snell jamie- presentation - nuffield · background • lifetime dairy background • 10 years...
TRANSCRIPT
Presentation by
Jamie Snell
2006 Nuffield Scholar
“What future the family farm?”
Sponsored By:
Merrigum
What future the family farm?
• What are key measures of success?
• How are farmers addressing
succession planning?
• How are young people entering the
Dairy Industry?
Background
• Lifetime dairy background
• 10 years sharefarming Macalister Irrigation District
• Management to herd ownership
• 1996 Property purchase Goulburn Valley
Farm Ownership
• Family Trust Business Structure
• Additional property purchased 2005
• Neighbouring property purchased January 2008
• Currently farming 285 Ha. With 720Ml water right.
Industry Involvement
• United Dairy Farmers of Victoria
• Melbourne University Dairy Liaison
Committee
• Sharefarmer Of the Year Judge
What was the study purpose?
• To investigate what was giving confidence
to other dairying nations
• How are they attracting young people to the
industry?
• How are they measuring success?
• How are they planning succession?
• To investigate the effect of demographic
change on irrigation practices
Environment and Energy
• Two key policies impacting on all
areas of agriculture
• Impact of America mandating biofuels
• Policy of food security and energy
security.
• 4 billion bushels of corn.
Europe
• Alternative energy.
• Biodigestors for methane production.
• Canola utilised in biodiesel.
• Wind turbines.
• Subsidised.
• Over subscribed.
Changing face of UK agriculture
• Land price increase of 20% in twelve
months
• Support payments decoupled
• Tradition/heritage standing in the way
of progress
• Regulation and compliance costs
Options
• Value add in the supply chain
• Diversify
• Low cost business operation
• Proprietary v co-ops
• Redevelop and rent farm buildings.
Supply Management
• $30,000 /kg purchase price
• Mature market
• Difficult for Young Farmers to get a
start
• Close borders with the USA with BSE
• Product leakage
USA
• USDA –FSA joint ranching scheme
• Subsidies
• “When milk is $14 @ 100 the bills
don’t get paid”
• Environmental lobbyists
• Bullet and hook
Irrigation
• Stressed catchments
• Low water allocations
• Subsurface drip irrigation
• Trial work
• First in time, first in right
• “Happy fat and lazy”
Biosecurity
• No standard definition
• What is it?
• Where is it?
• No unique identifier for
premise/transport infrastructure
• Foot and Mouth
China
• A lot is lost in translation
• Everyone has their own China
experience
• China has had its industrial revolution
and needs to have its technological
revolution
• Labour – a competitive advantage?
Shanghai Dairy
• Heat and humidity
• Cow production
• Fertility
• Feed ration
Succession
• Planning
• Communication
• Implementation
• Affirmation
• Duty to be viable
• Y-Gen profile
Measures of Success
• Net worth
• Return on capital
• Benchmarking
• Profit
• Co-operation
Conclusions• Agriculture career of first choice not last
resort
• Government support through research and
development funding
• Strategic and visionary policy
• Embracing new technologies.
• Realistic promotion of Agriculture
Heartfelt Thanks
• My wife Anne who was irreplaceable
• My children Michael, Katherine Xavier and Matthew
• Our wonderful community.
• My very generous sponsor “The Gardiner Foundation”
• Nuffield Australia and Nuffield networks
Recommendations for your industry
• Opportunity.
• Schemes.
• Commercial reason not to.
• Social reasons .
Next generation
• State bodies to administer fund. Eg.
RFC.
• Annual appropriation.
• Scheme 5+5.
• Discounted rate adjusted annually.
• Review at end fourth year.
Australian Nuffield Farming Scholarships
A World Experience
Scholarships exclusively for Australian
primary producers
The mission of the Australian Nuffield Farming
Scholars’ Association is to promote excellence in all
aspects of Australian agricultural production,
distribution and management through the adoption of
local and international best practice and continuous
development of a unique network of industry leaders
and innovators
Further information
Phone: 61 2 6964 6600
Fax: 61 2 6964 1605
Email: [email protected]
Further details on Nuffield may be
downloaded from the Nuffield
website: www.nuffield.com.au
What an experience!!