Friday, March 29, 2024

LUDF to host Focus Day off-farm

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The Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF) Summer Focus Day is set to go ahead, despite operational restrictions due to Mycoplasma bovis.
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The LUDF has been operating under Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) restrictions after the university’s two separate research farms, Ashley Dene Research and Development Station, and Lincoln University Research Dairy Farm (LUDRF), were struck by M bovis.

As a result, LUDF was placed under notice of direction pending results of testing.

The university is now going through the processes of the MPI eradication programme, including depopulating up to 700 cows across the two research farms, decontaminating and restocking.

The186ha LUDF unit has continued business, with the farm’s management deciding to go ahead with the Summer Focus Day, but off-farm.

This will now be held on February 23 at Balmaghie dairy farm in Mid-Canterbury.

Getting underway at 10.15am, the focus day will begin with an introduction to Balmaghie Farm, a low supplement, low-cost operation milking 700 cows, producing 500kg of milksolids per cow.

LUDF farm consultant Jeremy Savage says Balmaghie follows similar operational processes and is achieving similar results to the LUDF.

“It’s been good to be able to relocate to a farm operating and achieving very similar results, and where we may likely reach farmers that aren’t able to make it to the focus days at Lincoln,” Savage said.

The focus day will present a season update on the LUDF, including a profitability report, mating results, production, managing with low nitrogen use and successful regrassing.

LUDF’s four focus days, run in conjunction with the seasons, are aimed at dairy farmers, owners, managers and staff, and dairy industry professionals.

Questions and group discussion is encouraged to make the day an all-round learning experience for everyone.

Operating with the support of the farm manager and some of the industry’s best farmers and technical input, the LUDF has lifted production through increasing efficiency across the business.

The primary objective of the farm is to develop and demonstrate world-best practice pasture-based dairy farming systems and to transfer them to dairy farms throughout the South Island.

LUDF also provides specific seasonal objectives and ongoing research for the South Island Dairy Development Centre.

For more information on the LUDF and the focus day at Balmaghie go to http://www.siddc.org.nz/lu-dairy-farm/focus-days-and-events/

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