Dairy Farmers Buy Into Sustainable Practices

November 17, 2011

Dairy Farmers Buy Into Sustainable Practices

Dairy farmers are rapidly buying into the sustainability debate according to the fertiliser industry.

In the industry’s November publication, Fertiliser Matters, it says that close to half of all dairy farmers now operate a nutrient management plan for their farm and that more than 98% operate nutrient budgets.

“This is a rapid adoption of an agricultural tool first introduced and promoted through the Code of Practice for Nutrient Use just four years ago,” said Dr Philip Mladenov, Fert Research’s Technical Director.

“It shows that dairy farmers are undergoing a fundamental change in the way they operate.

“Through nutrient management plans and nutrient budgets farmers are better understanding and managing nutrient flows on their farms.

“It gives them the ability to achieve a greater economic return from their investment in fertiliser, feed and effluent management while also reducing the level of nutrients lost to the environment.”

He said that research among dairy farmers had established that 64% of them were committed to nutrient management planning.

“It is a solid benchmark from which to make further progress.

“Our target, and that of the dairy industry, is to have almost all dairy farmers implementing nutrient management plans within five years.

“Based on the current rate of adoption it is a very achievable target.”

Fert Research is currently progressing plans to extend nutrient management plans to the sheep, beef and arable farming sectors.

ENDS

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