May 15, 2007

Australian dairy farmers to address feed scarcity

The Australian Dairy Farmers said farmers in regional Victoria need immediate nutritional advice who can no longer afford to feed herds.

Last week, the group met with federal Minister for Agriculture Peter McGauran in a bid to tackle declining food stocks and water availability.

The group's president Allan Burgess says farmers are becoming increasingly desperate and are running out of options. He says farmers need to know feeding alternatives such as new fibre programmes and how to maximise their chances of herd retention.

Burgess said farmers can reduce the amount of fibre they provide to cows and has to be done in a way that animal health is looked after. An effective implementation of this system is through very extensive on education or information programme, he said.