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51 techniques for farmers to cut costs amid drought
Alex Chance
A new report has outlined 51 ways drought-stricken farmers can lower their energy use, operating costs and carbon emissions.
The report coincides with the Federal Government releasing $50m in grants from early 2020 to help farmers implement some of the technologies.
The free Transforming Australian Agriculture with Clean Energy guide outlines methods and associated costs of generating energy, upgrading machinery, improving irrigation, making buildings more efficient, and adopting precision agriculture and emerging technologies.
“This guide is another way we are bringing the substantial benefits of one of our newest industries – clean energy – to one of our most established – agriculture,” said Ian Learmonth, CEO of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), which prepared the guide with the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF).
“Clean energy leads to greater efficiencies and productivity, and an overall lower emissions profile for the agribusiness sector,” said NFF’s CEO, Tony Mahar.
“The first recommendation in the report is to do an energy audit,” said NFF CEO Tony Mahar. “Look at your farm, where the energy is used, how it's used, and whether they are any opportunities to actually reduce that energy.”
The potential energy efficiency technologies range from variable speed drives and smart controls to best-in-class tractors and refrigeration equipment. Renewable energy solutions include increasingly cost-effective solar PV as well as on-farm microgrids, which are adept in remote areas or where network connections are expensive.
The guide says that investments in emerging technologies such as robotics can reduce fuel, labour costs, and greenhouse gas emissions, starting from less than $5000.
One Victorian farm upgraded to a new robotic dairy milking system and reduced their energy use by over 25 per cent, according to the CEFC.
“It’s important to make sure farmers have the ideas necessary to reduce their energy costs but also the finance available to be able to do so. That’s particularly important during this drought,” said Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor last week at Pialligo Estate, ACT.
“The $50 million Energy Efficient Communities Program will be rolled out over the coming months and years and is available for energy audits and investments that can help farmers and other small businesses to reduce their energy costs.”
Up to $10 million has already been allocated to eligible dairy farms in recognition of the impact high electricity costs have on a sector that must milk and then chill its product.
Community organisations can apply for grants from October, and businesses in early 2020, on a first-come-first-serve basis.
“More than 1,100 agriculture projects are already drawing on $260 million in CEFC finance to invest in solar PV, lower emissions farm equipment, energy efficient machinery upgrades, and biomass energy-from-waste,” CEFC’s CEO, Ian Learmonth said.
Australian agriculture is a $60 billion sector with many farm businesses heavily reliant on affordable and reliable energy in order to remain competitive, according to the Department of the Environment and Energy.
The Federal Government’s Climate Solutions Fund is another scheme to improve the environment. Farmers and organisations can sell carbon abatement credits earned for running emission-reducing projects to the Fund.
Over 770 projects have already been registered in the $2bn fund.
The Department says the fund will, by 2030, reduce Australia’s emissions by 26-28 per cent the levels they were in 2005.
However, Australia’s annual emissions have climbed by 1.4% according to Quarterly Update figures released in March by the Department.
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Australia’s climate is tougher than ever. Heat spikes, dry periods, salinity, waterlogging and sudden frost events are becoming an everyday part of farmers lives.
Trace minerals are required for optimal growth, reproduction, and immunity. Optimising trace mineral status relying solely on oral supplements across a herd may fail because of variation in individual intake and reduced absorption due to antagonism of other ration components and minerals. The use of injectable trace mineral supplements has been associated with positive reproductive outcomes including improved conception rate, increased odds of pregnancy and greater final in calf rate. A study conducted on 2,168 dairy cows, administered injectable trace minerals, four weeks prior to calving and again four weeks prior to the start of mating showed treated animals had a 3.3 per cent greater final in-calf rate, and a reduced time from start of mating to conception, compared to control animals 1 . The Importance of B12 Dr Carl Eden, Technical Services Veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim says “Vitamin B12 is sometimes referred to as a ‘super vitamin’ because it is only required in very small amounts but vital to many essential metabolic pathways. However, demand for B12 can vary considerably during the year and we see serum levels of B12 fall at critical times, such as the first few months after calving.” Vitamin B12 contains cobalt, so deficiency in cobalt can lead to deficiency in vitamin B12 because ruminants get most of their B12 as a byproduct of ruminal fermentation where the bacteria in their rumen assemble B12 from cobalt for use by the cow. Sub-optimal trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at calving, mating, and drying off has been shown to negatively impact growth, reproduction, and immunity. Using a trace mineral injectable containing vitamin B12 can improve trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at these critical times. Marks-Min with Vitamin B12 – The Evidence In the largest trace element study to date, Marks-Min Injectable Trace Mineral with Vitamin B12 demonstrated remarkable results when compared to a reference trace mineral injection. “Given the differences between Marks-Min and other products on the market, we wanted to generate a compelling data set to demonstrate how effective it was compared to the pioneer product. We entrusted this work to a third-party research company” says Dr Eden. “We chose farms that were at the top of their game from a reproductive perspective. We made sure that the farms had no evidence of trace element or vitamin B12 deficiencies or excess.” Across all outcomes of interest, Marks-Min demonstrated clear non-inferiority when compared to the reference product. Outcomes measured included submission, pregnancy and conception rates, and six week in-calf rate. Marks-Min demonstrated it is highly suited as an alternative treatment to the reference product. Reference: 1. Hawkins, D., and B. V. S. Franklin. New Zealand Dairy Veterinarians Newsletter 24 (2007): 12-16 Company website: livestockfirst.com.au Company email address: CustomerCare.Australia@boehringer-ingelheim.com Company video: https://vimeo.com/1138807630?fl=pl&fe=cm
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