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Best of luck but where is that wetter area??
Cheers Jeannette
----- Original Message -----=20
From: David & Barbara Clayton=20
To: vicdairy-l@unimelb.edu.au=20
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 9:14 PM
Subject: Dairying
Hello everyone,
I have been amazed at some of the newspaper articles that have been =
written about the lack of increased milk production lately.
Reading said articles one would think that green grass was up to the =
tops of the fences across the whole of the State. Just because one part =
of the State is having a booming season it doesn't mean that the rest is =
in the same boat. On our farm we a struggling to survive our nineth year =
in a row with below average rainfall.
In 2005 we recorded 757mm which is the lowest in the 19 years we have =
been here. The 19 year average is 1056mm, the first 9 years average was =
1145mm and the last 10 years av. 975.
There is absolutely no way that we could increase production with =
these weather conditions. Our farm is mostly red soil and for the last 4 =
years we have had to buy in all feed from Christmas through to May. This =
last spring is the first time in 4 generations that no silage or hay was =
made.=20
If there is no good autumn break this year we will be joining all our =
neighbours and nearly all others within a 5km radius and throw the =
towell in.
I don't think that Dairy Australia realises that when then next down =
turn in prices comes that we will probably see the biggest exit from the =
industry ever. There are a number of farmers in the 55+ age bracket who =
are only still milking because we like the job. There again I might just =
sell out and move to another, hopefully wetter area.
What are other areas of Gippy like re rainfall?
Regards,
David Clayton
Warragul =
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Best of luck but where is that wetter=20
area??</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Cheers Jeannette</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dbarbclay@dcsi.net.au =
href=3D"mailto:barbclay@dcsi.net.au">David &=20
Barbara Clayton</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dvicdairy-l@unimelb.edu.au=20
=
href=3D"mailto:vicdairy-l@unimelb.edu.au">vicdairy-l@unimelb.edu.au</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, January 25, =
2006 9:14=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Dairying</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello everyone,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I have been amazed at some of the =
newspaper=20
articles that have been written about the lack of increased milk =
production=20
lately.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Reading said articles one would think =
that green=20
grass was up to the tops of the fences across the whole of the State. =
Just=20
because one part of the State is having a booming season it doesn't =
mean that=20
the rest is in the same boat. On our farm we a struggling to survive =
our=20
nineth year in a row with below average rainfall.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In 2005 we recorded 757mm which is =
the lowest in=20
the 19 years we have been here. The 19 year average is 1056mm, the =
first 9=20
years average was 1145mm and the last 10 years av. 975.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>There is absolutely no way =
that we could=20
increase production with these weather conditions. Our farm is mostly =
red soil=20
and for the last 4 years we have had to buy in all feed from Christmas =
through=20
to May. This last spring is the first time in 4 generations that no =
silage or=20
hay was made. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>If there is no good autumn break this =
year we=20
will be joining all our neighbours and nearly all others within a 5km =
radius=20
and throw the towell in.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I don't think that Dairy Australia =
realises that=20
when then next down turn in prices comes that we will probably see the =
biggest=20
exit from the industry ever. There are a number of farmers in the 55+ =
age=20
bracket who are only still milking because we like the job. There =
again I=20
might just sell out and move to another, hopefully wetter =
area.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>What are other areas of Gippy like re =
rainfall?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>David Clayton</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>Warragul</FONT> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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