P3: The Economics of Intensification *
This project provided information to help farmers to decide if transitioning to an intensive production/feeding system is a suitable investment for their circumstances.
*This project is now complete
A similar project has been undertaken in northern Victoria, led by Agriculture Victoria. The findings from both the Victorian and NSW Dairy UP project will contribute to a national Decision Support Project tool which is being developed by Dairy Australia (Adapting Farm Systems project) and Agriculture Victoria.
The NSW farms were located over a wide geographic region. By 2020-2021 all participating farms were considered to be in a zero-grazing system, with some of the farms still going through a transition phase. The approach involved detailed economic analysis of each farm, using the Dairy Farm Monitor methodology. It also included a social science study to explore drivers for change and the historic decision-making process in the same study cohort of farms.
Dairy UP’s P3 project involved two areas of work:
- P3a: Economics of intensification (7 NSW case study farms)
- P3b: Social research to explore the drivers of change (3 NSW case study farms)
Read the final report summary:
Final report summary of P3a economics of intensification (7 NSW case study farms)
Update (March 2024):
The economic analysis of the NSW TMR farms has continued since cessation of P3. This has been through the “Economics of Contained Housing” project funded by Dairy Australia and Agriculture Victoria with support from NSW DPI. This has enabled the NSW TMR data to be combined with the Northern Victorian TMR farm data and analysed. The results of this were presented by Sheena Carter (NSW DPI) and Claire Waterman (Agriculture Victoria) at the “Raising the Roof” Conference held in the Hunter Valley in February 2024.
Update (February 2024):
A NSW Raising the Roof event was held 27-29 February 2024 at the Hunter Valley.
Watch the videos and read the case studies on the Dairy Australia website.
Progress (October 2023):
Key project findings were presented to industry at the Raising the Roof event, to be held in northern Victoria in May 2022. A NSW Raising the Roof Event is being held in February 2024.
Progress (December 2022):
Juan Gargiulo presented results from P3/s work on the economics of TMR rations in Australia at the Australasian Dairy Science Symposium in December 2022.
P3 Lead/co-ordinators:
Sheena Carter
Development Officer Dairy Farm Business Management I Livestock Systems NSW Department of Primary Industries I Agriculture
Karen Romano
National Feeding and Farm Systems Lead | Dairy Australia
Project Team:
- John Penry – (Initial Lead) – Dairy Australia
- Claire Waterman – (Agvic)
- Juan Gargiulo – (NSW DPI)