A fodder research, development and extension stocktake to ensure enough feed is available during a national crisis is one of the main outcomes to emerge from the Fodderganza event in Bendigo.
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The three-day event began with a field day in Elmore on Tuesday, August 15 before shifting to Bendigo on Wednesday, August 16 where it wound up on Thursday, August 17.
Hosted by the the Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA), the event was to bring farmers and agricultural industry stakeholders up to date with the latest developments in hay and silage.
AFIA chief executive officer Paula Fitzgerald said she was delighted with the outcome of the event.
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"Tuesday was action day at Elmore where we had the latest machinery and technology in the country on show," she said.
"In Bendigo there were two days of thought provoking presentations looking at different protein sources."
Fodder at the forefront
She said the event was designed to bring fodder to the forefront in people's thinking.
"We think a lot about fodder in a (drought) crisis so it's nice to think of it at other times and the opportunities that exist in the industry," Ms Fitzgerald said.
She said the fodder stocktake would deliver significant benefits to the Australian agriculture sector.
It is estimated that 38,000 properties are involved in the commercial production of fodder each year.
However, only about five per cent of farmers consider themselves to be fodder producers, where fodder is the largest or a major financial part of their farming system.
Most farmers producing fodder consider themselves as 'belonging' to other commodity sectors where they derive most of their income - for example, livestock, grain, dairy or horticulture production.
"Because fodder production straddles many agricultural commodities, there is a need for greater strategic 'fodder collaboration' across the whole agriculture sector, rather than the current scenario where fodder is considered separately within individual commodity sectors," Ms Fitzgerald said.
"Also, like the cousin you only see at Christmas, fodder seems to be a top-of-mind topic in times of crisis such as drought and flood, however, during other times it does not seem to be getting the consistent attention it needs and deserves.
"Fodder provides a vital element to many agriculture enterprises, yet there does not appear to be a national approach to fodder as a key 'resilience tool', whereby we focus on the production of a quality product, maximise nutrition for livestock, and ensure best practice hay stacking and storage for fire prevention and minimising pest attack.
"These present opportunities for both research and producer education."
Need for silage co-ordination
Ms Fitzgerald said while there were several research, development and extension (RDE) projects underway, there was no overarching analysis or co-ordination.
"The AFIA RDE stocktake aims to gain an understanding of current projects and timeframes, identify gaps and opportunities for collaboration, and finally develop a set of fodder industry long-term strategic priorities (engaging all relevant commodities) to ensure investments are coordinated and focused to deliver needed outcomes," she said.
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"The impacts of climate change, and the unpredictability of events such as floods, fires and drought, is making farming and feeding livestock more challenging.
"A strategic approach with industry agreed priorities to improve fodder research and production and supply is a no-brainer for Australian agriculture," she concluded.
Ms Fitzgerald said about 250 people attended Fodderganza with many travelling from around Australia to attend.
"A lot of people had not been to Bendigo before and stayed an extra day looking around the region so that was another good thing," she said.
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