Western Dairy Profile

Western Dairy is one of eight Regional Development Programs that are spread throughout the nation’s key dairy areas and operates under the auspices of Dairy Australia.
Western Dairy has been operating since 1997 to develop a strategic direction for dairy research, development and extension programs in the Western Australian region.

It sets priorities, seeks submissions for dairy improvement projects and commissions them. Western Dairy is also responsible for monitoring the success of these projects and their ability to make an appropriate return on the dairy farmers’ service levy that part-funds them.

Western Dairy works closely with farm policy organizations, fellow regional development programs in other states and Dairy Australia, in carefully identifying and developing priorities for on-going research.

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Western Dairy Vision

Western Dairy’s vision is to enhance the economic and environmental well being of the region’s dairy farming industry through effective research, development, extension and promotion

Part of the way Western Dairy does this is through the prioritizing and facilitation of major research and extension projects. Western Dairy has funded a number of major projects in recent times, including:

• The Award-winning DairyCatch (part of the national initiative Dairying for Tomorrow), that is designed to work with farmers in developing and implementing best practice natural resource management strategies;

• Greener Pastures – a project that looks at whole farm management systems with a particular focus on nitrogen, its role in increasing pasture production and quality and ways in which to ensure nitrogen management is in harmony with the environment;

• Vasse Milk Farmlets – a project to identify which stock and pasture management practices deliver the most profitability;

• Optimizing the use of Nitrogen on WA dairy pastures

• Dairy Innovation Day – an annual event that brings farmers from all over WA together to meet and interact with world-class scientists and identify which from the suite of research and technology projects can assist them on farm to increase their farm’s productivity;

• A number of smaller projects, such as the development of a fertilizer management extension package, feeding for profit workshops, the big fat question workshops, labour management/ business planning, barley topping trials and many more – all designed to assist dairy farmers in this state identify better management systems on farm;

• Western Dairy also works strategically with Dairy Australia to facilitate the delivery of key extension packages including Taking Stock, InCalf, Top Fodder, Countdown Downunder and CowTime.

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Western Dairy Vision (continued)

• Ensuring responsible and timely use is made of the Dairy Service Levy paid by WA dairy farmers and where possible using these funds to lever additional monies that can then add further value to current and planned research projects

• Participating in national priority setting and strategic planning of Farm RD&E;

• Identifying and facilitating regional projects and relationships providing benefit for the local dairy industry – RD&E; HR; and other areas;

• Building local community awareness and ownership of RD&E;

• Facilitating communication between the WA Dairy farmers and the WA dairy research and extension community;

• Advocating best practise in animal welfare, environmental management and business management in the interests of the long-term sustainability of the WA dairy sector

• Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of all the above.
  

Goals and Strategies

Western Dairy’s goals and strategies can be broken down into three key areas:

1. Farm Productivity & Delivery
   • Farm Business Management
   • Natural Resource Management
   • Animal Systems
   • Feedbase
2. Industry Image & Marketing
3. Western Dairy operation and management
   
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Organisational Structure

Western Dairy reports directly to Dairy Australia but also formally to industry through WA Farmers Dairy Section.

Western Dairy Inc is managed by a five-member Board and a part time Executive Officer (1.5 days per week)

The Board comprises:

Board members are appointed for a three year term, with an option of renominating for a second term.

An industry-led selection panel is appointed each year to interview and select candidates for any Board vacancies.The selection panel is chaired by the Chairperson of the WA Farmers Dairy Section.

Other members of the panel include:

Western Dairy also schedules a biennial review of its Memorandum of Understanding with WA Farmers, to ensure that communication and alignment between policy and research is optimised.

Industry Consultation and AOP Review

Western Dairy formally conducts a biennial planning day with a broad range of industry groups – service providers, dairy farmers, dairy organisations – to review the organisation’s research, development and extension priorities and refine them according to current industry needs and trends.

Informal industry consultation however takes place at every Western Dairy funded activity, as feedback is sought through exit surveys as to the relevance of the event and the requirements for future support.

Western Dairy also relies heavily on the results of the Dairy S&O survey (which surveyed approximately 25% of WA dairy farmers in 2007) to gauge areas of priority and need

Funding Summary