Bill Webb Feed Solutions Outlook

There's a looming feed shortage this winter which many farmers might not be aware of.

DairyNZ figures show despite the apparent mild start to winter, that soil temperatures in mid-June were 1 degrees Celsius below the same period last year – and colder soil means less grass growth.
DairyNZ's figures also show that grass growth, at a gain of just 10 kg, was about 10 per cent behind the same time last year, which equates to about 200 kg less of dry matter per hectare. That's a lot of feed which isn't there for cows – which eat on average 70 kg a week.
If you've got grass, you can grow more grass. But if your paddocks are eaten down too far – and it turns cold – it's hard to grow grass. So, pasture management is vital at this time of year, as is having supplementary feed on hand.
Colder conditions mean animals use more of their energy keeping warm, and with less grass available, supplements become very important to maintain animal condition. Some farmers take the risk of winging it, putting off bringing in supplements until they think they need them, or trying to get through winter without additional feed. That can be a risky strategy, given that calving is about to begin and animals will be coming back from run-offs and grazing blocks, meaning there are more mouths to feed. Planning ahead always makes good sense.

Advance
The drought has hit farmers' pockets hard with many having to buy in extra feed earlier than usual. However, the advance Fonterra made will help, even though much of it may have already been spent on feed. And the forecast of $7 is good news, though it is of course just a forecast and could still go either way.
In fact, once Kiwi farmers start putting milk in the vats again in spring the milk price will no doubt change again, with Fonterra being one of the biggest suppliers of dairy in the world. And what we produce does impact the international supply. However, the indicators long-term are promising with the increasing global demand for food, protein in particular, and China consuming more dairy products.

Bio-security
The bio-security issues around palm kernel expeller are of real concern – and it's hard to understand why those exporting PKE to New Zealand don't have to meet more stringent standards, which would ensure the product is safe and fit for purpose.
We already track and trace our maize, and can trace any consignment from where it was delivered to right back to the block it was harvested from. Should half a load come from one paddock and half from another, that's recorded too. This enables us to advise our farmer clients of sprays, and the possible impact of these on their animals or more specifically the impact on milk produced for the local and international markets.
New Zealand has been importing significant volumes of palm kernel which has been important during the recent drought. But there is little knowledge of the growing conditions, for example the sprays, which PKE has been subject to. So we need to consider the advantages of alternative feed over the risks of introducing foot and mouth disease, or other adverse conditions, which would devastate our farming industry and our national economy.