THE FONTERRA Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction on February 5 shows a solid rise in the GDT Trade Weighted Index (TWI) which takes in the basket of our dairy products, up 2.4% from the previous auction.

A MORRINSVILLE farmer has been fined $33,000 for illegally discharging dairy effluent into the environment.  So deep was the effluent that cows’ udders were dragging in it.  

ABOUT 50% of Queensland’s dairy industry was impacted by the torrential rain and flooding from ex Cyclone Oswald. Early estimates show damage and losses to be near A$40 million, says the Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation (QDO).

SOME SOUTH-WEST Victorian dairy farmers are facing a A$260,000 cash flow problem as costs escalate and income drops.

JOHN LANCASHIRE (Dairy News January 29) has irritated me, so I offer this response.   Our 1400 cow dairy has a top ranking for environmental management from Horizons; this however does not entitle us to pontificate on how others should manage their dairies, nor do we wish to.

RURAL INSURANCE company FMG has awarded 15 prizes to farmers as part of its milk quality awareness campaign.

DAIRY FARMERS’ confidence has improved markedly over the last six months, a Federated Farmers’ survey shows, albeit off a negative base.

THREE THOUGHT provoking topics – energy use, pasture persistence and robotic milking – will be tackled soon at Waikato SMASH (smaller milk and supply herds) events.

ABOUT 50 OAD farmers, and others thinking about converting, turned up for a field day at Longview. Especially interesting is that the established dairy farm on the property is twice-a-day (TAD) while the newer conversion is running OAD. 

DESPITE DIFFICULTIES getting cows in calf last season the Dymock family at Whataroa, south Westland, have a no-induction policy and they’re sticking with it.