Well-placed to weather conflicts
Shipping disruption caused by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has so far not impacted fertiliser prices or supply on farm.
Nutrient efficiency is vital to Ravensdown as a component of smarter farming -- good for the bottom line and the environment.
Water efficiency is now a catch-cry and the dairy sector is being urged to lessen its water ‘footprint’.
Crucial to this challenge is how effluent is managed. Recycling and reusing the nutrients in dairy shed effluent is good practice, showing that dairy farmers are doing the right thing. This comes with a price tag: 70% of dairy farmers’ environmental spending goes on effluent management (see graph).
Challenge to status quo
Well-managed effluent forms a key part of the nutrient cycle onfarm, but in spring when cows are calving and spring rains keep falling, effluent ponds can fill and the traditional and viable method of irrigating or spreading of effluent can become a headache.
This can lead to accidental breaches of discharge, resulting in potential leaching or run-off of nutrients into surface water, perhaps damage to a farmer’s reputation and the risk of a hefty fine. In a cold wet winter, spreading effluent nutrients to keep ponds under control can also increase the potential for nitrate leaching.
If farmers are also looking to use feed pads more in the winter to avoid pugging, as a way to mitigate potential phosphate run-off, then effluent capture, treatment and reuse becomes even more important.
Recycling and reusing water
There are a few reasons why the ponds are at risk of filling up too fast – reaching the danger zone. Without tackling the root cause, the temptation can be simply to build a bigger pond with all the costs and risks entailed.
Now a new generation of storage ponds is on its way which, with reporting, management and decision support technology, a farm would be able to easily track, show and improve its nutrient efficiency and water efficiency– a win-win for all.
• Jamie Thompson is a Ravensdown effluent technology manager. This article first appeared in Ground Effect autumn issue.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
OPINION: Scientists claim to have found a new way to make a substitute for cow's milk that could have a…
OPINION: The Irish have come up with a novel way to measure cow belching, which is said to account for…