Fodder to play second fiddle no longer

Australian Fodder Industry Australia (AFIA) chief executive Paula Fitzgerald says it is high time for the fodder industry to step out of the shadows.

AFIA last week released a report into the stake of R&D within the fodder industry, finding that a lack of investment was holding the industry back.

Ms Fitzgerald said while there were dedicated fodder producers, often the versatility of fodder production meant it was included in other sectors.

"You've got beef and sheep producers making fodder, you've got dairy farmers making fodder, grain producers include fodder phases, all these people are making fodder but we feel like at an industry level we're missing out and that means missed opportunities."

Ms Fitzgerald said more than in any other farming environment hay and silage was critical in Australian conditions.

"With our variable climate having fodder in reserve can play a massive role in helping to manage droughts," she said.

"However, despite significant funding for drought preparedness, there appears to be minimal focus on the national importance of fodder and the critical role it plays,"

"We saw the importance a good fodder bank can have during 2018-19 in NSW and Queensland those with access to fodder were able to hold livestock for longer and were not forced sellers."

Ms Fitzgerald said the first thing AFIA wanted to address was the fragmented nature of R&D within the fodder sector.

"The report highlights that where fodder R,D&E is underway it is often fragmented, results and knowledge gained are not being broadly shared between researchers and agriculture sectors, and collaboration is minimal," she said.

"Who are the fodder gurus, who are the go-to people when the industry have a question, there needs to be that considered focus on fodder."

On the production front Ms Fitzgerald AFIA was trying to move the industry towards more consistent production.

"There is a lot of variability in the amount of fodder made each year, what we would like to see is more fodder made in the good years and stored securely under cover, with minimal exposure to pests, so it can be utilised when needed."

Ms Fitzgerald said this aim would require farmers to invest in their fodder business.

"We've seen a massive amount of investment in grain storage in recent years, there is a huge opportunity if the same investment goes into fodder storage."

The organisation is also pushing to reduce the instance of haystack fires.

"AFIA recorded 48 haystack fires in the last year, we believe that improvements not only in storage but right back to cutting time and curing can help minimise or even eliminate this problem."

She said this was reflective of a lack of action.

"Issues identified such as quality and hay fires, have been largely left unaddressed for decades," she said.

Lastly, she said developing a better system for marketing that reduced risk for producers was critical.

"We have anecdotal evidence from our members that fodder production carries with it greater risk, compared with the production of alternate crops," she said.

"This increased risk comes as a result of the time from production to sale as unlike grain, fodder is rarely sold 'straight off the header'.

"Fodder producers have to store and market the product themselves in a deregulated market, and contend with an increased weather risk due to the curing window length."

"We believe this situation needs further assessment, as it comes at a time when dairy and livestock businesses are looking to grow," she said.

"A decline in fodder production, as a result of farmers choosing alternate crops, would present the broader agriculture sector with a significant challenge."