Improving sustainability, productivity and profitability on dairy farms and orange orchards

Dairy farmers and fruit growers have a myriad of pressing immediate needs, especially those adversely affected by the current drought. However, farmers and growers throughout Australia also need assistance that brings long-term solutions.

This is why Lion Dairy & Drinks has awarded nine dairy farmers and two orange growers with grants for projects that improve biodiversity and land management or energy efficiency. This is the first year Lion Orchard Pride Landcare Grants have been awarded. All 11 grant recipients received up to $10,000 for their 2018 project to support growing productivity, profitability and sustainability on their dairy farms or orchards.

Anthony Pantano of Leeton, New South Wales, is excited to be one of two inaugural winners of a Lion Orchard Pride Landcare Grant. His project will involve planting windbreaks that will start to create areas to protect the farm from wind and create native habitat. The objective is that production will increase overtime due to the protection and the trees will also stop erosion. Read more about the 2018 Orchard Pride Landcare Grants.

Rodney Richardson of Penshurst Pastoral, one of the Lion Dairy Pride Landcare Grant recipients,  identified an opportunity to reduce his cost base by converting from a conventional energy source (coal fired) electricity supply for their entire dairy hot water, to a new large capacity solar hot water system. This will have a three way impact on the farm’s bottom line. It will reduce their monthly costs through electricity savings, improve milk quality as they will have improved hot water capacity in their cleaning system and will also be able to use 20% less chemicals in their dairy cleaning.

Read more about this and the other seven dairy farmers who have received a 2018 grant.