It was the passion I saw in the dairy industry that drew me to join Dairy Australia six years ago. I saw an opportunity to make a real impact. My background is in strategy and innovation, having worked across India, the Middle East, the United States and Australia in management consulting and corporate strategy roles. Every decision we make at Dairy Australia is driven by the desire to make a positive change for farmers and industry.
As Head of Research Investments, my focus is on ensuring our research strategy not only addresses farmers’ needs today, but also anticipates the challenges and opportunities they’ll face in the future. My team works hard to stay on top of advances across the areas of feedbase and nutrition, animal health, climate and environment, farm systems, and soils and water.
Our goal with any research investment decision is to deliver tangible and practical outcomes that help dairy farmers make further improvements in their profitability and productivity.
Eye on industry horizon
One of the ways we ensure our research has real-world impact is by working closely with universities, state governments and other research and development corporations. That includes Meat & Livestock Australia on issues of animal health and welfare, and Grains Research and Development Corporation on crops, soil and soil health, among others.
To stay ahead of emerging issues, we also rely on critical input from dairy farmers, who continue to play a crucial role in shaping our research priorities.
We’ve created teams that bring together highly skilled experts across a broad range of technical areas, who have skills in extension learning as well as practical development. This ensures that Dairy Australia’s research investments are well informed through on-the-ground insights from our regional teams, and that they consider all aspects of productivity and sustainability. Each team works to a three-year roadmap, defining the problems that farmers have indicated they need solving and the opportunities we’re targeting to help our farmers succeed.
Major initiatives
One of our key projects at the moment is the National Forages Strategy, which will guide our investments in resilient feed crops to help farmers increase productivity, while adapting to changing environmental conditions. Many of our major forage research investments are reaching critical milestones, making this a great time to map out a structured, strategic approach for the next five years.
Another key area is genetics. Dairy Australia has been investing in animal genetics for decades through DataGene, enabling farmers to breed for traits such as milk yield and herd health. We’re now expanding this work to explore new genetic indexes, including sustainability-focused traits such as methane reduction.
We’re also seeing a shift from traditional pasture-based systems to contained housing systems, driven by the changing climate, reduced water availability and limited land for expansion. Dairy Australia is continuing to invest in tools and resources to support those farmers who are interested in transitioning to – or establishing – these new systems, such as planning and infrastructure guidelines, and guides for animal care and the environment. It has led to the development of National Guidelines for contained housing and a new event called Raising the Roof, which brought together insights, expertise and information for farmers looking to transition their farm systems.
Soil health is another priority area. We know that healthier soils lead to more productive pastures, better profitability and reduced input costs. In response, we have launched Grounds for Growth, the first Australian dairy industry event focused on soil and pasture biodiversity. By helping farmers adopt multispecies pastures and other soil health practices, we’re ensuring long-term benefits for our industry.
Ultimately, our role is to keep an eye on the future, to anticipate challenges, identify opportunities and ensure that every investment we make is to provide us with critical insights that delivers value back to farmers. Through these research initiatives, we’re committed to keeping the Australian dairy competitive, resilient and sustainable for the long term.
To find out more about Dairy Australia’s services – including how we are supporting industry through herd and feed innovation initiatives – visit What We Do | Dairy Australia.
