‘Buy right, control costs’
Spend on the right things and control your costs: that’s DairyNZ’s message to farmers struggling to make ends meet as global dairy prices keep tumbling.
He has been runner-up in the Sharemilker of the Year Award contest and was Bay of Plenty Farmer of the Year in 1996.
He recently hosted a field day run by DairyNZ as part of its DairyBase scheme under which at least 23 farmers using varying systems compare their farm business – financial or physical – to learn of their strengths and diagnose problems.
Clark is one of five farmers in eastern Bay of Plenty classed as System 5 for using high inputs of bought-in feed allied with a high stocking rate. He has been three years in the scheme.
“I like to think we are a forward-thinking group, all with the aim of targeting the economics and benefits of our methods and still caring for the environment.”
He grew up and has since 1981 farmed in the Waimana Valley, off SH2 midway between Taneatua and Opotiki. The valley leads into the Urewera National Park and Clark’s farm surrounds the Waimana School.
It is 120ha (eff) with 100ha flat and the balance steeper; 38ha is prone to flooding by the nearby Waimana River.
Average rainfall is 1800mm and is well spread with the local hills attracting showers.
“If we get a downpour of 100mm I know that further back in the park they will be getting 200mm. With the huge catchment, all that water has to get through the narrow Waimana Gorge before it enters the Whakatane River; that causes flooding on our farm and other farms in the valley – something we just have to live with.” In one season they have seen seven serious floods and an “unbelievable” amount of debris.
He aims to grow as much grass as possible as cheaply as he can using 170-200 units of N/ha and Projibb to maintain a high stocking rate so the cows harvest most, if not all, the grass and supplementary feed, ensuring they are always fully fed. Feed inputs are 25-30% of their total ration – maize silage and PKE – and totals 2.0-2.5t per cow annually.
The 440 Holstein/Friesian cows are fed on feed pads adjacent to the dairy shed for an hour before the afternoon milking. Top production is 200,000kgMS.
The dairy is in the centre of the farm and the last paddock is 1.5km distant. No supplement is made and 6ha is cultivated for maize silage which is stored in pits. The herd is milked by a contract milker and an assistant.
For many years Clark has had a Holstein/Friesian stud, Glenmead, “my special hobby”, formerly using overseas genetics and more recently New Zealand genetics as they have evolved. Each year he flushes his best cows, implanting 100 embryos in his own herd and recipients in another herd. He rears 190 heifer calves and 50 high index bull calves.
“This is a good earner for the farm as I sell about 100 heifers each year generally to China along with the bull calves both attracting premiums.”
