The Business of Dairy

Hosted by NSW DPI

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Jul 2026

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EN-AU

About the show

The Business of Dairy podcast will look at aspects of management of dairy businesses from both within the farm gate and outside the farm gate, speaking to farmers and service providers with skills, information and knowledge of value to you and your business. We will bring to you monthly discussions on topics that will grow your knowledge and understanding of management areas that will drive strong farm business performance into the future. This series is brought to you by the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit with funding and support from the Hunter Local Land Services.

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60 recent

July 31, 2026Episode 241 min

DairyUp delivering research for farmers

Dairy farmers are set to benefit now and into the future because of the research and development undertaken by a 5-year collaborative program in NSW that has recently come to an end. The DairyUP program was a unique collaboration that had ten key projects focussing on a broad range of areas including animals, pastures, farmer capability, future systems and products, the future climate and planning. Discussing some of the key outputs and resources for dairy farmers, our guest this episode is Sergio Garcia, better known to the dairy industry as Yani. Yani is the Professor of Dairy Science at the University of Sydney and the DairyUP program Leader. He has had a long and distinguished career in the dairy industry initially in Argentina, his country of origin, then in New Zealand and for the last 20 years or more, here in Australia. Resources: DairyUP website (publications, final reports, factsheets and other resources) - https://dairyup.com.au/ This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPIRD Dairy Business Advisory Unit – further information and resources are available here - Dairy | Department of Primary Industries Host – Sheena Carter (NSW DPIRD Dairy Unit) Connect with Sheena on LinkedIn It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address thebusinessofdairy@gmail.com Transcript - Produced by “Pacific Studio” www.pacific.studio The information discussed in this podcast is for informative and educational purposes only and does not constitute advice.

July 24, 2026Episode 132 min

Pricing poultry litter and its limitations

For dairy farms located near poultry farms, poultry litter can be a valuable and cost-effective source of fertiliser. With ongoing volatility in fertiliser prices and availability, many farmers are taking a closer look at both the rates they apply and the alternative nutrient sources available to them. In this episode, I’m joined by agronomist Peter Beale to discuss all things poultry litter — including how to value it, when it makes sense to use it, and some of the practical limitations dairy farmers need to consider. Peter has worked extensively with dairy farmers and is also a previous guest of the podcast. Resources: Factsheet - Best practice guidelines for using poultry litter on pastures This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit – further information and resources are available here - Dairy | Department of Primary Industries It is brought to you in partnership with the Hunter Local Land Services Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address thebusinessofdairy@gmail.com Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include; NSW DPI Dairy Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/NSWDairy NSW DPI Dairy Newsletter - Connect with us | Department of Primary Industries Transcript - Produced by “Pacific Studio” www.pacific.studio The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.

June 23, 2026Episode 1216 min

Live update on TMR farm performance – Raising the Roof Conference 2026

Welcome to this episode of The Business of Dairy . In this live recording from the 2026 Raising the Roof conference in Shepparton, Victoria, Claire Waterman from Agriculture Victoria and Sheena Carter share the latest update from the Total Mixed Ration Feeding Systems – Dairy Farm Monitor report. Covering the 2024–25 financial year, the report now brings together nine years of analysis, with insights into farm profit and the key cost drivers shaping TMR systems, including feed, overhead and finance costs. Raising the Roof was a sold-out event hosted by Dairy Australia and its supporting partners, bringing together international speakers, Australian dairy service providers and farmers. A link to resources related to intensive farm systems can be found in the show notes. Resources: DFMP – Total Mixed Ration Feeding System reports Dairy Australia – Farm Systems resource page This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit – further information and resources are available here - Dairy | Department of Primary Industries It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address thebusinessofdairy@gmail.com Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include: NSW DPI Dairy Facebook page NSW DPI Dairy Newsletter - Connect with us | Department of Primary Industries Transcript here Produced by Liam Driver The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.

May 12, 2026Episode 1145 min

Ryegrass options with high fuel and fertiliser costs

Dairy farmers and farmers generally are facing significant challenges regarding their autumn sowing plans due to high fuel and fertiliser costs because of the war in the Middle East. Decisions need to be made by farmers to enable them to minimise the effects of this situation on pasture and herd production and ultimately financial performance. Nathan Jennings from the North Coast Local Land Services in NSW joins us to talk about some of the management options that farmers should consider related to urea application and sowing strategies for ryegrass in the current environment. Resources: Nathan Jennings’ article “Ryegrass planting options considering fertiliser and fuel supply” MiniMilkBiz This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit – further information and resources are available here - Dairy | Department of Primary Industries It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address thebusinessofdairy@gmail.com Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include: NSW DPI Dairy Facebook page NSW DPI Dairy Newsletter - Connect with us | Department of Primary Industries Transcript here Produced by Liam Driver The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.

April 13, 2026Episode 1032 min

Survivability and trends in the Australian dairy herd

Australia’s dairy sector is rich in performance data, and herd recording remains a key source of insights for on-farm decision-making and tracking national herd trends. In this episode, host Sheena Carter is joined by Michelle Axford (DataGene) to explore key takeaways from DataGene’s latest Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Report, including emerging trends in herd performance and how genetics and new research are shaping herd improvement. Resources: Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Report 2025 DataGene website DataConnect This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit – further information and resources are available here - Dairy | Department of Primary Industries It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address thebusinessofdairy@gmail.com Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include: NSW DPI Dairy Facebook page NSW DPI Dairy Newsletter - Connect with us | Department of Primary Industries Transcript here Produced by Liam Driver The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.

March 1, 2026Episode 930 min

Tegan Gilfillan – Growing with the herd

Starting out as a milker and rising to herd manager of 900 cows, Tegan Gilfillan’s career is a true dairy success story. With more than 18 years spent on the one farm, Tegan has grown alongside Speldon Partnership, owned and operated by the Maslen family in the New South Wales Mid Coast region. Today, she leads both livestock and people, managing a large herd and a committed team of staff. In this episode, Tegan shares her journey and speaks candidly about the importance of people in a dairy business, developing strong teams, and the role the Maslen family has played in supporting her growth. This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit – further information and resources are available here - Dairy | Department of Primary Industries It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address thebusinessofdairy@gmail.com Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include: NSW DPI Dairy Facebook page NSW DPI Dairy Newsletter - Connect with us | Department of Primary Industries Transcript Here Produced by Liam Driver The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.

February 8, 2026Episode 832 min

Revisiting heifer management in dry times

This month we revisit one of our very early episodes which was released on the 1st December 2023 which was a particularly dry period across most of NSW and other regions. My guest was Neil Moss, a veterinarian and consultant with Scibus. The focus of our discussion was on heifer management in dry times and while we currently have much of southern NSW, Victoria and SA who have been managing very dry conditions for a prolonged period, these conditions are expanding. I am recording this introduction in December 2025 and the forecast in NSW moving towards Feb 2026 when this podcast will be released, is showing expansion of dry conditions further into central NSW and some coastal pockets. Useful resources related to this podcast: · Farming Forecaster (including instructional videos) · NSW DPIRD Seasonal Conditions and drought forecast webpage · Dairy Australia’s “Nutritional Strategies” webpage – comprehensive list of feed budgeting and management resources This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit – further information and resources are available here - Dairy | Department of Primary Industries It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address thebusinessofdairy@gmail.com Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include: NSW DPI Dairy Facebook page NSW DPI Dairy Newsletter - Connect with us | Department of Primary Industries Transcript here Produced by Liam Driver The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.

January 4, 2026Episode 730 min

NSW Farm Performance in a Year of Extremes

The 2024-25 financial year was one of extremes for NSW dairy farmers with extraordinarily wet conditions in the North and significantly dry conditions in the South. Despite these challenges, average profitability on our NSW Dairy Farm Monitor farms was above the long-term average for the 5th year in a row. Average Return on Total Assets managed was 4.3%, down slightly from the previous year of 4.5%. In this episode we discuss factors that impacted these results and look at some of the regional nuances between the North and South group of farms participating in the project. This project is an ongoing collaboration between NSW DPIRD and Dairy Australia and marks the 14th year of DFMP in NSW. Useful resources related to this podcast: · NSW Dairy Industry Overview 2025 and Snapshot · NSW Dairy Farm Monitor Project webpage with links to the Annual Report, Regional Summaries and the Interactive DFMP Report · Dairy Australia’s DFMP webpage with links to Annual Reports for all milk producing regions of Australia This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit – further information and resources are available here - Dairy | Department of Primary Industries It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address thebusinessofdairy@gmail.com Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include: NSW DPI Dairy Facebook page NSW DPI Dairy Newsletter - Connect with us | Department of Primary Industries Transcript here Produced by Liam Driver The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.

December 1, 2025Episode 621 min

Development approvals made easier - myFarmPlanner

This month we continue the theme of planning, not business planning but farm development planning and approvals. My guest, Wendy Goodburn, a NSW DPIRD Land Use Planner joins us to explain the development and recent release of a fantastic, freely available online tool called myFarmPlanner. myFarmPlanner assists farmers, planners, consultants and local government with the pre-lodgement process for development applications related to on farm developments and upgrades. It is designed for the dairy, horticulture, poultry and agritourism industries in NSW. While this is an audio only podcast and while we can’t actually show you what the tool looks like, you can view our recently recorded Dairy Breakfast webinar which was very well received and shows the tool being used live with a NSW dairy farm. A link to the recording is in the show notes and can also be found on the NSW Agriculture YouTube page in the Dairy playlist. Useful resources related to this podcast: · Dairy Business Breakfast webinar showcasing myFarmPlanner · myFarmPlanner · Industry resources for planning and development including “NSW Dairy Development and Environmental Guidelines 2024”, “Farm System Evaluator” tool and the “National Guidelines – Dairy Feedpads and Contained Housing” · NSW Agricultural Land Use Planning website This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit – further information and resources are available here - Dairy | Department of Primary Industries It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address thebusinessofdairy@gmail.com Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include: NSW DPI Dairy Facebook page NSW DPI Dairy Newsletter - Connect with us | Department of Primary Industries Transcript here Produced by Liam Driver The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.

November 3, 2025Episode 537 min

A Farm Business Plan – What is it? Do I need one?

“Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” This is a quote from Dwight D Eisenhower who was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe in WWII and also the 34th President of the United States. What he as saying is that a plan is a guide that can often change in the heat of battle, but because there is a plan it means different risks and scenarios have been thought through, you know what your resources, risks and goals are and having thought all this through you now have a foundation or base level that sets out your direction and you can use and adapt this when things change. In the case of a Farm Business Plan, it is also an excellent document to have when communicating within your business and to external parties such as advisers and financiers. My guest this month is Jess Bell, Senior Project Officer with NSW DPIRD’s Farm Business Resilience Program who has co-authored a book called Farm Business Planning which has been published by Tocal College and is also available online. We discuss the importance of a Farm Business Plan, when you should develop one, who should do it, what it contains, why you should have one and how it can be used, as well as providing you with lots of resources to help you through the process and set your business up for future success. Useful resources related to this podcast: · Order your “Farm Business Planning” book and access free templates · Dairy Standard Chart of Accounts · Dairy Cash Budgeting Tool | Dairy Australia · Farm Business Resilience Program This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit – further information and resources are available here - Dairy | Department of Primary Industries It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Service s Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address thebusinessofdairy@gmail.com Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include: NSW DPI Dairy Facebook page NSW DPI Dairy Newsletter - Connect with us | Department of Primary Industries Transcript here Produced by Liam Driver The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.