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Key role of Aussie farmers in energy challenge
Staff writers
Key role of Aussie farmers in energy challenge
A greater domestic and international demand for clean and safe Aussie food products is presenting the Australian agriculture industry with opportunities of unprecedented proportions. One of the keys to seizing these opportunities is for federal and state governments to develop an energy agenda that ensures the viability of expanded agricultural operations and guarantees our economic productivity. Queensland is one of the states leading the way.
The Queensland government has committed to a 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030 and is aiming to double agricultural productivity by 2040. The overall health of the state’s total energy infrastructure, arguably the key enabler of the farm enterprise, is the cornerstone for realising these agriculture targets.
Queensland’s leading agricultural peak bodies and energy industry giants, such as Energy Queensland (Australia's largest distributor of electricity), have been working hard to address the unique energy needs of the state’s farming population.
“Farming is the fourth most energy-intensive industry in Australia – irrigation, for example, can account for upwards of 50 per cent of a total farm energy bill,” says Energy Queensland’s CEO David Smales. “Every farm is different in its size, shape and sophistication – hence the energy consumption patterns vary dramatically.
“Formulating one energy solution to fit all farm situations won’t work – energy providers need to work towards bespoke solutions and mass customisation to optimise outcomes.”
David accepts there is much more work to be done to tackle energy affordability and takes great comfort knowing Australian farmers are some of the most innovative in the world.
“We are on a learning journey. The key to improving the critical issue of energy affordability is not only regulatory change but also collaborating with farmers on these issues and listening to and responding to their needs,” he says. “This is something I believe Energy Queensland does well.
“For example, our network business Ergon Energy partnered with the Queensland Farmers’ Federation and the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy to deliver the Energy Savers program, which has so far identified more than $3 million in potential annual savings through free energy audits of around 130 agricultural businesses.”
Farmers’ engagement with both each other and with energy companies is also crucial to improve energy provision and reduce costs, especially for large electricity users such as intensive cotton, cane, livestock and horticultural operators.
“Farmers have great ideas – they should become strong advocates and get involved in the dialogue as the commercial implications are significant,” says David. “We all need to introduce new thinking to effect practical changes. Keeping our finger on the pulse by, for example, looking at the breakthroughs happening in other industries is essential.”
David is especially motivated by the potential of innovative technologies to transform the energy landscape for agriculture. Existing examples include the proliferation of solar panels, battery storage devices, the introduction of virtual power plants and the emergence of peer-to-peer energy trading, but there are undoubtedly many more to come in the near future.
“With the intersection of digitisation and energy giving farmers access to unprecedented data they can use and share to improve decision-making, it’s an exciting time for Australian agriculture.”
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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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