increased production costs of up to half a cent per little of milk due to the impact of climate change regulations. The prediction comes as farmers and service providers are being invited to attend a “CC COWS” (Climate Change Challenges, Opportunities, Weaknesses and Strengths) forum at Port Fairy on September 4.