Latest results show farmers using a new online milk monitoring, and prediction tool are experiencing 9.55% more production than the average Fonterra farmer this season.
The results come off the back of a previously successful season where Tracker, a free online tool provided by GrainCorp Feeds, helped farmers increase milk production by up to 30%.
It launched Tracker to the clients in June 2016 for dairy farmers wanting to improve pasture utilisation and feed conversion and increase their financial returns from both home grown and bought-in feeds.
GrainCorp Feeds general manager Daniel Calcinai says the results show that Tracker is helping dairy farmers achieve production levels that are “well above the industry average, and in many cases, well above expectations”.
“Despite it being a challenging season, our Tracker subscriber group have achieved significant production lifts over last year. More than 71% of this group have made production increases of over 7.76% year-on-year, as at 31 March 2017,” says Calcinai.
“A fifth of our subscriber group have increased production by over 15% compared to last year,” he says.
By comparison, Fonterra reported that farmers averaged a 5.16% reduction in production at 31 March 2017.
Tracker sets production targets each season. The programme collates live data around dry matter availability, feed conversion and margins, and a customised feed plan is developed to deliver profitable production growth.
“Our team’s focus is to maximise on-farm feed utilisation and complement that with the right supplementary feed at the right time. Tracker enables farmers to continually see their progress towards reaching their targets and where they are heading regarding milk volume, composition, quality and profitability,” says Calcinai.
Te Pahu dairy farmer Shane Swinerd says Tracker has added value to his overall business with 16.5% more production to end of March and 22% up this season. He believes it is a direct result of knowing exactly how much his cows are being fed, how much they are eating, and at what cost.
“Tracker has all of the information in it, and it’s easy to understand. One of the biggest things is that I’m not very computer savvy. It’s a hell of a lot easier to use that I thought it’d be,” he says.
Swinerd says by using Tracker, production and feed gaps are easily identified, and he can project how to increase output and profitability in advance.
GrainCorp Feeds is launching a new app version of Tracker at this year’s National Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek in June.
Registering a farm business on Tracker is free and includes complimentary support.
For more information on Tracker and other products visit www.graincorpfeeds.co.nz
